The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-01-09
SUPREME COURT.
Trial OfTwenty-tWO Chinese for Main.
tanning = SeeretBOeteGy- The Judges
Remarks.


Onthe night OF the 8th of November last,
Marshal Soper with assistants made a
raid on joss house on Beretania street
and captured twenty-five Cinnamon, to-
gether with large quantity of parapher
MALTA. The men were charged with
maintaining a secret society, and after
preliminary hearing were committed for
trial at this term of the Supreme Court.
The case was called at 10 O'Clock
Thursday morning before Mr.. Justice
Preston and foreign jury. The twenty
two defendants were accommodated
with seats on the opposite side of the
Court to the jury. The Courtroom was
filed with Chinese during the hearing Of
the trial The Attorney General and
Major Rosa appeared for the Crown,
and Mr.. F. NJ Hatch and Messrs Kin
ney & Peterson for defendants.
The law on which the charge is based
is as follows: "Chapter 81, Section l,
Session Laws of 1884: 1t shall not be
lawful for any persons to organize, form
or maintain any secret association for any
purpose whatever except under the pro-
visions in this Act set FORTH"
The first witness called was Mr.. J. III.
Soper, Marshal, who, on being sworn,
testified: l am Marshal. / recognize
some of the defendants, but not all. l
identity All Choy and All Yaw. found
them on Sunday evening, November Sth,
at house on Beretania street Several
months ago I had information Of three
secret societies in town and have been
on watch for them. In order to pay q
visit to such places and gather parapher-
MALTA a warrant was specially prepared
for such purpose. On the night men,
! toned 1 left Judge Bickerton's house at
II O'Clock after getting his signature,
and with other officers made raid ION
the building on Beretania street. There
were from seventy-five to hundred Chi
nese there. We went into an alley lead
! ing to gateway, and followed China
man used as guide. When we entered
| there was a great rush made for the door
and windows. On a table was found
Chinese candles, flags and a yellow cloth
This latter was covered all over with
Chinese characters, which on being in
terpreted was shown to be rules of Sc
cret society. They were very bad rules,
prescribing, among other things, punish
ment of death for certain violations of
them.l A cutlass was found stuck in a
crack of the floor in front of the table.
[All of these things were produced in
Court. The witness was cross-examined
at length.
John Good, sworn, stated: / identify
six of the defendants. When the room
was entered 1 saw one Chinaman present
knife at me, and Immediately drew
my pistol. L cannot positively state
what was on the table The crowd raised
a shout when drew my pistol
Chang Chew, being sworn, stated:
live in Honolulu Was at the building
the night the Marshal made the raid.
This certificate (produced) is for MEM
bership in Tong Hing Society, and is
given if initiation fee is paid. Cross ex-
amined: l have no employment now. l
belong to Hung San Society. If the
Chinese Government find out members
of Tong Hing Society they would be be-
headed. II
Four other witnesses were examined
and the prosecution closed.
For the defense the first witness called
was All Choy, who deposed: I am a
member of Tong Hing Society. Am
Manager and had charge of the books.
The other defendants are members of
the Society. Any one joining does not
take an oath. The only requisition is S..
1t is not confined to any clan. ANY per-
son, member or not, can go into the build
ing at any time. The doors are always
open. The night the raid was made
the members were celebrating the birth
day of Buddhist god, "San Now Chan
Quong." That is why they were there
in such large numbers. The flags (pro-
duced) were placed in front of the shrine.
The bucket contained wheat for sticking
in Joss sticks. The knives (produced)
are kept for killing pigs, fowls, etc. A
fowl was killed that night. The larger
one of the two was used in q procession
ON New Years day. The paraphernalia
has always been in sight OF every one
previous to its seizure. Chinese attend
worship at the Joss house specially on
birthdays OF certain gods. Cross-exam-
ined: l issue certificates once to each
member on payment of So. That is all,
and his name is entered in a book. In
case certificate is lost a new one is
issued. The ten defendants mentioned
are not members; the others are
members, but their names are not in the
books. Some of them have promised
to pay the fee and that makes them mem
beers. 1 cannot tell how many have
promised 20 pay. l have no record; 1
remember them in my head. do not
know whether the doors were open when
the Marshal came. l do not know that
chopping off a ROSTERS head is done when
Smiling an oath. A rooster was killed
| Ia, ming and the blood mixed with
+ho+ owe - lied round the room to
water and sprinh- Oaave never seen the
keep away gods. Ia.
yellow cloth before. stated; am