Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-03
ThoIio Mossie Dies;
Figure in 1906 Case

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla,
July 8 (AP) Mrs. Thalia Bell
Fortescue. Massie Uptigrove, the
center Of violent racial feeling
and sensational trials for rape
and murder in Honolulu 81
years ago, is dead.
Mrs. Uptigrove, 81, died
yesterday from what q medical
examiner said was an acct
dental overdose of barbiturates.
The chain Of events which
rocked the islands and the
United States Navy began the
evening Of September IL, 1881,
when ITALIA, then the 19-year-
old wife Of 1t. 0.g.) Thomas
H. Massie, sat with her hus-
band at a tea house near Ala
Wal Canal. Waikiki.
Apparently bored with the
party, she left for q walk. Then,
she claims; she was picked up
forcibly by five Hawaiians,
driven to an isolated area be-
tween Honolulu and Waikiki
and raped by the five.
Tells Of Assault
In the official report sent
to the Secretary Of the Navy,
Mrs. Massie testified:
II tried to talk to them, to
get them to let me go. They
we're holding me and every
time ! spoke they hit me. /.
IT was struck many times by
Kahahawai's fist. / struggled
and cried out every time he
struck me :.
THE two men who were
holding me dragged me out
Of the car, They were Chang
and Kahahawai. They dragged
me about Is or 80 feet"
The five Hawaiians, including
Joseph Kahahawai, we're soon
arrested. principally because
Mrs. MaSsie recalled the license
number of the Hawaiians' car.
Island Called Unsafe
Around the case swirled vio-
lent comment from Navy per-
sonnet who called the islands
unsafe for women. Race riots
and near riots erupted. ,
But the trial Of the five
Hawaiians ended with a hung
jury. ~
Louise j. Hollingsworth, a
court reporter for the Honolulu
STAR Bulletin at the trial, re-.
calls that Mrs. MaSsie's recol-
lection Of the license number
was one discrepancy the jury
didn't swaIlow-that she was
beaten but could still remem-
ber." Vs.
A doctors report showed
that Mrs. Massie had q black
eye, bloody and swollen nose,
bruises from her head to her
ankles and a wice-broken jaw.
Warrant Is Fake
On the following January 7,
as Kahahawai reported to his
probation officer in connec-
ton with a previous convic-
ton, he was handed a warrant.
But the warrant was a fake,
and Kahahawai wound up
seated on a chaise lounge in
the living room Of a bungalow
occupied by Mrs. Granville
Fortescue, socially prominent
mother Of Mrs ldassie.
The morning of January 8
Kahahawai was found shot to
death IN the trunk of an auto
that 1t. Massie, his mother
in-law and q sailor were driv-
ing to Koko Head.
It., MaSsie, Mrs. ForteScue
and two sailors were indicted
later in January on charges. of
second-degree murder and 1t.
MasSie testified:
after the mistrial in the
attack case I began to hear
the vilest rumors about myself
and my wife. =. That ] had
found her with 1t. Branson
and beaten her. Mrs.
Fortescue and / decided there
was only one thing to do. i
Get the confession ourselves.
Remembered Pistol"
1--WE heard Kahahawai was
about to crack. There was no
plan to kill him. When
Kahahawai was taken there
10 the house, I remembered
a'pistol / had left on the settee
and put it in my pocket. j
You're going to tell the
whole truth now. Yes, we
done itH
That's all I remember. "a. !
The next thing I remember
was being taken to the police
station"
The four were convicted on
on April 20 on the lesser count
Of manslaughter and sentenced
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