The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-01-03
ORDER OF LIGHT LABOR.
UNIQUE ORGANIZATION OF EVA
FIELD Hands.
Minimum Tasks the Rule and Hsrsh
Discipline to Enforce It-An Expose
in Court

Two Of the four Japs brought here
from Eva after the big disturbance on
the plantation last week were fined $50
and costs each. They were convicted of
assault and battery. The victim was
another coolie, who still bears marks of
the scrimmage. Evidence brought out
included the story of conspiracy quite
unique in its way. The Eva officers
said the facts adduced confirmed a be-
lief long entertained by them but never
before verified.
The full statement was given to Judge
Robertson by the Jap in charge of Man.
ager Lowrie's kitchen. This individual
became identified with the case by act
ing as interpreter on the occasion of an
interview between a grievance commit.
tee from the ranks of the hands and the
agent of the employers.
1t was on Thursday, December 2Sth,
early in the evening, that Manager
Lowrie was informed of a considerable
riot in progress at one of the camps.
The affair was beyond control of the
foreman and officers present. BY use
of the telephone, aid was summoned
from another camp and the racket was
stopped 1t only ended after threats to
murder, made by the Japs, had been
met with show of firearms on the part
of the peace officers. 1t was reported at
the time that Jap had been severely
beaten but he could not be found.
About quarter of an hour after
quiet had been restored, trouble broke
out afresh in a more pronounced
manner. This second demonstration
1n1 NV xrtnn Of
tin pans. Between sixty and seventy
Japs answered this summons. They
noisIly marched to the managers
bungalow. TheEuglish speaking cook
was summoned and through him the
callers, represented by the two men CON
victed yesterday, demanded to know
from Manager Lowrie why armed men
had descended upon them. They
wished to know once for all If an
ordinary meeting or celebration was to
be interrupted by the appearance of
officers with pistols. Manager Lowrie
counselled the malcontents to return to
their camp and said he would investi-
gate the matter fully in the morning.
After further quite positive remarks the
mob retired.
After the committee and attendants
had gone, an officer who spoke Japa-
nese with a faithful coole us guide,
started to make a round of the quarters
About the first find he made was the
laborer who had been beaten early in
the evening. The man was weak and
bleeding, but was able to tell his story.
His versIon of the first disturbance was
afterwards confirmed by the cook and
interpreter, partly from personal knowl-
edge and partly from report.
ha hn ..,h. -,
longed to a labor, or rather anti-labor
society," intended to include every hand
on the plantation. The oath requires a
pledge TO perform no more work than
the slowest laborer of the gang to which
the member liz attached certain pace
in travelling to the fields is prescribed
and there are numerous other regula-
ttions calculated to make life easy for
the coolie. The hospital patient had
been altogether too Industrious, and in
addition to being heavily fined had
been submitted to rough discipline.
This man was able to present his case
from the witness stand and also to point
out as his principal assailants the
! identical team of worthless who had
headed the indignation meeting add
Journed to the managers home late the
night of the row
The defense of the prisoners wat
simply that the injured man had some,
how received his bruises from "al
hands" and why they did not know
They said the first meeting was held to
devise ways and means to secure Il
Japanese missionary for that field.