The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-07-11
PENALTY PAID
FOR BRUTAL
MURDERS
Three Men Convicted of Staying
Chinese Merchant After Admit.
ting They Had Also Killed Lat
ter's Wife, Go to Doom Without
Evidence OF Faltering-E&ecu
ton Witnessed by Officials and
Others.
(FrOm "Wednesday Advcrtlser)

Under the wide spreading branches
of the great Kamani tree which has
hourished for nearly one hundred years
IN what is now the court yard of Oahu
Prison, three men were done to death
yesterday morning according TO the
method provided by law. Convicted OF
the brutal murder of two persons, the
old Mosaic law, written in modern Ian
,guage which calls for the blood Of the
slayer of man., was expeditiously exc
euted.
Tile three went to their deaths with
ont signs of fear. Only one showed
nervousness, and he was Domingo Rod
rigues, the most intelligent. He alone
seemed to appreciate the enormity OF
his crime and what death meant and
therefore he cried aloud, as the muf
ling folds of the black cap fell over
ms head, "Gentielnen and people OF
Honolulu, we are going where man does
not kill man.
lie attempted to say more, but the
Key. X. Il. Smith who attended him
stepped forward and touched him light
ly ON the shoulder.
May God have mercy on youi
soul, said the minister, guard moved
his hand with careless gesture. and
Manigbas and Rodrigues bad paid the
penalty. Hildo Bautista died alone a
few minutes later
Witnessed by Silent Crowd.
The honr, OF execution had been fixed
at half-past eight o clock, and half
hour previous to that time something
like one hundred persons had gathered
in the Jail yard. They sat on chairs
and benches ranged in n semi.circIe
under the great tree, smoking and con.
Nersihg In whispers as tley gazed on
the setting of the stage and awaited the
appearance Of the forlon actors in the
grim drama.
On the outskirts of the audience NOV
ed few striped figures who glanced
fearfully at the scaffold as they went
about Their tasks, Against the white.
washed prison wall leaned grey haired
man, whose eyes never left the gallows.
once the same doom hung over him, for
he, too, had killed, But the law, more
merciful to him, had ordered that he
should pass the remainder of his DAYS
under the kamani tree.
AT eight,twenty-fye O'Clock, the door
at the rear of the scaffold swung open,
and Manigbas and Rodrigues, accom-.
panied by guards, and preceded by
High Sheriff Henry stepped ON the seat.
fold, Behind them walked Father Val.
entin and the Rev. r. L. Smith. A
smile seemed frozen on the face of
RnHriuuaa and 20
rously. Manigbas was more uncon.
cerned. While he was being bound, his
eyes wandered to the big green leaves
OF the tree close above his head. He ut
tered no word.
The drop fell at eght-twenty. six
O'Clock, and twelve minutes later both
were pronounced dead.
Bautista, the last to 90, stepped on
the scaffOld few minutes later. He,
too, was smiling, until his eyes, wander
ing over the heads of group of of.
hcials, fell on rough trestle on which
lay two shrouded forms; then he smiled
no more; but his lips moved as the
hand of Father Valentin made the sign
of the Cross.
At eight-fofty-seve clock the trap
was sprung, and Bautista was declared
dead at nine o clock. The bodies of the
three 4ieh were taken to Makiki GENE.
terry and buried in one grave in the
prison plot.
Condemned Men Did Not Falter.
an OF the three men, Rodrigues alone
seemed to have full comprehension OF
the meaning of the gathering under the
kamani tree. Bantista, born in Malolos.
scarcely q score of miles from Manila,
could scarcely speak Spanish. Manig-
bas knew little English. Rod
rigues had attended government school
several years and with education had
secnred deeper knowledge of the
meaning of death. The others knew
nothing and feared nothing Manig.
BIAS, laid aside cigar while the death
warrant was being read to him. When
High Sheriff Henry had uttered the last
fatefhl word, Manigbas picked up his
cigar, and as the guards were binding
his arms, asked for light.
1T is morning yet, we are going TO
bed, " he remarked as he stepped from
HIS cell.
Among those witnessing the execu.
tlons we're. two Chinese relatives of the
victimA and Chen Ching Ho. the Chi.
nese e6bsiil. Members of the jury which
convicted the men were also present.
The execution yesterday was the
twentieth at which High Sheriff Henry
has oifielated during his term of office,
and the second triple hanging, the pre-
yiohs one being of three Koreans, May
23, 1905,
History of Crime.
The crime for which the three men
were required to pay the penalty, was
the murder. of Iui All Ken, Chinese
merchant, and his wife, May l. The
crime was committed at Lin All Kim 5
store near Fort Shafter, the night of
April 80. Robbery was the object and
the bodies were almost hacked to
pieces.
Quick work on the part of Chief of
Detectives MeDufiie and his men re.