The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-21
WEIRD TRAGEDY OF THE SEA

| San Francisco Call, August ia
weird mystery of the sea, the strange
disappearance of the cabin boy of the
American barkentine Makaweli 'on a
voyage from Algoa bay, Africa, to
Newcastle, New South Wales, was in
vestigated yesterday by United States
Commissioner Francis Krull. The oc-
casion was the preliminary examina-
ton of Second Mate Charles r. Smith
on the charge of having murdered the
japanese cabin boy, X. l. Inabi, on the
morning of April 9th of this year.
From the evidence it appears that it
was the duty of the boy to carry hot
coffee and toast from the cooks gal
ley to the mate on duty on deck at 5
o'clock in the morning. At $50, on
the day named, Smith, who was on
duty at the time, asked the Japanese
cook, G. Name, why his coffee had not
been sent to him as usual. Upon the
cook informing Smith that the boy
had taken the coffee half an hour
previously, the mate said that he had
not seen the boy
Shortly aHerward Smith entered
the cabin of Captain Thomas Nelson
in a nervous and excited condition and
said that the cabin boy had disap-
peared and that he, Smith, had been
unable to find him anywhere on the
hr Fa{,
searched. The cook told him that the
boy left the galley with the coffee at
4:45 A. M. Shortly afterward the
cook saw Smith walking the deck
near the mizzen hatch. On the deck
near this spot smears of blood-pre-
sumably of a human being-were
found, and there were blood stains on
the ships rail in the same locality,
as if the bleeding body had been
lifted to the rail and dropped over
board There was blood also on the
iron bits. -
After the captain had witnessed the
CORY evidence of the crime, he said to
Second Mate Smith, There has been
a foul murder committed here"
Smith denied that he knew anything
about the matter. The officers and
crew called upon the captain and de.
manded that Smith be placed in irons
on suspicion of murder This was
done, and Smith was delivered to the
American Consul at Newcastle, who
sent him in care Of guard to this
city for trial. ..-.-.--
! In order to show a motive for the
murder, witnesses testified that Smith
Dand the cabin boy had a quarrel some
time before the disappearance. But
this was Offset by other testimony to
the effect that Inaba had quarreled
with Name the Japanese cook, and
had threatened to knife him. 1t was
also shown that the boy had quar-
relied with the captain and had threat
ened to kill him. There was evidence
also to show that the decedent had
been acting abnormally since leaving
Africa.
Commissioner Krull took the case
under advisement until this morning.
Frank A, Duryea, attorney for the de-.
tense, moved that the case be dismiss
ed on account of the failure of the
prosecution to produce the body or to
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kona for San Francisco. July 22
e ROBERT LEVERS, Am. schr., from
Honolulu for Tacoma, August Z.
ROBERT sEARLEs, Am. schr., ar
/ Puget Sound from Honolulu, April
, ROsECRANs, Am 3, g., from Mon
terey for Kaanapali and Honolulu,
August 10,
SANTA RITA, Am, 8. 6, ar PeYt
San Luis, from Honolulu, August G.
SANTA MARIA, STR for Port San
Luis from Honolulu, August 12.
: S. c. ALLEN, Am ekj, FOR Fort Bragg
from Honolulu, August 2.
= s. G. WILDER, bktn., for Port Town
send from Everett, June 8.
4 SHERIDAN, U. S. A. T., from Homo
lulu for Manila via Guam, August a.
b SHERMAN, U. S. \. T., -" Homo.
lulu from Manila, August IS.
u SIBERIA, S. s., ar Yokohama from
Honolulu, August 4.
J. SIERRA, Am. S. s., from San Fran
cisco, ar. Honolulu, August IS.
m ST ROGATIEN from London for Hin
nolulu, April 27.
o TENYO MARU, from Honolulu foi
San Francisco, August IS.
S VlRGINIAN, Am. S. S., for Saint
Cruz for Kahului, August 8.
D. WADDON, Br. S. s., from Honolulu
for Newcastle, N. S. W., via Oceal
N Island, August /.
WILLIAM p. FRYE, Am. ship, 70