The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-07-20
c OIL D { n KE Y
OPENS THE
DOOR

Was ten thousand dollars the
key that opened prison doors, loosened
shaclkles and gave an opportunity for
escape to Fujihara, the convicted muir.
dereri This is the story the recaptured
kprisoner tells.
Ten thousand dollars And the man
who got it, Fujihara says. was Charles
Moore, at that time jailor of the Hilo
| prison. For ten thousand dollars, he
charges, Moore betrayed his trust, sold
his honor and allowed the prisoner en-
trusted to his charge to escape, only
two days before the date set for the
hanging of the man who had been con-
victed of having murdered fellow
countryman. That was eight years ago.
Eight years. Eight years of lie
after he was to have been hangedl So
much, at any rate, has Fujihara snatch
ed from the stern DEGREES of justice
and the implacable mandates of the
law. In eight years the very name
of Fujihara would have been forgotten.
On the records of the High Sheriff s
Office his name might have been found,
and after it brief notation stating
that he was convicted on such and such
a date of the crime of murder and
on such and such another date had paid
the extreme penalty. But that would
have been all.
But Fujihara did not die. For once
the law was cheated of its prey, and
| Fujihara was free to enjoy the sun
shine and the star-spangled darkness,
to walk in the world of life, his crime
unknown, his name forgotten.
Forgotten by most, but not by all.
Justice may sleep but it never forgets.
And Fuiihara, because he had not paid
the penalty for his crime, was not en-
tirely forgotten. There were those who
remembered that the japanese who, by
order of the law, should long ago have
been hanged, was still alive and that
the death of which he was the cause
was still unavenged. And they listened
eagerly for news of him.
At last it came. Deputy Sheriff
Overend, of Hilo, learned that Full
hara was hiding in the mountains, and
he Went after him. Early one morn.
ing a few days ago, as the fugitive
was out picking berries out of which
to make his breakfast, officers of the
law in uniform rose up around him
and his days of liberty were over
Once more the black shadow of the
gallows fell upon him.
Saturday Fuiihara was brought from
Hilo to Honolulu and lodged in the
Territorial prison. There he was seen
yesterday and there he told his story
He told it with many genutiections and
much indrawing of the breath, but
with an impassive face except once
when he was asked how he came to
kill Sokada, and once when, from some.
thing that was said, he thought he
caught glimmer of hone. Then he
put his hands together in the attitude
Of prayer, bowed very low three times
and talked rapidly and with evident
excitement.
"Charlie (Moore), he let me 60,
he said in answer to question as to
how he made his escape from the jai
at Hilo "He did it for ten Thousand
dollars. Me, l did not have ten thou
sand dollars. / had only six thou
sand. But my friends, they gave tho
rest. One man gave dollar and an
other man gave two dollars, until al
together it made up ten thousand dol
lars.
"Then one night don't remembe
now how many days it was before
was to be hanged, the jailor came i,
and took the chains off me and let IN
go out of the prison. He got the tie,
thousand dollars before he let me &c
And ! went up into the mountains.
have been there ever since, living o
| berries and vans. Sometimes l say
men coming and then / always wen
4 and hid. for / was afraid of them.
g was afraid they would know me an
!. sSssssSssSssSSssSSssssSs
Mr.. C. R. Blacow, in Kona, July IL
Hawaii loses one of its best men. MI
Blacow had been on the Islands 10
many years, and all who knew him vel
appreciated his true worth He was a
= upright, honest man, who could be dc
pended upon. He was an example 70
industry and enterprise. Kind, thought
full, ready to extend the right hand o
: fellowship to all who needed it.
Working with all his might in cor
. scientious manner for all who had pu
q their confidence in him, Mr.. Blacow wa
l. manager of the Hawaiian Tobacco C'
He had made thorough study of Il
% bacco raising ana curing. III Is SAD II
. deed that he should be cut off from s
e promising an enterprise. Deepe'
u sympathy is felt for those who mour
- his loss.
a FOR HOMELESS WAITS.
a. The New York Herald has the follow
i. ing:
70 To the Editor of the Herald;