The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-05-20
THE kAHUkU AFFAIR.

While men have been so absorbed
in business as to be unable TO give
attention to it personally. there
has been commenced and finished one
OF the most important criminal trials
that has occurred in the history OF
these Islands. A racial conflict be
tween the Chinese and the Japanese at
Kabuku resulted in the brutal murder
of three. and the wounding OF over
twenty Chinese by japanese assail-
ants. And for these crimes five Jap
anese have been on trial for their
lives.
1t is fortunate, indeed, that the trial
was before a competent and able
Judge; that the prosecuting officers
were skilled and experienced men;
that the defense was made by able
counsel, and the jury was Intelligent
and conscientious. The white and
dominant race stood between the two
hostile races and administered justice
not according to Asiatic, but accord
ing to the Anglo-Saxon forms, and
oners at the bar was carefully pro-
tected.
The trial developed the mixed char
acter of our people. AS parties and
witnesses there were Americans, Brit
ish, Portuguese, Hawaiians, Chinese
and Japanese.
The verdict rendered after a pro-
tracted trial may not be understood by
many, as it is admitted that an I'M
expected and murderous assault was
made by Japanese armed with clubs
and knives, while the Chinese were
unarmed, and some may believe that
justice has not been done.
The provOcation alleged by the
Japanese was that on one Saturday
afternoon several Japanese had been
assaulted in the cane fields by several
Chinese. On the following day, which
was Sunday, the Japanese, after de-
liberation, armed themselves with
pieces of wood, and partially with
knives, and proceeded to the Chinese
quarters, and made sudden attack on
them, clubbing and killing three and
stabbing and wounding many others.
After a protracted examination the
Government selected five who = 3pear-
ed to be either the leaders in the as
sault or most active in the attack on |
the Chinese, and charged thcEl with |
the crime of murder.
10 in
proofs of the crime was in identifying
by impartial testimony the parties
who actually committed the murders. |
The conflict of testimony between the |
Chinese and Japanese witnesses was |
direct. No person of any other ma
tionality was present at the moment
of killing. The evidence showed the
of brutal murders, but it
was not easy to pick out of the crowd
of assailants the few men who actu
ally did the killing.
While all of the Japanese were par
ties to the assault, the Identification
of the men who actually did the deed
was difficult AS no man can be le- |
guilt is proved beyond reasonable |
doubt, the jury could only convict OF
the crime of murder in the first de-
gree where the crime had been fixed |
upon the person charged with it be-
yond reasonable doubt.
Under the circumstances the jury,
Of life, were greatly embar-
rassed For if they convicted without
due proof, they themselves violated |
the law, and if they failed to convict |
they seemingly approved of the acts
of the rioters.
The verdict rendered shows from
our Anglo-SaXon standpoint very |
generous and wise leniency. The COM
is fortunate in having the |
to furnish such an excellent |
jury.