The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-05-12
HILO MAY TERM.
The Honokaa Murder Case on Trial
Before q Foreign Jury-A Motion ior
Change of Venue Denied.

The HOnokaa Murder Case on Trial
Before q Foreign Jury-A Motion for
Change of Venue Denied.
BEFORE JUDD, C. J.
H1Lo, Tuesday. May 6, 1880.
The Court opened at 10 A. M. and
Hawaiian jurors were called ana
answered to their names.
Rex vs.. Kalumaloa was called and
Indictment read against him. DE
pleaded guilty and the sentence OF
the Court was passed on him at
once, for having opium in possession,
fine $50 and one hour imprisonment
at hard labor.
The calendar was then gone
through with, the defendants
answering as their cases were called.
The whole calendar numbers thirty
three cases; nine criminal, native,
fourteen criminal, foreign, four civil
and six divorce.
The case of Rex vs.. Messrs. Mills,
Blabon, Watson and Steele, murder
of Japanese X. Goto, was then
called. Deputy Attorney General
Creighton and Mr.. Peterson for the
Grown, and Messrs. Paul Neumann
and D. III. Hitchcock in behalf of the
Japanese Government, and Messrs.
Hatch and Davidson in behalf Of the
defendants.
Mr.. Hatch appears for Messrs.
Steele and Watson and Mr.. Davidson
for Messrs. Mills and Blabon.
The Indictment was read to the
defendants, but their plea was not
taken at that time.
Copies of indictment were then
asked for by the defense. as also
copies of af6davits for the Crown, in
reference to the inability of getting
fair trial in this circuit.
The matter was discussed for a
few minutes and then a motion for a
change of venue of entered. The
arguments in this matter was post
poned until Pm.
As there were a few minutes be-
fore IL M. the case Of III. Eldarts VS..
Alice Eldarts, divorce, was called
and after the examination of two
witnesses the divorce was granted.
The Court then adjourned until
1PM.
| At 1 P. M. Court convened and the
arguments pro and con in reference
to the motion of change of venue
were ably discussed by both prosecu-
ton and defense. The Judge then
gave his decision stating that Judge
Lyman and himself were not of the
opinion that there had been sufficient
grounds shown for the removal of
the cause to another circuit, and
therefore the motion was overruled.
Wednesday. May 7th, 9A.M.
| After the opening Of Court the
pleas of the defendants j. r. Mills,
VIM. Blabon,. Watson and Thomas
Steele were taken. One and all
plead not guilty.
It took nearly all day to empanel
jury that was satisfactory. Finally,
the following jury was sworn: j.
Purvis, G. McLennan, e. j. Weight,
w. B. McCubbin, e. Blaisdell, Chas.
Lehman, j. Sherman, j. Devereanx,
A. w. Heydtman, J. Nicholas, E. j.
Cobb, j. Bohenberg.
THURSDAY, May 8, SAN.
Mr.. Peterson asks to have wit
nesses in case excluded. After few
preliminary proceedings, Mr.. Peter
son opened the case for the people.
He said: May it please the Court
and gentlemen Of the jury: On the
18th Of October last such a case OF
lynching, unknown in these Courts,
was committed. The man was found
I strung up to a telephone post, tied
hand and foot, and neck broken. We
will show to your satisfaction that in
this village OF Honokas, the man
Goto was killed, and that on the
plantation of Mr.. Overend Japanese
were at work.
| In the same place Mills has store
and Blabon was employed in that
store from time to time. Steele and
Watson at that time were working
for Overend, Steele as head luna and
Watson as head teamster. A little
over a week before the lyching fire
occurred in the cane fields of Over
end, and I hope to show you that it
was set by the Japanese on the plan
tation. There had been some mis-
understanding between the men and
Mr.. Overend in regard to the pay
ment of their wages and the fire was
the result of the misunderstanding.
About one week after the fire the
Jap, Goto, was hung. He was q Jap
storekeeper, had a store of quite good
dimensions; had worked himself
from a common laborer to the posi-
ton he then held. He left his home
on the eve of his murder to consult
the Japs about the misunderstanding
with the plantation and left them
about 10 P. M. That was the last
time he was seen alive by the Japs,
but the murderers were the last to
see him alive. We will show you
that Mr.. Steele met Goto going to
town, and that he went and had an
interview with Mr.. Overend. We
will show you that he was caught
and hauled from his horse, his hands
and feet tied, and then taken to the
telephone pole and hung. We will
not show that he was killed by the
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