The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-08-28
TIGHT FOR
HIS: LIFE
Amimoto on Trial for
Murder.
THE OATH OF A WITNESS
Attorneys for Defense Object to
Swearing Of Japanese Other
Court News.


terday the trial of Amimoto, who Is
accused of numbering fellow laborer
at Kahuku last March. will last for
several days.
All yesterday morning was taken up
in obtaining n jury to try the case. 1t
being n capital crime the defense was
Particularly careful in It's questions to
1.-THE jury. f. w. Hankey and a. L. G.
Atkinson appeared for Amimoto, and
every man who was called to the jury
ment, and also with reference to his
opinion in regard to capital punish
ment, and salso with reference to his
feelings towards Orientals. Amimoto
is accused of stabbing the victim with
a knife, and for prejudice against car
Iryng knives several Jurors were eH-
cused. AS a result 1t was not until
the entire panel of jurymen for the
term had been used.
Frequently the examination of wit
nesses was interrupted for an argu-
ment on the admissibility of certain
testimony, but the hottest and longest
contest of the day was over the admis-
sion of Tho testi,nonv or rrmeta n Ian
ahese VINO Is supposeu W nave oSeh
present at the time the murder was
committed. Mr. Hankey objected to his
being sworn in the conventional oath.
The jury was excused and Umeta
was placed Oh the stand and questioned
as to the meaning OF an cath at great
length lie proved not 10 oe Shris-
tian, but he seemed to have clear ide3
of the effect IL he told an untruth on
,ha e,o,d M IIo,L.y ,r,aa ,o ,o+ a,
he haiinf H. Ala me-, haIia,,a e., tha
lChr,stian cod h,,, - ,,a, hard 60 asoar
tain '', uhat bic haiiaf wa" vas ,'" whethar he
was disciple of shintosm or Budd-
hism, or what. or the Penalties II ne
be densely ignorant, and Mr.. Hankey
lstarted at him on the question of his
belief in a hereafter. But here Judge
ISilliman interposed.
II do not believe that IL is necessary
THAT the man should believe in the good
[ old fashioned hell" said he, "in order
that his testimony should be admitted.
Whether he believes in the fire and
birthstone kind, or what kind he does
believe in Is not material. He seems
to have an understanding of the sane
tity of an oath and think he may be
sworn according to the usual method"
Here the case ended for the day. Be-
fore the controversy over Umeta's tes-
timony arose the policeman who had
first learned of the crime and several
Iother witnesses who had been connect
ed with the earlier stages of the mat
ter were sworn and Amimoto was
shown to have been accused by the
deceased before his death of being his
assailant.
There was some question as to keep
ing the jury together during the trial.
Mr.. Atkinson expressing his willingness
to permit the separation of the jury
and 40 ras;,,t ,he, n.a,n d,,,ioitas 60 ~,
the Hawaiian Hotel for the night.
lCIpsoN Esr.TE MArrrp crrr
|
| LIED
BY stipulation between the narties in
interest the FORECLOSURES suit of Bishop
& Co. VS.. Cecil Brown ct AL. has been
settled,
Cecil Brown was the administrator
of the estate of the late Walter NJ. Glib
son, and had agreed TO the sale 70 Pan,
Neumann and w. II. Pain of an undI-
vided two-thirds share of the real and
personal property of Gibson in the Is
! land OF Lanai for a consideration of
100000 I'm cash and that Neumann
and Pain should assume IiobIIitv for
the payment of 100000 the nmoiInt Of
the decree in the FORECLOSURES suit.
BY the stlpulation the narties In in
terest agree that the receivers &C
proved. and the rest of the property re-
leased and the decree satisfied ont of
the undivided two-thirds only. The sum
OF $50, 900 is apportioned among the par
ties as follows: To w. G.. Irwin for
amount due on ranch account and tbe
perfect title to the Gibson estate, sI6
900 SO; to Claus Spreckels & Co. on ac-
count of decree, $751;. O6; to the trustee.
ST., SO3.3i.
MN, .,,e,,,,
PLEA SUSTAINED.
", the plea In abatement filed by the
case recently brought ny the Wahiawa
Sugar Company for the partition Of