The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-12-11
SAW A BURGLAR
. THROUGH KEYHOLE
CFrom Thursday 5 Adyertiser.l

(From Thursdays Advertiser.)
Prison life has no terrors for Fran
cisco Castro, a stalwart Porto Rican,
for on Tuesday night within forty
eight hours after his release from tho
Reef, he committed burglary in the
first degree and may spend the next
FIVE years in the same old place. On
Monday he was released by High Sher-
iff Henry, having served fifteen-day
sentence on charge of vagrancy-
Two weeks before that he had been
released after serving eight months
for highway robbery, committed in
Palama.
On Monday Castro looked up some
of his old companions, among them
Joe Cadi, and made informal calls on
denizens of the Winston block. One
of the roomers is Portuguese woman
named Vincent. On Tuesday evening,
accompanied by Cadi, Castro called
upon the lady and left her room about
9 o clock.
About 1880 neighbor of the Vim
cent woman heard q noise in the lat
ter's room, and wondered about it,
knowing that Madame Vincent was
out. She tiptoed to the door and
peeked through the keyhole. She saw
the figure of man bending over u
small bureau, apparently ransacking
the contents. The woman called an
1 ntb o,,J III.
J look She, also, saw the man at
work. Then one of the women ran to
the room of j. p. Looney, who has
charge of the Winston block, and
brought him to the door, He looked
through the keyhole and was satisfied
that the strange visitor was a burglar
and all three agreed that he was Cas-
tro. Mr.. Looney used pass-key and
quietly unlocked the door. The noise
aroused the man inside, and as tho
door swung open few inches he flung
himself against it and closed it. The
three outside put forth all their
strength and gradually forced the
: door.
The intruder gave up, and as he did
so the three plunged into the ROOM
The burglar made leap at them, but
stumbled, and, striking the stairway
just opposite, went headlong to the
bottom. The alarm was given, but tho
burglar made his escape. Joe Cadi
about this time emerged from the
) darkness of one of the tenement
kitchens, stunning guitar.
The police were notified and yes
terday morning Chief of Detectives
KalakIela divided his force to search
for Castro. During the forenoon De-
tective Minieville learned that the
man had visited the Free Dispensary
to have some bruises attended to, and
he knew then that the Identification
of Castro by the keyhole method the
. night before was correct. So an Off
, Ger was stationed at the dispensary,
and others near Castro s old residence
in Palama. The physician in charge
of the dispensary had requested Cas-
tro to- return in the afternoon at 2
o clock.
About $50 Castro was located at
Camp No. 2 and taken to the station,
where he was investigated. A visit
,, to his room resulted in the finding of
the clothing he had worn the night
before. The trousers were very dirty
and torn about the legs, the result of
, the long slide down the stairway. His
! feet showed many deep and painful
. bruises. These were made by striking
the steps during his headlong fight.
= Castro, however, was quick at prov
a ing an alibi. He said the bruises
= were the result of an attempt to fix n
! fagpole on building in Kakaako. He
had used ropes, South Sea style, to
. shin up the pole, but had fallen, and
: that accounted for the bruises and the
a condition Of his clothing.
q Mrs. Vincent on taking stock Of
', the contents of her room found that
: a $40 gold piece and small diamond
a were missing, The theft of this ner-
' chandise is the basis of the charge
: of burglary in the first degree which
:, has been entered, against Castro.
. Francisco Castro is a dangerous man
= in the community. Ever since his ar
a rival in the Islands he has proved
a a troublesome. He has a long Jail rec
q ord, and the charges run. down from
a highway robbery and larceny to minor
l. ofrenses. He is powerfully built AS
.. worker in the prison luna gangs he
is regarded as one Of the best. He
II dislkes light labor, preferring the
|, heaviest and hardest the lunas can put
" him to- Cadi is still held for investi-
cation