Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-17
TEACHER AND.
CHILDREN shot
Continued from Page y


the flying shot there was a scene OF
terrible confusion.
Most of the residents of the val.1y
are Portuguese or Hawaiian. All
krew the teacher, her husband, ana
every child of the thirty-three that at
tebds the school is known throughout
the valley. When the children scatter,
ed with their story that johanna Mas
cCto," as she is known. had been snot
and killed by her husband, dozens of
men and women began running up the
road to the school house.
First of all, say the children, was
the mother of the woman who >1d
been shot. She found her daughter
lying on the grass, almost UnrecogniZ-
able from the effects Of the leaden
hail The mother even in her horicr.
aid not forget mothers care. She
ran into the little house and brought
two pillows, and when the police arriv-
Ell, the torn head OF the teacher Vas
re: ting on the pillows and the mothe'
meaning and hysterical, was trying 70
aiG the sufferer. The man was some
twenty feet away. A hasty examina-
ton convinced the police that the
chances Of life for both of them were
, very slim.
Then the police and some men and
women who were not unnerved enough
to prevent giving assistance, carried
Fernandez and his wife to the police
ambulance and they we're taken to
Queens hospital. Also, the police
sought out the injured children and
took them down town for medical
-; treatment also.
Valley in Hysteria.
|, AS the two police machines, carrying
1.-THE injured people and mothers or SIS
tiers, went down the long road that
leads from the valley, the houses were
| emptjed OF people. The Portuguese
and Hawaiians were all in their yards
! and many of them were screaming or
crying aloud. The story Of the, tragedy
had spread like magic. and the whole
valley was in state Of nervous excite
ment and hysteria.
I The story of the shooting, with its
a., setting Of the school yard and it's at
tendant features of the injury of seven
tof the pupils, is one of the most re-
variable in the police annals of Ho-
! nolulu. ~;..,s $500
Insane jealousy is given as the cause
Of the shooting. Fernandez has often
| quarreled with his wife, and the neigh
, bors say he accused her of -unfaithful+
ness. She indignantly denied the
charge. Gossip added to the story.
The neighbors also say that johanna
, was a good woman" and the children
this, morning said that they liked her,
that Fernandez was bad to her, y
that she WAS gooc and kind. =
i She mas been IN the school depart.
nent for thirteen years and this mcrn-
ing School Inspector Gibson who hur-
tried to the scene of 'the tragedy, said
that she was good teacher and had
done efficien; WORK. She had taught
in. the department both before and af.
ter marriage. The couple have three
lchiidren, Mabel, about seven, Mary,
about six. and little. boy, George,
fabout two.
Story of Quarrels. -. -.
According to the story told by neigh
L6ors, after repeated quarrels Fernan-
den and his wife separated some eight
months ago He saw her. frequently
Thereafter, for he continued to live In
the little four-roomed house, forty feet
from the school building. The teacher
went to live with iler mother, quar-
ter of a mile away. taking the children
with her. %s'>'s'. - -
The house, however, continued to
be used by both of Them to some ex-
tent Some days ago, last Monday,
according to one story, and ten days
earlier, according to another story,
Fernandez and his wife apparently
settled their difficulties, for she came
back to live with him. They have
been living together all this week.
Fernandez, who works on the water
front for the Lord-Young Engineering
Company, started out this morning
about $50 o'clock. The teacher CALI
ed the school at nine o'clock as usual,
ringing the bell.
The little school repeated the open
ing morning song, Our Father Who
Art in Heaven" and then there was
a short recess. The teacher told some
of the pupils that she had some school
papers to get in her little house, and
started across the yard toward it.
Some of the pupils were coming out
of the door but most were still at
their desks when they heard loud
voices. 1t was Fernandez, who had
suddenly appeared in the doorway OF
the little house and was quarrelling
with the teacher, who answered him
with spirit. 1t appears that the quar-
rel started inside the house and that
the teacher had already secured the
desired papers from her bedroom and
was returning to the school when she
stopped to argue with her husband.
who had followed her out and was
standing upon the doorstep. There
are two steps, and the man was
standing above the woman and some
twelve feet away when the children,
attracted by the noise, came out Of the
school house and gathered in a knot
behind the teacher and about twenty
feet from her.
Children in Line Of Fire
Then came the tragedy. Suddenly
Fernandez produced the shotgun.
Some of the pupils think he got it
from behind the kitchen door. The
teacher turned to run as the gun