Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-09-13
'HILO MURDER
IS FOLLOWED
BY ASUICIDE

Especial Star Bu7ietin Correspondence
HILO, Sept. 12.-Shot through the
heart at his own doorstep. in the
presence Of his wife and sisterein-law
Monday evening, Claus Johansen. q
Hamakua ditch foreman, died three
minutes afterwards without utterine
a sound other than q single groan as
he fell to the loor following what was
an extremely cowardly and murder
Gus attack OF q japanese. q former
ditch employee
The murderer Immediately after
the shooting ran away from the
house a distance of about 200 yards
then shot himself through the mech
and died from the wound seyeral
hours later The only motive for the
murder known is revenge sought By
the Japanese for having been dis
charged from his position as night
ditch tender when he failed to prop
erly attend to his. duties.
Johansen was called to his door
shortly before 8 o'clock by the pres
ent ditch Waterman calling. "Mr
Boss" His wife first answered the
call and then returned to her husband
and told him he was wanted The
ditch foreman unsuspectingly walked
to the door and inquired what was
needed
Just as he finished speaking. Ma
tano, the murderer, who was not II
sight as Johansefl came to the door
stuck his hand holding reyolyeI
between the left arm and body of tbs
Japanese night Waterman and pulled
the trigger. Johansen falling at tht
report of the gun, His wife rushed
to his assistance. but he expired al
most at once.s
The murderer then ran away
from the house. shortly afterward the
sound of discharged gun being
heard by the two frightened women
Takihara, the Japanese night watch
man, In the meantime remained
standing at the door apparently dazed
by what had happened. he not moving
until a few moments later when Mrs
Johansen demanded Of him as to who
had shot her husband.
Mrs. Johansen. as soon as she could
partially recover from her grief and
fright. went to the telephone and
called up Deputy Sheriff Richard. al
Honokaa, distance OF ten miles or
more away. The deputy sheriff al
once notified one of his assistants al
Kukuihaele and ordered him to pro
coed to the scene Of the murder
Rickard himself started for Johan
sens house, arriving there at
60, x,,f.,..t u, :, ~ ,,.,s,,-a 1,r,
asked the then dying suicide and
murderer who had been found in an
upright position. near q weir, why he
shot Johansen.
The Japanese did not reply to this
but asAed If his victim was dead. The
Japanese was told that he was, and
he then said .-G0od0, too much po-
loleis The bullet with which the
murderer took his life entered on the
left side and was protruding from the
right side of his neck when he was
found.
During the time that lapsed be-
tween the double shooting and the ar
rival of the officers, the japanese
ditch Waterman made no attempt to
escape. He was arrested and taken
to the Honokaa JAIL where he Is be-
ing examined by the coroner's jury
summoned The deputy sheriff is in.
elined to think that the ditch watch
man is an accessory to the murder,
although perhaps an unwilling one.
He believes that the murderer CO
creed the ditchmGn with the revolver
to 90 to the house and call Johansen
Il - ELL -.