The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-05-14
IN A LIBEL CASE
Expected That Forty Wit
nesses Will Be Called.
Fatal Gift of Beauty a FaCtor-In-
terpreter-Peculiar Relations of
TWO Well Known Lawyers.

The libel case now on in Circuit
Court on appeal from the District Ma
gistrate of Honolulu is occupying the
time of a goodIy company of people
and from the present outlook will hold
the boards for quite period. 1t is
said that there will be more than
forty witnesses in all. Quite num-
Der of these are from the Island Of
Kauai, including the Sheriff Of that
district.
This case is titled the Republic vs..
Edmund Norrie and VIM. Horace
Wright. Defendants are alleged to
have published falsely, maliciously,
ETC." statements concerning the treat
ment of Iaborers on Lihue plantation.
The jury was secured on Thursday
evening and the lawyers made their
opening presentations yesterday morn
ing. Then the first witness for the
State was called. Initial evidence for
the prosecution comes from a woman
wife of the IahOTer imprisoned and
subsequently released through a legal
technicaIity One claim of the defense
is that a luna who was infatuated with
this woman on account OF her beauty
conspired to get her husband out OF
the way. There was trouble in get
ting an interpreter. Capt. c. W. Zeig-
Ter was called and oficiated for
time He was satisfactory to the State
and one of the jurors said that the
work was good enough for anybody.
The defense did not like the captain S
STYLE and had him excused. Mr.. LANCE
of E. Hoffschlaeger & Co., was then
secured. At evening the woman was
still on the stand. 1t is questioned if
her fatal gift of beauty which aroused
the chivalry of Messrs. Wright, Norrie
and Sellner of the Press and Messrs.
Creighton and Gear of the law, will
have the same effect on the jury. Mr..
Kinney, attorney for the State, does
not seem impressed unduly by it. At
torney Creighton, on the contrary, is
of we'll known gallantry and it is no
ticed that he is putting up the legal
battle of his life.
It's funny how these lawyers are
! first on one side and then on the other.
Some ultra-gOod people might init
mate that they could possibly be open,
at times. to the indictment Of insin-
certify. Mr.. Kinney is now for the
| said-to-be libeIIed and Mr.. Creighton
for the paper In a few days there
will be another suit of this same class
with Kinney for the paper and Creigh-
! ton on behalf of the said-tO-be lbelled
| Kinney and Creighton have grown up
| together in Honolulu and before the
| Courts of Hawaii. Their relations
| just at present need not estrange them
at all. In all likelihood it will simply
weld their friendship. Both common
interest and utility suggest this and
| it is not at all probable that legal
ethics will be violated. When they
| get through with the present case
| they can just exchange papers, refer
ences, etc. and can even have StenO-
| grapher Jones transcribe the notes OF
| their remarks and swap sheets. In
! the coming case Kinney can read
what Creighton has maintained for
| the liberty of the Press and people
and Creighton can repeat, without it
| losing any force or application, what
| Kinney now says about the bad writ
ers and their inaccuracies and their
general worthlessness and unreliable
| ty as viewed from the standpoint Of
| the injured.