Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-23

STORY OF A CRIME.
Yokohama Cor. San Francisco Chron-
icle.
The Soma case, which has become IA
cause celebre In japanese criminal
annals, has just furnished new and
sensational sequel IN the conviction OF
| perjury and sentence to "a months
! imprisonment OF Hiranuma Seuzo, the
| Yokohama millionaire, who is reputed
to be the richest Japanese In this city.
| Hiranuma was charged It'll perjury in
swearing that he did not bride Judge
! Namaguchi to release his servant,
| Yamamura, who was tried before the
| Judge for completely in the conspiracy
against the Soma family.
Before Hlrnnumn's case was heard
the Toxic court tried a retired dane
ing girl or geisha, named Ratio Ala,
who kept the tea house where the
conspirators met In the Soma trial
| she denied that any meetings ere held
at her house, but at this trial she ad-
mitted with tears that she had per-
| tured herself and declared that she
was In terror OF the judge. who had
warned her not to betray him. The
proverbial leniency of Japanese law to
women was shown In the geisha's
case, for she was released with no
other punishment than a reprimad
when the millionaire Hlranuma was
brought into court the crowds about
the door Jesred the old man, calling
him nu usurer. The man has worked
himself up from the lowest class by
his preat brqjneea obiiit, 10 &c.,.
has had anv mercy on n dehtor ,rd
many eases IN witch he bas ri,,,ad
tbe role of Sbvlaci, arc reiatod ~,
his gife OF $4,000 to the national de
Tense fund he was given the rank of
Ju-go-i, but this honor which he pur-
In court be c-ineed bafnre tbo i,,doos,
and claimed thnf mo sure no noid
were for snrvicss I'm other coso, ar,J
NOT to secure the rele6sn Of NE -
want The fnrts of bie na,iut,, we
,,t,,,,.,,, ,,r,,,g,,I ,,,1 - F.yutg We
f1iioed bv sentence 10 ono ~, ~
innnrisonr1cnt and SIo Gra IL Oh,
nnpeni Inc caae WIN
IL ti,is corncctl,,, tto ,,,,t,, ,,,..,..-
90 ma so,Ta go ,, .',ait Lensu ii,
no a. ba1 as -, 80, ~ t,l,,'' atlB'
,,,r,s as usI Ttah Satiollul I leu
-. ,,i1,.,6 -, I'M, use, me
T,S5 tP IN tgiriole accusation
".la' S t,,,' W. tcla'lNvs anu stew
u ~. W iaeoulit 9uIlla ,hlasatane'
We "u ,'h,,,S no} il, VINO uleu suddenly
~ ~ His pah nome AT Nesuro' near
Ioklo' on tepruary y, lss2. The ac-
e9sati0n, on winch more than score
OF Weu-khown japanese We're arrested
on criminal charges was brought by
Nishigorl katamiyo, who was per-
sonar attendant OF the Vlscount. The
| story tod by Nlshigori was one Of the
most startling ever heard outside OF
| fiction 1t Included the pluuderng OF
the vast possessions OF the Japanese
| noble by his retainers, the incarcera-
| ton OF the victim In a lunatlc asylum
| and his final murder by the gang Of
consplrators in order to prevent the
| exposure of their crime Incidentally
1t also embraced charges OF bribery
| and corruption against n dozen leading
officials OF the Japanese government
The sensational charges We're lodged
| by Nishigori against the members Of
| the Soma family on July II last. They
created an enormous sensation IN
| Japan, and the Importance OF the case
| be Judged when il ia said tbot ~
| preliminary exnmination iast1d ia
| days. and was only concluded an nc
| 3ist Of October last, over S0 v,itnassos
were examined. and the trial ande5
| with the acquittal OF the accused o,S
the prompt arrest OF Nishigori his
wife and several others on charges of
criminal conspiracy. The story toId
by NlshIgor on which the acc,so ione
were brought and the arrests made
| was briefly IA follows: visco,,r, sl,.1'
| while a pupil In the rovnl scboot ~,
| Toxic, was robbed by his retoine,, 80
large sum Of money. said 10 ono,,,,t
TO over Sl.QOO,0o0. This robbery 90.
The criminals who jncluded n -,
| dozen Of the trusted retaino,.s He an
| Young Viscount. pretended NJ S Ii lle
This large sum with banlfe. y,,, uei ,S'.
knew was on the verge Of banirr,t,,tn,s,
f'rhe money was not depos, ,t uP'u ",
| claimed, but clerks OF the bank az
changed the coin for JnnnneSa "
money. and invested ~ Ibap1 rr paper
n AHnH