Kauai County HI Archives Obituaries.....Spencer, Thomas  April 12, 1918
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The Garden Island, Lihue, Kauai, Tues., 4-16-1918
SPENCER, THOMAS
A GRUESOME TRAGEDY AT KAPAA.  Insane with jealousy, Thomas Spencer, a part 
Hawaiian water luna of Kilauea Plantation, at 11:30 Friday morning fired two shots 
from a revolver into the body of Mrs. Moses Manoiki, then turning the weapon on 
himself, blew his brains out. The tragedy took place in front of the restaurant at 
Kapaa and was witnessed by a number of people, among them Deputy Sheriff John 
Hano. Spencer and the woman had been living together for a number of years until 
about a month ago. After a violent quarrel, she left him and came to Kapaa where, 
about two weeks ago, she married Moses Manoiki, an employee of the road 
department. Spencer came to Kapaa on Thursday and put up for the night at one of 
the Japanese places there. Friday morning, shortly before the shooting, the woman 
approached Deputy Sheriff Hano who was in his car near the restaurant and told him 
she was afraid of Spencer who was standing nearby. Hano called Spencer and told 
him what the woman had said. Spencer replied that she had no cause for worry as he 
was not going to harm her. Shortly after this the woman got into a car that was 
standing near, and Spencer attempted to follow her. Becoming alarmed, she got out, 
followed by Spencer, who then drew his revolver and fired at her twice, one ball 
entering her left forearm while the other plowed its way along the side of her 
head but did not enter the skull. Spencer then turned the weapon upon himself. 
Deputy Sheriff Hano says it all happened in so short a space of time that he did 
not have time to interfere. By the time he could get on the ground, Spencer had 
had sent the shot crashing through his own brain. A letter found on the man's body 
shows that he came to Kapaa for the purpose of killing the woman and himself. In 
the letter he said he was sorry for the trouble he would cause the sheriff and 
requested that the woman and himself be buried in the same grave. Mrs. Manoiki is 
severely wounded, but it is believed she will recover. Following is the letter 
found upon the body:  "To whom it might concern - To the world at large... Let all 
women take this warning. That it doesn't pay to play with a man. Life is short 
when a man loses his temper at a certain moment. I have suffered. Where no man 
would have stand the strain and all the trouble that she has left on my nerves. I 
have tried for the last eight years to make a woman of her, but it's no use. I am 
ashamed to think of the past. So I am taking the law of man into my own hands to 
show her and the rest of her sex that it is dangerous to play with a man who have 
done and suffer for her. I trust my soul in God's hands who knows what I have 
suffered. Aloha to all my friends and relations. We will all meet on the same read 
-- that's death. T. Spencer" On the reverse side of the sheet was the following:  
"To the Sheriff. Aloha'oe. Excuse me for troubling you for buying the two of us in 
the same hole." A letter was also found on the body addressed to D. L. Larsen, 
manager of Kilauea Plantation, in which he told of his troubles. He closed this 
letter by asking Mr. Larsen to pay what wages he had coming to him to his little 
daughter. []


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