The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-30
MAUI CORRESPONDENCE,
COMMITTED FOR ARSON WITHOUT \
DEFENSE.
Work of Native Magistrate that should
lie Investigated Noble
"Raggles" Heard From.


WAILUKU, July 2s.-The preliminary
hearing of the Waikiki arson case,
Republic of Hawaii VS.. II. II. Plemmer,
was heard before Magistrate f. tlele.
kuniki, Esq, at Wailuku court house on
the 25th instant Senior Captain l.. A.
Andrews, of Honolulu, arrived on the
cath instant to be present at the trial.
The prosecution was conducted by
Sheriff s. F. Chillingsworth, John Rich.
ardson, Esq, appearing for the de.
PENDANT.
The first witness called for the prose.
cution was MIR. G.. b. Wells, manager of
the Waikiki Sugar Co. The weight of
the evidence given by this witness
mainly tended to show the unfriendly
feeling supposed to exist between him
self and defendant. The defendant hav'
ing, at some time previous to the fire,
when he resigned from the employ OF
the plantation, challenged the witness
to fight him. Witness did not testify
whether or not he accepted the chal
lenge.
The next witness, Kelikipi, a Ha'
waiian, was the principal witness for the
Government. He was the codefendant
in this case, but nolle pros was entered
in his favor on his turning States evi'
4 II In, ha nt o. N
stigation and with the assistance of de-
fendaut, set fire to the plantation office
Two other witnesses called simply
testified to the fact of the fire having
occurred and being of incendiary
origin, but no further evidence was in
troduced which in any way corrobor'
ated the evidence given by kelikipi.
This closed the case for the prosecu-
ton, whereupon counsel for defendant
entered a motion to have the defendant
discharged for want of sufficient evil
dence claiming that no Court has the
right to believe the testimony of an ac-
complete unless supported by Other
corroborative evidence,
The motion was argued at some length
once when submitted to the Court, his
! Honor, at the close of the evidence fol
the prosecution, his countenance over
flowing with intelligence, overruled the
motion and at the same time committed
the defendant for trial by jury.
When informed by Mr.. Richardson
that the Court had evidently mistaken
his motion for discharge for a closing
argument, and that defendant mus
certainly be entitled to produce evidence
on his own behalf, the learned magi
strate decided, that having alread,
committed the defendant, such decision
must stand, thereby depriving the ac
cused of the constitutional privilege o
answering charges being made agains
him.
Such arbitrary ruling might attrac
little notice in dispotic Russia, but vii
not be tolerated in republican Hawaii
While it hardly to be expected TO hav
first-class lawyers for the pay attache
} to the office of second class distric
, magistrate, men can certainly be ha
who are able to exercise common sens
and are not too dignifed to correC
their own plumbers; but the distriC
magistrate of Waikiki is evidently nc
of such stuff.
Bail was given by defendant in tn
sum of $4,000, Col. w. H. Cornwell bein
surety.
While refraining from any CONNER
as to the guilt or innocence of the a.
cused, it would appear to be establish
? ing a most dangerous precedent to con
3 mt a man, without evidence for tn
defense being admitted, on the unco
i roborated evidence of witness wi
z has admitted to being an accompliC
and knows that through giving sue
o testimony he will save his own neck.
a The Board of Examiners for Il
District of Maui are busy taking app
cations for citizenship of the Republi
The German nobleman with an illu
trlOuS name, WHO dTTiNeu HSie IA
week TO view the grand sights at Il
l. crater of Haleakala, departed f
Hawaii by the Kinau last Tuesda
From accounts furnished your corr
,, spondent this scion of noble house
b pears to be of very eccentric natui
Re He evidently expected to find Eff
n avenue hotel on the brink of HaleakaI
y where the hostess could be order
is around as would the liveried iiunkies
If his ancestral home. The mol
"Raggles" nearly had a fainting
when presented with bill for 81
10 for room and board at the Mounts
no house for himself and guide. He "
40 told by the fair hostess that her dc
no would hereafter be closed to Germ
q. noble men, if he was a specimen
4 | than