Pepehi Kanaka (Murder)

The following English and Hawaiian language newspaper articles deal with the murder/suicide committed by my 3rd great grandfather, Samuel Smith. He was married to my 3rd great grandmother, Kahili and after she died he married Kapela, who he murdered less than a year into their marriage. He then committed suicide by jumping off Diamond Head.

On Wednesday morning last the community was startled by the report that a murder had been committed the preceding night at Kamoiliili, and

many conflicting accounts of it were given during the day. The particulars of the case as given in the testimony of several witnesses before the Coroner’s jury are substantially as follows: On Tuesday Kapela, the deceased, (a native woman), arrived home from Honolulu in an express bringing with her a bundle containing wearing apparel.  She laid the bundle on a table and went to a neighbor shortly after her arrival. Her husband, Samuel Smith, opened the bundle and, discovering its contents said he would like to know where Kapela obtained money to purchase the articles. When she returned he spoke to her about it and words passed between them until both became quite angry.  Emma and Annie Smith, adopted children of Sam Smith, and the only other occupants of the house state that they were still quarelling when they went to bed. One Heanu (k.), who was at the house that night and heard them disputing says that when he was leaving Kapela was fixing a place on the floor to sleep. He told her to sleep on the bed but she refused to do so. Smith told her that if she did not behave better, he did not know what he would do to both her and himself. In the night Smith woke the little girls and told them to stay at the house; that he was going off to take poison. After he had gone the girls looked at Kapela and found that she was dead. They remained there till daylight when they informed neighbors of the homicide. Afterwards one Kukuli was sent to inform the police. A flat iron was lying on the floor near Kapela’s head. The only injury found on her body was a fracture of the skull over the left temple, which would alone have been sufficient to cause death.  There was an extensive hemorrhage from the left ear and she was lying in a pool of blood. The wound in the skull was the same shape as would be produced by a corner of the flat iron, and one corner of the iron was covered with blood. It is thought that she was struck when lying down. The coroner’s jury rendered a verdict in accordance with the above facts ; that Kapela had come to her death by a blow from a flat iron in the hands of Samuel Smith. Smith has not been found yet, and it is not known whether he has taken his life or not. ~Saturday Press, December 25, 1880, p. 3.

---------------------------------------------------

PEPEHI KANAKA MA KAMOILIILI, KONA, OAHU

Ma ka po o ka Palua Dek 21 nei, ua pepehi iho la o Samuel Smith, he hapa haole, i kana wahine mare ia Kapela a make loa, ma Kamoiliili, Oahu, penei ka mea i hai ia mai, ma ka po i hai ia ae la, a ma ke ahiahi oia la ua hoopuka ae la ua Sam nei i keia mau huaolelo imua o Uma k, “he make hauohano ka make ana ma ka Amana,” aka, aole i manao ka mea ana e olelo nei, e pepehi kanaka aku ana oia, aka, ua ao kona hoa, mai manao oe ia mea he mea maikai, a ma ia po iho.  Ua pepehi iho la oia i kana wahine a make loa me ka aiana lole, a holo aku la oia me ka loaa ole a hiki i ke ia wa me ka haalele iho i ke kino poino o ka wahine, a me elua mau kaikamahine malalo o umi makahiki.

Ua ulu mai keia poino mamuli o ko ka wahine hoouluhua mau i ke kane, me ka hoopuka aku o ka wahine i ke kane, o kau mau loaa a pau, mahope ae ia o’u, aia kuu manao a pau i kuu mea i alohai, he pua rose ia na’u a he aniani kilohi hoi, kane manuahi, me keia mau huaolelo a ka wahine, ua lilo ia i mea pono ole i ke kane.

Ua hi ki ae ka Makai nui a me ke Kauka ma kahi i hana ia ai keia hewa, a ua noho ka Aha Koronelo, a hooholo ua make o Kapela w, i pepehi ia, a ma ka ike a ke Kauka, ua pepehi ia me ka winiwini o ka aiana lole, o kahi’i eha, aia ma ka aoao hema o ke poo.

