Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-08

~ tHiS SiEO~iCNS SVG -
The crime for which the three Eli
inincs, this morning, paid the death
penalty was one of the most atrocious
in the annals Of the police depart
ment -. -. .E.~
On the morning Of May the bodies
OF Niue Kun zee and his handsome
young wife, Lum. See. were discover
Ell almost covered in their own bleod
III The store in which the Chinese had
conducted a general merchandise bus
mess al Kahauiki, just outside Fort
Shafter, for a number of years.
Each body was frigktfully inatiiat,
Cd the threats being cut and the
bodies literally covered with wounds,
believed, at the time, to have been
inflicted with a blunt tnstrument.
The breast and shoulders OF the young
woman, who was barely 90 years OF
are, were cut and gashed as though
with a rough knife blade or a .chisel.
A rifled leash drawer. 'carelessly
thrown upon the counter. and safe
that had been opened by an amateur
crIcksnan, told plainly the motive OF
the murderer. or murderers. - :..:..
From tho brutality displayed by the
Trderers the police ct once eyolvc9
the theory that it was the work of
OrientaIs and with this idea in mind
and the photographs of blood-stained
footprints with which the little store
was covered the department started
on what looked like an almost impos-
sible task Ct bringing To justic. !.
nerpet rators of the fiendish crime.
Men Are Arrested vi.
Tho day following the discovery of
the dead Chinese and his wife Chief
of Detectives McDuffie placed un.
der arrest Domingo Rodrigues, who
was reported to have been seen
washing a blood-stJined sweater
in the bathroom of Hotel
street roobIing house. The re-
suit was the search of the room
that had been occupied by Domingo
and the discovery oil the sweater and
. pair of tan shoes, all bearing evil
Gences of bloodstains that effort had
No u 'radn to erase A minute micro
scopic investigation lea 10 the con-
,t.al> i that this was human blood.
The arrest of other Ie::1pinos followed
in quick succession, also the discov-
cry. of a revolver, stolen from Y
| Chinese store, where it had been hid
den by Domingo Rodrigues.
Rodrigues. according to the story
related to the police when he was
| first placed under arrest, was forced
to join the murder quartet at the
point of revolver. In the confession
of the crime, made May 6, he denied
that he had any part in the killing of
The Chinese and his wife, stoutly
maintaining that he alone of the
quartet was unarmed One dollar in
coin and the revolver he declared
TO be his share of the loot that had
been secured at the cost of two lives.
Confessions Are Made
The confession of Rodrigues was
followed by one from Celestino Man
alo, two days later. Each confession
placed the brunt of the responsibility
for the double murder on the
shoulders of Hildo Bautista The
other Filipino under arrest at this
time was Miguel Manigbas.
Manigbias, on May IL, admitted be-
ing party to the murders, notwith-
standing the fact that, previously, he
had denied any participation in the
crime. He had steadfastly maintain
ed this attitude, Notwithstanding the
fact that the original confessor,
Kodrigues, had implicated him in the
crime
On the same date Manalo made
further confession in which he fasten-
ed upon Rodrigues the entire re-
sponsibility fer both murders. He
further stated that, during the con-
tlnement of the quartet in the city
bastile, Rodrigues had threatened his.
(Manalo's) life, unless the latter
made confession that would, at |
least, partially clear the former.
On May 90 two indictments were |
returned against Bautista, Rodrigues,
Manigbas and Manalo, charging them i
with murder in the first degree. On
May % they were arraigned before
Judge Robinson and the indictments |
read and translated to them. On May |
% three of the accused men entered
pleas of not guilty, Manolo reserving |
his plea until the morning of June 2, |
on which date he entered a plea of |
guilty and threw himself on the |
mercy of the court, practically admit |
ting that he would turn states evil |
dence,'' whereby he secured reduc-
ton in the charge against him to that |
OF murder in the second degree.
Attacks FeIIow-Prisoner
Rodrigues, Bautista and Manigbas !,
were placed on trial together and on I
June 10, after less than three min
utes deliberation, jury returned a
verdict of guilty as charged" Onl
June. IT Judge Robinson passed |
sentence. The three who had been /
hound guilty of murder in the first de-
gree were sentenced to death, while [
Manalo, whose plea of guilty had
saved the territory the trouble and
expense of prosecution, was sentenced |
to hard labor for not less than 20 I
years. This means a life sentence, |
unless pardon is forthcoming
While the men sentenced to the I
Severest penalty allowed by law, "a
life for life" stood UP bragely I'M
der the sentence and laughed and |