Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-11-29
AGED MERCHANT
ISINURDEREDs
At kONA Store
Victim of Night MarauderS Is
Found in Pool Of Blood
Robbed


Especial Star-Bulletin correspondenesl
HILo, Nov. 2S.-Beaten down ar
his back door by a blunt instrument
Akona. an aged. Chinese merchant.
was murdered at his home and store
near Kealakekua, some time Tuesday
night, the crime presumably being
that Of burglars Unusual are the de-
tails Of the fiendish crime. in that his
wife, who was sleeping nearby, did
not know OF II until awakened from
sleep az Z o'clock the next morning
by lanes ID. Lewis. Lewis found the
body Of the merchant lying In pool
Of blood on the doorsteps.
According 10, the telephone reports,
the wife OF the murdered man remem-
bered the next morning that her hus-
band had gotten up during the night
and lighted lamp and left the bed
room. She wondered. at last, at his
long absence, but was finally over
come by sleep and did not awaken
until Lewis told her Of his gruesome
find. $
SPARSE as are. the details Of the
crime which can be learned by tele-
phone, il Is certain that so utterly fe-
rocious was II that the whole Of South
kana will be alarmed until the muir
asrer or nnrderers can be apprehend-
Ied. The murderpus intensity Of the
criminals Is shown By the fact that
their victims skull was crushed in
three places, This has led many TO
believe that the merchant may have
racognixed the night marapders and
they amade certain to kill him, 70 save
themselves from Identification and
conviction on = lesser charge than
An unexplainable thing. though. Il
how the deadly blows could have
been delivered and still have created
no sound sufficient to penetrate to the
hearing of the woman. That the
crime must have been committed
some time after Akona left the build
ing. and after the woman had, fallen
asleep, seems the only solution o.
this part Of the problem.
Deputy William Lazara was at once
notified OF the murder. by Lewis, and
with several other police officers he
has been conducting q close examines
ton In hopes Of finding clues that
will lead to the capture Of the assas-
sins. Inquiries and Investigations
made by him show that either before
or after the killing of the c0uEtry mer-
chant, the mnrderers secured All the
money in the store till and that 2
number OF new watches were miss.
ing. Otherwise everything was In
tact. Il
Up until the present It has seemed
impossible to get track Of suspicious
characters in the neighkorhood and
search for the weapon with which the
nan was killed has been In vain. Up
on discovery of the watches. when Of
/ fered for sale, seems to rest all hops
for clue that will lead to the Grim.
inals. Even this will be a difficult
and slow method as the watches were
of a cheap and common style. Of the
variety that ranges in price from one
to ten dollars To secure descriD-
| ton of them It will be necessary to
| communicate with the people who
supplied them to the merchant. The
| wife would be unable to identity the
watches as they had been in the store
! but few days.
Akona. the murdered man. had
been located in Kona for many years.
hut at one time was engaged In bust.
Less in 0nomea. Both he and his
wife are well advanced past middle
age and so far as Is known they have
no descendants on this island.
The store. in which Akona and his
wife resided is located just across the
road from the Central Kona church.
or Rey. Bakers church. as il is usut
ally called. @s<@ III.