Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-09-07
COOPER KILLED
FOR revenge,
IS ONE THEORY
News From Maui Says Man
Under Suspicion Was
Caught After Chase
POCKETS RlFLED BUT III.
MONEY APPARENTLY LEFT
Gold and Checks Amounting
to $65 Reported Found
on Clothing

News reached Honolulu this morn
ing that q Japanese laborer is under
arrest on Maui, suspected of the mur.
der OF George o. Cooper Of Hama.
whose body was found early yester-
day morning shot through the back.
That the Japanese was arrested
Wednesday just before the Claudine
sailed from Maui, is the report brought
here today by B. r. Vickers, salesman
for Theo. H. Davies & Co.
The information brought today Is
that shortly after Cooper left his home
for the plantation Office, Cooper's
brother-in-law started to go up TO the
home TO see that the children's clothes
got down to the Claudine all right, as
the children were coming to Honolulu
TO attend school. As he neared the
place where the railroad cuts across
the main road he saw Japanese rid.
ing gray horse up the railroad,
When the Japanese saw him he whip
ped the horse into a galiop and rode
rapidly towards Keanae.
Later when the body was found, the
brother-in-law remembered the Japa-
nese, who was pursued and arrest.
ed on the ditch trail half way to kea-
nae.
Whether this Japanese, whose name
is not known here, was implicated In
the murder had not been ascertained
at the time the Claudine left. but
vickers heard that he had formerly
worked on the plantation. but at the
time OF the killing was supposed to
be at another part Of the island.
vIckers said that Cooper ordinarily
took the railroad % the 0fIloes balt 1lati
for several days previous q his death
had zone By the regular road which
was much longer That the killing.
was not for robbery IL also believed
in Maui as s60.20 IN gold and silver
and q check for SIS were found scat
tered about hts body, II Is also be
Heyed that q fleht took place between
Cooper and his assa:lant. as the
ground was torn up about the place
where the body was found and Coop.
er's hat was found more than 80 feet
away. The horse which Cooper rode
was found browsing In the sugar cane
a short distance from the body, and
this raises the question Of whether
Cooper was on the horse or had dis
mounted to parley before he was shot.
wednesday was Cooper's 43rd birth
day and q dinner had been planned
for the evening.
Report Japanese Identified
According to Captain r. Williamson
OF the Inter-Island steamer Kaiulani,
which arrived. this morning from
Hama. having left that port at $40
last evening. reports that Cooper was
murdered by the japanese for revenge
were in circulation at Hama.
I was told that the japanese was
positively identified by John Pokini.
a blacksmith's helper on tSe pianta-
tion. as q laborer who had left the
plantation about ~ months ago, and
who, when he left, had sworn he
would come back and kill someone,
said Captain Williamson.
The story being told In Hama yes
terday was to the effect that the Jap
anese. whose name was not told,
had been brought up as an orphan
from childhood by q Hawaiian family.
He Is said TO be pure-blooded JAP
anese, and when arrested had a gun
on him, so I was told"
The captain added that the inquest
over Cooper's body held yesterday
showed evidences OF struggle. 'One
OF the dead mans eyes wrs bruised,
and his shoulder also showed livid
bruise, indicating that there was prob
ably struggle before the shots we're
fired The captain also corroborated
other reports concerning money found
in Cooper's clothes. amounting to
about S65 in gold and checks. This
would apparently disproye that rob-
berry was the motive of the murder.