The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-01
Jury Votes Liberty to the Little
Chinese Woman.
STATEMENT BY DEFENDANT
Tells a SorroWful and Strange Tale
Love of Husband and Children.
Her Prayers.

who was charged with the poisoning OF
admitted having attempted also to
take her own life, was acquitted IN
the Circuit Court before Judge Perry
yesterday. The indictment was for
lasted two days, much of the time be-
ing occupied in securing jury, as the
case was an uncommon one. Two Of
the twelve returning the verdict dis
out less than ten minutes and four bal
lots were taken on various questions
presented. w. l.. Hopper was fore
man.
Upon being told by Judge Perry that
she was free TO go and was held inno-
cent under the law, the, woman quietly
departed under the escort of a native
woman The defendant had not a word
TO say TO anyone.
The principal witness on the stand
yesterday was the woman herself. Her
story was of extreme interest, quite
out of anything of the sort heretofore
heard in any Hawaiian court. She said
that upon the death of her husband,
twelve years ago, she had at once de-
cided to follow him to the beyond. She
put aside this resolve for the reason
that she was about TO become a mother
of her second child. Pondering after
wards she decided to live until the boy
and the girl had become old enough to
meet life and to care for themselves.
This period had been reached IN her
judgment, about six months. 1t was
then that she communicated to her
children her intention to poison herself
and join her husband. In reaching this
conclusion. she was somewhat influ-
enced by the fact that the care of her
self, devolved upon the brother Of her
late husband. However, it was her ut
terance on the witness stand yester-
day that she was most largely con-
trolIed by love for the husband and the
conviction that the two children were
now able to care for themselves.
Hok Yok Young who in age and APP
pearance seems only a maiden, gave
the boy So one morning when he was
off for school and told him to bring
home opium for the whole amount. On
his return in the evening, he handed
her number of lichee nut shells-per-
haps a dozen-containing the drug.
The opium she thinned with water in
a bowl. She talked Of her purpose to
commit suicide to the children as she
had often spoken of it before, and as
before the boy and the girl, who evil
IDENTIFY loved her dearly for her uniform
kindness and constant care Of them,
declared that they wanted to go with
her 10 the hereafter. The woman says
she told them that they must live on
and grow up and do honor TO the fam
lily of their father. She put them TO
bed When they were asleep and the
house quite undisturbed. she arrayed
herself in her best clothing, as is the
Chinese custom, and drank from the
little tea bowl. Before the sleep came
upon her, she repaired TO veranda
back of the house and there, where a
Joss altar had always been maintain
ed for the family, she offered prayers
to the gods of her husbands ancestors.
She says she told in supplication what
she proposed to do and asked that it
be approved of and that it result as
she designed.
After the dev0tions. the woman laid
upon the bed with the children and
was soon obIivious TO anything that
might have happened. She said that
her opinion was that the children had
Weakened and seeing her condition, had
taken poison from the bowl of their
own accord and with the determination
of accompanying her on the journey 70
death. At any rate, both of them did
die. and this is the way the woman
says it happened. though the state con-
tended that she had administered
poison to them herself, in all prob
ability with their consent. It was
maintained by the prosecution that the
children could not have understood
what it all meant. and that they must
have been coerced or persuaded.
The woman broke down and wept
number of times while she was in the
witness box The tears and the sobs
came when there was reference to the
death of her husband and TO the death
of the two children. 1t was a pathetic
sight, as the feeling of the woman was
apparently deep and sincere.
1t was explained after court adjourn
ed by the official Chinese interpreter
that many of the Chinese maintain al
tars for occasions Of offering prayers
TO the ancestors of their fathers He