The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-05-13
HILo MAY TERM.
The Honokaa Murder Case on Trial
Before Foreign Jury-A Motion for
Change of Venue Denied.
BEFORE JUDD. c. ].

BEFORE JUDD, C. ].
HILo, Tuesday. May 6, 1890.
The Court opened at 10 A. M. and
Hawaiian jurors were called and
answered to their names.
Rex VS.. KALAMAZOO was called and
indictment read against him. He
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 K. Goto, was then
called. Deputy Attorney General
Creighton and Mr.. Peterson for the
Grown, and Messrs. Paul Neumann
and D. Fl. 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 afidavits for the Crown, in
reference to the inability of getting
fair trial in this circuit.
The matter was discussed for
few minutes and then motion for
change of venue of entered. The
argument in this matter was post
poned until l P M.
AS there were few minutes be-
fore IL M. the case of H. Eldarts VS..
Alice Eldarts, divorce, was called
and after the examination of two
witnesses the divorce was granted.
The Court then adjourned until
JPN.
At Jpn 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, Sam
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.
1t took nearly all day to empanel
a jury that was satisfactory. Finally,
the following jury was sworn: J.
Purvis, G. McLennan, E. J. Weight,
w. B. McCubbin, E. BlaisdelI, Chas.
Lehman, j. Sherman, j. Devereaux,
A. W. Heydtman, J. Nicholas, E. j.
Cobb, j. Bohenberg.
THURSDAY, May s, 9A.M.
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
28th of October last such a case of
lynching, unknown in these Courts,
was committed. The man was found
strung up to telephone post, tied
hand and foot, and neck broken. We
will show to your satisfaction that in
this village of Honokaa, 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 week before the lynching 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 Jap
storekeeper, had 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 IN. That was the last
time he was seen alive by the Japs,
but the murderers were the last to