("Na Mea Hou o Nuu, Kaupo", Ke Aloha Aina, November 21, 1903)
Greetings:-Please publish the following in the columns of the newspaper.
A woman has been murdered.
On the morning of Friday, November 6 between 8 and 9, the woman Hailani, a native of Nuu about 40 years old, departed this life. Here is what caused her death.
On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 311, John Keawe went to the uplands of Kaupo. Your correspondent does not know the reason for his journey. He returned that evening, from what I was told by witnesses. That night, between 9 and 10, John Keawe returned from Kaupo drinking a jar of strong liquor from the store. He was drunk when he returned to his house. When he entered, the house was filled with people partying and card-gambling. When John Keawe arrived at his house, everyone was sitting, eating sweet potato and baked goat and drinking a jar of cognac. John Keawe ate with these people. Your correspondent’s understanding is that as the cup emptied, his drunkenness only increased from the stupor he had brought with him from Kaupo. Here is the reason that the aforementioned woman Hailani was killed. John Keawe asked the woman to fetch a dime from inside their house2. Because of the long delay in returning with the dime and holding up the gambling, the man called out to the woman. The woman emerged from the house and said before all that she could not find the dime. Then, John Keawe struck the woman three times on the head and kicked her once on the side, causing her to fall down. When Kanani, a child of John Keawe, saw his3 mother4 fall down, he ran over to intercede, telling John to stop. John Keawe paid no heed to his son’s words and leaped on his son, perhaps to subdue him. While they fought, Kanani managed to restrain John. A woman named Kukauahi asked Kanani to release John, which Kanani did. After being released, John Keawe told his son to denounce his mother, but Kanani refused. At this point in the night, all the visitors went home. It was reported that Hailana was in good health before and after the assault. But even if the reports are that this initial assault did not cause serious harm, there may have been a second assault that night, and this may have been the attack that did the woman in. And when her eyes closed, there were no witnesses, no sound made, and no one to hear. And so the breath left her body.
On the day she was found dead, the Hana district doctor, Deputy Sheriff Levi and a coroner’s jury arrived. When the doctor opened up Hailani’s body, it was dreadful to see her injuries. A kidney was lacerated such that two fingers could be placed in the opening. The doctor showed us where a portion of the scalp was missing. It could be seen that her skull had been broken above the ear on her right temple. After cutting with a saw and opening her skull, it was seen that her brain was red with blood. Because of the many wounds seen on this woman, it is believed that she died from the attack.
A charge of murder in the first degree may be warranted5.
NUU OF THE PEBBLES RUSTLED BY THE SEA6.
Below is the text of the original article:
NA MEA HOU O NUU, KAUPO
Aloha:-E oluolu oe e hookomo iho ma kahi kaawale o na Kolamu o ka Nupepa, oia iho keia.
Make kekahi wahine mamuli o ka pepehiia.
Ma ke kakahiaka Poalima nei la 6 o Novemaba mawaena o ka hora 8 a me 9 i pauaho mai ai i keia ola ana o Hailani (w) he kupa, a he kamaaina no Nuu i hiki aku paha na makahiki ma kahi o ke kanaha, a oi aku, a emi mai paha. O ke kumu nui o kona make ana oia hoi keia.
