MURDEROUS SUPERSTITION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVI, Issue 74, 31 March 1892, Page 4

MURDEROUS SUPERSTITION.

**0 " ' * Tho Hawaiian Gazette of February 23 sys:— A horrible outbreak of heathonieh superstition has ocourred at tho island of Lanai, loßding to deeds of tho most frightful violouco, to the murder of a man, a woman, and a child, and tho savago torturing of still another unfortunate. Tho first rumours of these shocking events reached Honolulu on the Mokolii last Tuesday. on Sunday the Kinau brought a confirmation of these rumours, together with twelvo prisoners— an entiro family, all charged with murder, some of them on threo indictments. The following brief sketch of tho facts is derived from tho most trustworthy sources! accessible. On Monday, tho 16th instant, news roached Lahaina that murders had occurred at Awalua, on Lanai. Tho Deputy Sheriff despatched Mr Ghillingworth, B. P. HO3O, and other conatablofi, to tho scone. They left Lahaina at 10 a.m. Tuesday, reaching Awalua at half-past twelve, where they found Puulolo (w.) and Keolaka tied with ropes. It appear that Homo timo beforo tho ovents described below Pnulolo had cured, oi was credited with curing, a child o. Knholokai's, which hud been very sick This had gained for her tho roputatior of a kahuna, and she probably wat convinced of the reality of her super natural powers. Tho aumakua, oi spirit, which had power over her wai called Kihilikiiiu Acting under th< guidance of this spirit, on tho night o Thursday, February 11, she boat an< killed her sister Puni, beating her t< death with a club. Puni, it is said, ha< expressed disbelief in her powers, whicl had angered her. Tho followin< night was marked by events stil more blood-curdling. Tho furion woman clubbed to death hernophov Kala, a boy of six years, the rest o the family acquiescing or assisting After thin action was completed th other members of the family hel< Paa, a young man of about 30, am a brother of tho kahuna, while sh burned him over the face, body am arms, with a (laming torch made o cloth dipped in oil or lard. Late in the night her fourth victii Kaholokai was seized, and hel while she beat him with the chi until he became unconscious, A lliia point the rest left him and wen away, leaving tho murderess alon with the dying man, to whom she i supposed to have dealt tho finishin strokes. Tho family returned an went to sleep, and early in th morning tho lire was started whic destroyed the hut. Into its flame tho body of Kaholokai was throwi tho other corpses being left to lie o the ground outside, where th sickening horror had been enactei Saturday morning a native, by cb name of Palau, who lived about mile away, came down and asko questions about what had occurrec but receiving no answers went t ! the other aide of tho island, abov eight miles away, to inform tl constable. Returning, he wit another native by the name ( Kahulu, made some rough woodo collins, in which the three mv derod Llawaiians wore buried. Son: of tho family, who by this time ma be supposed to have come partiall to their senses, dug the gravos. This was on Saturday night. 0 Tuesday tho four polico officoi arrived from Lahaina, and on Wedne day morning they started back wit two boats, in tho second of whic were tho twelve prisoners. The reached Lahrina at Inilf past six an wore met by an excited crowd, aniou them women armed with sticks. Tl face of tho burned man Paa wi covered from sight with a veil, being feared thnt his disfigured a] pearanco would incite the pooplo S violence against Punlolo. Tho examination of tho prisonei was set ior tbo following day, but we postponed until Friday owing to th absenco of Mr Chill ingworth in Wa luku. All twelvo prisoners were boh down to Honolulu and arrived by th Kinau on Sunday morning. The wore taken first to the station hous< and afterwards to tho Oahu gaol. ] is said that Dr Davidson, of LahaiiK from an examination of kahun Punlolo, found no reason to suppof her insane. An officer who had good deal of conversation with her o the voyage from Lahaino says the sho (iooms porfeefcly rational. She i a young woman botweon 20 and 8 years of ago, rather slender in figure ; An eye-witnesa m tho Oahu priso: i speaks of her as cowering in a blankoi . with her head bent down, and mutter i ing to horsolf. ; Tho murders of Kaholokai and th i child Pala wore porpetratod, it i , behoved, in tho expectation that th -, kahuna would bring them to lif i again. Paa, tho brother, who was s [ horribly burnod, is said to bo improv » ing with a prospect of recovery. Tho natives havo all deserted Awa i lua, and tho scouo of this sickeninj I outburst of heathenism and supei - ntition is now a desert.