The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-28
FIGHT FOR
HIS LIFE
AmimOto on Trial for
Murder.
THE OATH OF A WITNESS
Attorneys for Defense Object to
Swearing Of Japanese--Other
Court News.

accused OF numbering fellow laborer 1
at Kahuku last March, will last for
several days
All yesterday morning was taken up I
i'm obtaining a jury to try the case. 1t ,
being "A capital crime the defense was /
particularly careful In its questions to
the jury +. w. Hankey and y. l.. G. I
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
IL accused of stabbing the victim with
knife. and, for prejudice against car
rying knives several jurors were eN-
cused. AS a result it was not until
noon that full jury was obtained. and
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 the testimony Of Umeta, Jap
anese who IL supposed to have been
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 on the stand and questioned
as To- the meaning 81 an cath at great
length. He proved not to be a Chris
tian. but he seemed to have a clear idea
|..F 81 & h.s told N
the stand Mr.. Hankey tried to get at
his belief. He did not believe in the
Christian God. but IL was hard TO ascer-
tain what his belief was. whether he
was a disciple of Shntoism or Budd-
hism. or what OF the penalties IL he
should perjure himself ne seemed to
be- densely ignorant, and Mr.. Hankey
, started at him on the question of his
, belief in n hereafter But here Judge
Silliman intespOsed.
Il do not believe that IL is necessary
that the man should believe in the good
old-fashioned hell" said he. lin order
that his testimony should be admitted
L Whether he believes in the fire and
birthstone kind. or what kind he does
. believe in H. not material. He seems
Ito have an understanding Of the sane
, tity Of an oath and I think he may b.
} sworn according To the usual method.
|. / Hgrc the case ended for the day. Be
. fore the controversy over Umeta's tes
timony arose the policeman who haC
, first learned of the crime and seVera
, other witnesses who had been connect
' ed with the earlier stages of the mat
|. ter were sworn and Amimoto wa
shown 10 have been accused by tn
deceased before his death Of being hi
= assailant.
y There was some question as to keep
. ing the jury together during the trial
4 Mr.. Atkinson expressing his willingness
' to permit the separation OF the jury
' But Attorney General Dole objected
y and as n result. they were domiciled a
y the Hawaiian Hotel for the night.
' GIBSON ESTATE MATTER SET
tiled.
by stipulation between the parties /
interest the foreclosure suit OF Bisho
* Co. vs.. Cecil Brown IT al, has bee
settled.
Cecil Brown was the administratC
Of the estate Of the late Walter NJ. Gil
son. and had agreed to the sale to PaI
Neumann and W. n. Pain Of an und
vided two-thirds share Of the real an
personal property of Gibson in the Ii
land of Lanai for "A consideration
$4,000 in cash. and that Neuman
and Pain should assume liability Il
the payment OF $4,000. the amount
the decree in the foreclosure suit
by the stipulation the parties in IN
counts should be- approved. the sale al
proved. and the rest of the property r.
leased and the decree satisfied out
the undivided two-thirds only. The SUI
of $4,000 IL apportioned among the pa
ties as follows: To w. O.. Irwin f.
amount due on ranch account and Il
perfect title to- the Gibson estate. $1t
500 80; To- Claus Spreckels * 60. on az
count Of decree. $5S1 .06; to the truste
$12SO3. q.
PLEA SUSTAINED.
The plea i'm abatement filed by Il
Waialua Agricultural Company in Il
=. case recently brought by the wahiav
IN Sugar Company for the partition
certain lands in the Ahupuaa of Pa
III laa, was sustained yesterday by judi
VI Humphreys. The plea was interpos'
ON the ground that the plaintiff h;
not "a clear and undisputed title to q
leases named. and that there was q
ready suit in the Circuit Cou
brought by r. r. Dillingham;. und
whom the plaintiff claimed for Z
specific performance of contract
whose terms the defendant was given
right To- "a lease of the parties i'm Z
land This suit has proceeded so (
that answers have been filed.
The plea was sustained and the 81
ed was dismissed.
To DEFEND XII.
~. Xii H. having difficulty in obtain
"A lawyer who Is willing to defend hi
First. Judge Humphreys appointed
\. Kinney as his attorney. and a day
So later Mr.. Kinney requested his
lease on account of press of work
l.. Kaulukou was then appointed a
yesterday he, too. asked for relea
p and Attorney Strauss was appoint,
y Xii il the man who is accused of 81
y ting fire To- cane at the Waialua pla
u tation.
PLEADED NOT GUILTY.
Two defendants appeared in the c
cult Court ana pleaded not guilty
charges against them. They were 10
Reilly. who was accused If carnal
hes tercourse with "A Young girl and j.
hey Hayward. who was indicted last W,
for selling liquor at Waikiki on -
days.
PROBATE ORDERS.
Estate Of Queen Emma. accounts