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Former Mayor Hannibal emembers a Prisoner...

The former mayor of Maui County, Hannibal Tavares, was an officer of the Maui County Police Department and lived in Hana for a time. He married a Hana girl, Harriett, and lived in a house which stood directly behind the Historic Courthouse.

He has some interesting tales to tell about his experiences while living there and offered up this story.

They had a prisoner trustee in the jail which was within the prisoner compound behind the courthouse. This person was allowed to go to the neighborhood eating house for his dinner. Late in the evening Hannibal as usual, checked to see if the trustee was in. The bed was padded to look like the missing prisoner was there. Hannibal decided to surprise the prisoner when he returned so he sat on the bed waiting with the lights out. When the prisoner returned he was shocked to see Hannibal on his bed. Hannibal told him "You know what this means... you are going to the Wailuku jail tomorrow." The prisoner begged not to be sent away and promised to be a faithful trustee again. But with Hannibal, the rules were to be kept and the prisoner went to Wailuku.

Hannibal investigated the trustee's absence and found the prisoner had a lady friend he was visiting in Hana.