O keia Samuel Smith, ua hai ia mai, mai Hilo Hawaii mai oia a noho i Honolulu nei, a i Kamoiliili hoi i keia wa a ua hookuonoono ilaila, a ua mare hoi ia Kapela w; no Hilo mai no.  Aia laua iloko o ke apo gula a ka mare, ua lilo la i mea awaawa, he Make!~Nupepa Kuokoa, Dec. 25, 1880, page 2.

----------------------------------------------------

PEPEHI KANAKA-I ka waoaao Poalua iho nei, Dek. 21, ma Kamoiliili, ua pepehi iho la o Samu Kamika hapa haole i kana wahine mare ia Kapela, a maka loa, maloko o ko laua hale noho poni, me ka moe mai no o ka laua mau kaikamahine liilii elua.  Ua kipehiia ka wahine me ka aiana a ua naha ke poo.  Mahope iho o kona ike ana ua lele loa ke aho o ka wahine, hoala aku la oia i na kaikamahine, a pane aku la imua o laua, Oa noho malie, o helo ana au.  Malia o kakaou hui ana iho la no keia.  Haalele iho la oia ia laua, a helo aku la no ke ala ike ole ia.  Aka, ma ua lono i lohe wale ia mai, na “ahai aku la kekule i ka hohonu,” a aole hoi aia i loaa a hiki inehunei.  Ke imua nei oia.  O ke kumu o keia pepehi ia ana, no ka hoolalao a me ka hookiekie.  Eia ka olelo hoonanukiuki a ka wahine, O kau mau loaa a me kou mau waiwai, he mea ole ia i k’u manao, a o-ka mea hoi a’u i aloha ai, ua like ia mo ke aniani kilohi~Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, Dec. 25, 1880, page 4.

----------------------------------------------------

Some time during the night of Tuesday, the 21st instant, a murder was committed at Kamoiliili, near Waikiki.  Mr. Dayton and a coroner’s jury elicited the following facts: A native woman named Kapela returned to her home about 6 o’clock in the evening, bringing with her a bundle; this she put into her house and immediately went off into the house of a neighbor; her husband, Samuel Smith, opened the package, and speaking to a native Uma (k.), who was present, wondered where Kapela had obtained the money to buy the articles in the package ; in the course of a conversation which followed Uma mentioned that a neighbor was dead ; “Ah,” said he, “that is a death without distinction” ; Uma asked him what he considered a death without distinction ; he replied, “Death by hanging” ; on the return of Kapela a quarrel arose and was continued till about 10 o’clock, when a man named Heanu left the house ; Kapela was then making up a bed on the floor for herself ; two little girls, Emma and Annie, adopted children of Smith, state that Smith and Kapela were quarreling when they went to sleep ; at some time during the night Smith awoke the two little girls, told them to stay in the house, and said he was going away to take poison (laau make) ; after he had gone they got up and looked at Kapela, whom they found lying on the floor, in a pool of blood, quite dead ; the poor little things sat on chairs till day dawn, when they aroused the neighbors.  The evidence of Dr. McKibbin was, that having examined the body of a woman, said to be Kapela, had found a scalp wound and fracture of the skull a little on the left side ; there had been extensive hemorrhage from the left ear ; there were no other marks or injuries ; a flat iron, which was produced, fitted the wound ; he considered that the woman was lying down when struck ; the iron had blood on it ; the wound was, in his opinion, sufficient to cause death.  The jury returned a verdict in accordance with these facts.

-The body of Smith, the murderer, was found lying on the beach under Diamond Head.  It is supposed that he threw himself off the headland.  A reward of $50 had been offered by the police authorities for his capture if alive, or identification of his body if dead.  ~The Hawaiian Gazette, Dec. 29, 1880, page 4.

---------------------------------------------------

Last Monday morning the body of Samuel Smith, who murdered his wife, Kapela, last week, was found by one Maiau at the foot of Diamond Head from which he had thrown himself.  His hat was found lying on the summit of the cliff, which was about 75 feet high, and some distance mauka of the highest point of Diamond Head.  His heart must have failed him as he was about to take the fatal leap as he had wrapped his coat around his head, covering his eyes, evidently, that he might not realize the horrors of the situation.~Saturday Press, Jan. 1, 1881, 6th column.

