The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-12-13
A QUEER CASE.

EDITOR BuLLETIN:-In your is
sue of the 1lth instant appeared an
item headed GA queer case" in
which an unfortunate Chinaman
seems to pose as the queer part.
Not only does the item misstate the
reason given for his plea of guilty in
his affidavit, but it says that when
arrested he was dressed in "gay
Oriental costume, but the next
morning appeared in Court with an
old coat wrapped around him."
(leaving it plainly to be inferred
that he had on no other garment
This is misrepresentation. l do
not so much complain of that as of
the unjust inference attempted to
be drawn to his prejudice from the
fact that be was in different dress
when arrested than that in which he
appeared in Court. To your re-
porter it seems queer that even
Chinaman should have change of
clothes, more queer that a China
man working at Waialua should
have such change in Honolulu, most
queer that he, or any person, should
be surprised at night and dragged
to the police station in dress
which modesty or prudence would
forbid him to wear at other times;
but 1 shall not by serious argument
attempt TO show that such things
are not most extraordinarily queer.
1t also appears queer to your re-
porter that the defendants affi-
davit is unsupported by other evil
dence, and though he seems to have
taken special delight in calling me
"ignorant, etc." may venture to
suggest that the truth of the affi-
davit, unless rebutted, stands adj
mitted. But Mr.. Editor, there is a
queer side to this case which ap-
pears to have escaped the attention
of your reporter.
1st. 1t does not seem queer to
him that police man is charged by
a man under oath with a serious
crime, and his superior officers
simply smile it away, when the air
is full of rumors damaging to the
efficiency ana integrity of the police
force of this city. 1t is not suffi-
cient to say that law breakers are
ever ready to prefer such charges to
impeach the character of their ac-
cusers, for there are notable in
stances even in this community of
men both in high and low positions
against whose integrity there has
never been word.
I'd. Nor does it seem queer to
your reporter that where the GUS
tomary sentence for having opium
unlawfully in possession under a
plea of not guilty has been from
few hours to few days imprison-
ment and the lowest money penalty
viz, $50 (and even under the old
law very seldom over 20 days and
$50.) Acting Judge w. l.. Will
cox, under a plea of guilty, where
clemency is always exercised, with
no other apparent reason than that
the defendant wore possibly better
clothes when arrested than those he
wore at the day of trial, suddenly
increases the sentence to 30 days
imprisonment and $50 fine. 1 dc
not believe that any of our courts
! have so far forgotten their duties
as to be influenced by such motives
even in the case of an alleged opium
, smoker, and l confidently expect tt
. be apprised of some more substan
= tial reason for the Courts action il
this matter which l have not, no
:, evidently has your reporter ascer
!, tanned. j. ALFRED MAGooN.
y Mr.. Magoon seems to have got
, "queer" impression from our repor
It of this case, an impression which tn
s report was not intended to create
u and which its wording does no
q imply. There is no allusion what
n ever to Ignorance" nor that sue
J. a thing existed in any way intimat
u ed. Mr.. Magoon had better rea
L.