Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-20
mcguire BOUGHT
LARGE AMOUNT
OF REALTY
Investigators Anxious to Learn
What Has Become of Big
Amount Involved

/ tons of one or more county officials
! during the past. five or six years, is
being brought to light by the latest
! evidence presented before the Hawaii
! investigation commissioners. That il
has not all gone for high living, in
( Injuries OF food or clothing is now
/ pretty well established. What seems
| most likely to have taken up large
slice of the money, especially that
portion alleged to have been embez-
lied by County Auditor Mcguire is
believed to be in investments in Ha-
wall real estate, there being holdings,
in the name OF his wife of property
in Hilo Hamakua, Kau, Kona and Ho-
nolulu Copies of territorial real es-
tate records in the hands of the in
/ vestigators, show that from 1907 to
1912 he has bought in his wife's name
property known to amount to $4,000,
which is almost equal to the total of
his salary for three years. In most
! instances the property has been
bought by him and later transferred
through a third PARTY to Mrs. Abigail
Mcguire, his wife.
That the total amount of the con-
sideration for these various pieces OF
property will amount to 100000, is
easily computed by adding up the
amounts mentioned in the deeds, but
no one believes that this is the total
amount which has gone into property,
as the real consideration is not
stated as it is not required to make
the transaction valid. In some cases
the only consideration shown in the
realty transactions of Mcguire. or
rather of his wife, is that of '$1.O0
and love and affection" as in one
instance when the seller of the prop
erty was a relative. Other amounts
named range all the way from SIS to
$4,000.
Usually Paid in Cash
Important corroborative evidence
regarding these realty transactions is
that the payments were made, even
for the larger amounts in cash and
that Maguire's bank book shows no
record of equal large sums being with
drawn for the purpose. But it is SUP
posed that Special Prosecutor Brock
ons intends to prove later that the
sums tally with amounts with blanket
warrants cashed at about the same
time.
For the first time in ten days in
Hilo the examination of witnesses
was again taken up today by the in
vestigators. Pilipo Kumalai, rated as
a Hawaiian capitalist, was the first
witness. He testified that he had
sold Mcguire two pieces of property,
one for SITS at Kaiwiki and another
in Hamakua for $780, For the latter
he received the entire payment In
gold and silver at Laupahoehoe, and
the smaller amount all in silver, the
payment being made in Hilo.
w. M. Kalaiwaa. a former super
visor. was witness fer the second
time. He had sold Mcguire real
property. One piece in Kona. for
which the consideration vas $1,000,
hut he had only received $500 Of This
directly, the balance being paid to
w. r. Castle to release a mortgage.
The other was for some property at
Waikiki in Honolulu. for which he
received about S150. He said that he
had received the payments in Install
ments Of $50 month. His memory
was doubtful as to whether he was
paid in check or currency, but he
thought by both methods.
The calling of T. Kushyama, a con-
tractor, required the securing of a
Japanese interpreter, the first time
during the investigation.
Kushyama testified that he had
built house on contract in Kau for
Mcguire for which the original
amount named was $500, but this was
afterward increased to $1,000. He
bad been paid at different times with
gold or silver and occasionally by
check, but the checks were always
for small amounts. He is to try anu
locate memoI anda for the commits
sioners to show dates of these pay
ments. This was the only contract
which he had with Mcguire. but he
had since bought lumber of Hackfeld
IL Company and then charged for
labor in addition TO the lumber which
Mcguire paid for Maguire's trans
action with him led UP to late in
1912
First Woman Witness.
Kiniakua of Olaa was the first wo
man witness called before the com
Her transactions were alto
gether with Mrs Mcguire, she dis
claiming that she knew Mcguire. She
had borrowed $3.50 on a mortgage AT |
ten per cent interest from Mrs. Ma
guire and said she received her
money in gold, which Mrs. Mcguire
took from safe in her home. All |
attempts to prove that there We're |
large amounts Of currency in the |.
safe at the time she secured the loan
proved fruitless.
+. n. Wears testified as to the
sale of property in Kaumana, Hilo, T
to Mcguire. Territorial records /
show the consideration to have been
$50. but Wears thought ii was bel
tween $1,000 and $500. From $3.50
to $500 was paid in cash at the time
Of the sale and the deed. with notes,
was deposited at the bank He had :,
no clear recollections of the dates.
but will try 10 determine them by
references to his books.
II. T. Moses, bookkeeper for the
Volcano Stables. testified as to the