The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-05-23
THE kAHukU AFFAIR.

While men have been so absorbed
I'm business as to be unable to give
attention to 1t 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 al
Kahuku 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 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
every right and privilege of the pris-
oners at the bar was carefully pro-
tected. s>-t4
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-
al liNh tH'llStIN'N Win
pieces of wood, and partially with
knives, and proceeded to the Chinese
quarters, and made a sudden attack on
them, clubbing and killing three and
stabbing and woundng many others.
After a protracted examination the
Government selected five who c3pear.
ed to be either the leaders in the as
sault or most active in the attack on
the Chinese, and charged thcEi with
the crime Of murder.
The difficulty in presenting the
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
NJ killing. The evidence showed the
commission of brutal murders. but II
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'
gally convicted Of crime unless his
guilt is proved beyond reasonable
doubt. the jury could only convict oil
the crime of murder in the first de-
gree where the crime had been fixed
upon the person charged with 1t be-
yond reasonable doubt.
Under the circumstances the jury
regardful OF life. were greatly embar-
rassed. For if they convicted without
due proof, they themselves violated
the law, and II they failed to convict
they seemingly approved Of the acts
Of the rioters.
The verdict rendered shows from
our Anglo-Saxon standpoint a very
generous and wise leniency. The com
munity Is fortunate in having the
ability to furnish such an cNcellen,
jury.