The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-12-30
A DIABOL!CAL
CONTRACT.
Degrading State Of Affairs.
A Japanese Girl Brought to This Country
for Immoral Purposes.
A Revolving System Of Traffic Just
Brought 10 Light in the
Smoky City.

y special To- the standard from Butte.
dateJ Dee. -. says: Further investiga
ton into the Butte japanese contract
system, the existence of which was made
Known through the Jennie Iuone case,
shows it 10 be more diabolical than at
first imagined. 1t is stated that besides
the luOue girl. there are a half a dozen
Others 10 Spokane who ran away from
ancse masters in the lurch. A Jap
called at the sheritf's Office today in be-
half of the man Otsuka, who claims to
be JENNIE luOne master, and asked FOR
information as to the officers success in
his Efforts to get the woman back to
Butte. lie W!uitted every accusation
made in REGARD ~ the contract system.
and il developed that Otsuka went to
Japan for an installment of Japanese
girls. among the lot was jennie. He en-
tered into some sort of Il written con
tract with the girls grandmother, and it
is said he has now IN his possession "A
COPY of the contract, the original of which
is held by the grandmother. The girl
had nothing 10 say to the arrangements.
The terms of the contract were to the
effect that she should br taken TO New
York To work in some kind of Il house.
the character Of which she did not know,
but she being given TO understand that
! her occupation would be honorable. The
contractor and the grandmother were to
share the profits. and the victim was to
receive her board and clothes. She was
shipped to America with u number OF
other japanese girls. and when they
landed al San Francisco they were
distributed over the country, bat none
Of them were sent to New York. Butte
was the furthest point east to which any
were sent. and Jennie was one of two or
three who came to this city on that IN
stallm"nt, and ncr" they were forced
into 4 life Of shame, so they iliege.
When she ran way her master dlscov'
cred her whereabouts and followed her
to SPOKANE. tie tried to induce her to
return and whch she refused he threat
eneu to have her arrested and sent t.
ialI. lie told her ii she would return tC
Butte and ill out her t~hree-year con
tract with hiln she should not be ar
rested, and she WAS on the point of retarn
|; ing when friends inlerfcred and old hel
that Such contracts in America were ii
$500
legal and not binding on her. w%hereupor
she refused IL return. That was on the
7th Of this month. and on the 9Th the
% contractor was back in Butte and had {
, warrant issued for Jcnnie's arrest on thu
. charge Of stealing 5000 from him, anc
tie warrant was given to the sheriff
, The Jap even put up money OF bus n"l
: "a ,lplray the officers expenses. 1t L
now said that the $500 alleged to hay,
! been stolen il the contractors estimated
/, profits uu the wrman's earnings durin-
!, the two wears remaining on the contract
; II is related that Otsuka is not thconl,
: .Jar engaged in that business, and tina
! il 'trt he Is Tho least offending of Il
. lra~t u tuif uOlru Of his kind in Butte
, wlu have b"ru carrying it on %cXtcnsivcl
! Tor years,
! YAc attention Of Attorney Genera
l. Haskell has been called to the matter
, and a thorough investigation OF til
> wnu!u ulI,ir viii doubtless be made. JcT
, nj. Iuumc and the other victims o !
! Spokane have volunteered 10 come
Muutaua to testify in any prosecutor
that may bc instituted.