Ma ke kakahiaka Poaono la 31 o Oct Ua pii aku o John Keawe ma Kaupo, aole no hoi i manao popo ia’u kou mea kakou ke kumu o kona pii ana, a hiki i ke ahiahi ana oia La ua oleloia mai au ma ka waha mai o na Hoike. Mawaena o ka hora 9 a me 10 oia po, i hoi mai ai o Keoni Keawe mai Kaupo mai ua inu i kekahi omole wai ikaika o na Halekuai ua ona oia i kona hiki ana’ku i ka Hale A i kona hiki ana’ku, ua piha ko laua hale i kekahi poe e noho ane. Ma ke ano lealea, oia hoi pepa pili wai wai? A i ka wa i hiki aku ai o Keoni Keawe i ka hale, ua ai iho nei na mea a pau e noho ana he uala paa ame ka io o ke Kao ua hele i hoomoa ia, a me hookahi Omole (koniaka) ua ai keia poe a me Keoni Keawe pu kekahi. A ma ka hoomaopopo o kou mea kakau nei ua oi hou ae paha ka ona i ka pau ana o ke kiaha, i huipuia me kela ona mua (kahiohio) mai Kaupo mai. O ke kumu nae i pepehiia’i keia wahine o Hailani i oleloia, oia keia. Olelo aku nei o Keoni Keawe i ka wahine e kii i ke kenikeni a laua oloko o ka Hale, a no ka lohi loa loaa koke ole ua kenikeni nei huikau paha me ka pihi, ia wa i kahea aku nei ke kane i ka wahine, e puka mai nei ka wahine mai loko mai o ka hale, olelo aku nei i ka wahine, i ka nunui o na maka i loaa koke ole ai ke kenikeni. A o ka manawa noia a Keoni Keawe i kui aku ai i ka wahine, no ekolu manawa ma ke poo, a hookahi hehi ana ma ka aoao, a hina aku nei ka wahine i lalo. I ka ike ana o Kanani keiki o ua o Keoni Keawe i ka hina ana o ka makuahine i lalo, holo mai nei keia keiki e uwao, me ka olelo mai ia Keoni, e hoopau aole i hoolohe ia ka olelo a ke keiki a lele mai nei o Keoni Keawe i ke keiki me ka manao paha e lanakila ia maluna o ke keiki. A iloko o ko laua aumeume ana ua paa loa iho la ua Keoni nei ia Kanani. A ua hookuu ia ae o Keoni mamuli o ko Kukauahi (w) kahea ana ia Kanani (K) e hookuu, a ua hookuu ke keiki me ka maikai ua pane mai nae o Keoni Keawe i ke keiki i ke kii i ka wahine ana, ua hoole aku ke keiki ia mea, a pau aku nei keia poe i ka hoi i ko lakou wahi ia po no, ua oleloia he kino ikaika no ko Hailana (w) mamua aku a mahope iho o ka pepehiia ana, aka, ma ke hoomaopopo ia, aole no paha i eha loa i kela pepehi mua ana, aia no paha he manawa elua o ka pepehiia ana, ia po no, a oia paha ka pepehiia ana i nawaliwali ai ka wahine. A pili ka maka aohe nana mai aohe ekemu mai, aohe no paha he lohe-A hiki i ka lele loa ana o ka hanu.
Ma ia la no i make ai i hiki mai ai ke Kauka o ka Apana o Hana Hope Makai Liwai, a me na Kiure Kolonelo. A hoomaka aku la ke Kauka e kaha i ke kino o Hailani ( w ) a he ku i ka manaonao i ka nanaku i ka huli pono ia ana o kahi pilikia, ua loaa aku la ma ka puupaa, ua nahae e hiki ke komo elua manamanalima ma kahi i puka, a hoike maila ke Kauka ia makou pau ia lole ia ka ili poo, ua ikeia ua naha ka iwi maluna o ka pepeiao, mahamaha akau me he la ua hana ia me ke kahi mea oolea, ke kumu i naha ai, pau ia olo ia me ka pahi olo, ka iwi poo ma ke ano poepoe, i ka hemo ana o ka iwi, ua ike ia maluna pono o ka lolo io ua ano uliuli koko, a he nui aku na palapu o keia wahine i ike ia a i manaoia, ua make, mamuli o ka pepehiia ana.
Ua kupono paha ke Kanawai ma ke degere ekahi.
KAI NEHE KA ILIILI O NUU.
Footnotes
- A later article reported the date as October 3
- The relationship between John Keawe and Hailani is not made clear but appears to be that of man and wife, or boyfriend and girlfriend.
- The gender of Kanani is assumed to be male in this translation, but the article does not specify.
- Like the relationship between John Keawe and Hailani, the relationship between Kanani and Hailani is not completely clear. It could be that of son and mother. However, Hailani could be Kanani’s stepmother or even something else. The article wording here is “ka makuahine” (the mother/aunt/adult woman) rather than “kona makuahine” (his mother).
- On January 8, 1904, Ka Nupepa Kuokoa reported that John Keawe was charged with murder in the first degree. There do not appear to be any later articles about a trial.
- A pen name for the author. This phrase is a common poetic saying for the Nuu area.
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