The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-12-02
Jury Votes Liberty 10 The Little
Chinese Woman.
Tells a sorrowtui and strange Tale
Love OF Husband and Children.
rsr Prayers.
FDm Thursday Daily

Hok Kok Young. the Chinese woman
who was charged with the poisoning Of
her two children aud who has an along
admitted having attempted also 10
take her own life. waE acquitted in
the Circuit Court before Judge Perry
yesterday. The indictment was for
murder In the first degree. The trial
lasted two days, much Of the time be-
ing occupied in securing a jury, as the
case was an uncommon one. Two OF
the twelve returning the verdict dis
scented from the finding The jury was
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 90 and was held inno-
cent under the law, the woman quietly
departed under the escort Of a native
woman. The defendant had not . 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 10 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. II was
then that she communicated 10 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, II was her ut
terance on the witness stand yester'
day that she was most largely con
trolled 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 ap'
pearance seems only a maiden, gave
the boy 81 one morning when he was
home opium for the whole amount. on
his return in the evening, he handed
her a number OF lichee nut shells-per-
haps a dozen-cOntaining the drug.
The opium she thinned with water in
bowl. She talked Of her purpose 10
commit suicide to the children as she
had often spoken OF it before, and as
before the boy and the girl, who evil
dently loved her dearly for her uniform
kindness and constant care OF them
declared that they wanted to go with
her to 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 ia
bed. When they were asleep and the
house quite undlsturbed, 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 10 yeranda
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 supplicatlon what
she proposed to do and asked that II
be approved of and that It result as
she designed.
After the deyotiOns, the woman lait
upon the bed with the children ant
was soon obliyious TO anything tina
might have happened. She said tina
her opinion was that the children hat
wakened and seeing her condition, hat
taken poison from the bowl OF theil
own accord and with the determination
of accompanying her on the journey tC
death. At any rate, both OF them did
die, and this Is the way the woman
says II happened, though the state con
tended that she had administered
poison to them herself in all prob
ability with their consent II wa!
maintained by the prosecution that tn,
children could not have understood
what 1t all meant, and that they mus
have been coerced or persuaded.
The woman broke down and wept {
number OF times while she was in tn,
witness box. The tears and the sob
came when there was reference to tn,
death of her husband and to the deatl
OF the two children. 1t was patheti
sight, as the feeling OF the woman wa
apparently deep and sincere.
1t was explained after court adjourn
ed by the official Chinese interprete