---------------------------------------------------

Ua loaa aku ke kino make o S. Smith ia Maiau k o Kamoiliili ma ka huli maanei o Leahi e nana la ia Kapiolani Paka malalo o kekahi awawa, ua hai ia mai makou, he Ilio ke ka mea i loaa ai, a i ka loaa ana, hoomaka oia e aoa, a lohe kona kahu hele mai oia ma kahi o ka Ilio a ike i ke kino o S. Smith.  Oia nei ka makou i hoalaha’ka ai i ka pepehi ana i kana wahine mare ia Kapela a make loa ma Kamoiliili.~Nupepa Kuokoa, Jan. 1, 1881, page 3.

--------------------------------------------------

I ka Poakahi nei i loaa ku ai ke kino make o Samu Kamika, ka me a i pepehi i kana wahine mare la po Poalua o ka pule i hala, ma kekahi ua owawa o ka puu o Leahi, o huli ma nei i Honolulu.  I kona loaa ana alepapio apa ke alo ilalo.  Mahope o la huli pono ia ana o kaoua kiuo, no na mea i wawaia, oia hoi ke dala, ka pahi ame ka pu o kana keiki, ua loaa iho la ma kekahi pakeko o ke kuaka, he pa kakini, a helau paka ma kekahi.  Ua kanuia no oia malaila.~Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, Jan. 1, 1881, page. 3.

--------------------------------------------------

Ka Pepehi Kanaka o Waikiki.

O ka pepehi ana o Samuel Smith i kana wahine iloko o kela pule aku nei, alaila lawe i kona ola iho, ola kekahi o na hua pololei o ka noho ana haukae e nohe ia nei e kekahi poe iwaena o kakaou.  He kanaka maikai o S. Smith ma kona ano mau; he oluolu; he aloha i kana wahine; he malama pono i ka wahine a me na keiki.  He kananka ikaika oia i ka hana, a he paa mau kona mau lima i ka hana.  A ua kuonoono no oia ma na pono kino.  Ua ku kona hale laau.  Ua ulu ka ai o kona aina, ua lako pono aia me kana wahine.  O kana wahine nae, o Kapela ka inoa, he aaka, he oluolu ole; a ua hoonaukiuki maoli oia i kana kane.  O ke kumu o kona hoonaukiuki pineipine i ke kane i keia mau mahina iho nei oia no kekahi kanaka e ae e noho mai nei no i Waikiki.  He kane manuahi ia na ka wahine a S. Smith.  Ua ike keia kanaka na hai ka wahine; aka, kii no oia, a alakai pu i ua wahine nei iloko o ka pono ole.  A hiki i ku wa i lilo loa ai ka manao o keia wahine noonoo ole mamuli o kela kane lapuwale, alaila puka mai la ke ino.  Mamuli o na hana lapuwale a keia kanaka ino e noho ola mai nei, i huipuia me na hoonauki ana a ka wahine naaupo, ua pouli pu ae la ka noonoo maikai o S. Smith,  a hana aku la oia i ka hana weliweli.  Ina i pepehi aku oia i ke kanaka nana i hoowalewale kana wahine, e aho ia mamua o ka pepehi ana iaia iho a me kana wahine.

Maluna ia owai ka hewa o ka make ana o S. Smith a me kana wahine?  He mea maopopo, maluna no o laua kekahi hapa o ka hewa; aka, he hapa ouku paha ia.  Aia ka hewa koikoi maluna o kela kane manuahi nana i alakai ka wahine ma ke kuamoo o kono hihia.  E halihali ana oia i kekahi hapanui o na hoahewa ana no keia pepehi kanaka a me keia lawe ola.  A o ka poe no hoi o Waikiki i noho pu me lakou, a ike maopopo i na hoowalewale ana o keia kanaka i ka hai wahine, me ke kinai ole aku, a kii ole hoi i ka mana o ke kanawai e kokua, o lakou kekahi i hewa.  O ka hoopii ia o ka poe kolohe, a hoopai ia, he hana ia, i ku i ke aloha.  Aole i hoopii ia ka mea nana i hoowalewale o Kapela, ua hookuu wale ia e hana e like me kona makemake lapuwale, a ua ike pu kakou i ka hopena.  Elua ola i poino.  A o ka mea oi o ka hewa, ke hele wale nei.~Nupepa Kuakoa, Jan. 8, 1881, page.2.

Diamond Head 1888