Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-03-01
IN A JAPANESE COURT.
ga~@9- VI p yw IN
Criminal Proceedings Under the New
Treaty.

Treaty.
japanese law methods have lately
acquired very practical interest for
foreigners. Since July IL all legal
Questions, civil and criminal, affect
ing Europeans and Americans, must
come before Japanese judges. I
| Curiously enough brutal murder
MAS committed by an American on the
ferry day on which the revised treaties
game into operation, and the trial of
the prisoner has afforded a good illus
tration of the operation of the crimi-
pal code In itself the crime was un-
interesting affair worthy in it's
Sordid features of the choice quarter
In which it was committed, the Blood
Town." which Rudyard Kipling has
described in his account of Yokohama.
The murderer, in a fit of jealousy, kill
ed two Japanese girls and a young
American who had supplanted him in
lhe affections of one of the women.
Neither the inquest nor the prelim-
mary examinations were public, for
Japanese justice is based largely on
The French plan, and proceeds about
It's task with mystery and secrecy
tbat make an Anlo-oaxon uncomfort-
able. The prisoner is visited by the
public prosecutor, who comes along
hto his cell, asks innumerable ques-
lions and does his best to entrap him
hto making admissions Indeed, it
| y still an open question whether
physical terror is not occasi onally en-
J nloyed to extort confessions of crime
| One very ugly case of.the kind came to
| light few months ago, and it may
| not be a wholly singular experience.
| Thus is the acte daccusation pre-
Haired. 1t is usually very elaborate
document, setting forth the whole de-
thils of the charge in fine and grandi-
lpquent language. The procurator de-
| 5ribes the scene as il he had witness
ed it, and deals with the CORY passages
in a style that the author of a shilling
shocker might well envy. This work
II art is launched at the prisoner at
the opening Of his trial, and the presi-
dent of the court takes it as the basis
Of his examination. NHN
| .
fencE The Yokohama Chipo Saiban-
}lo district court) is a big modern
luilding of brick, one of the best of its
Hind in the empire. 1t is arranged in
European style. In the criminal sec
don is the counterpart of the dock
the barristers' table and the judges
bench, all as they might be in an
English court. But, at the same time
there is the usual Japanese air of for
lprn untidiness about everything. In
domparably neat and tasteful in1theii
native architecture. their native dress
dnd their native gardens. the japanese
Ore hopeless when they do things
4 PEuropeenne. In this fine, large
building, for example, floors are filthy
walls are scrubbed over with foolish
and dirty nonsense. gendarmes and
police smoke cigarettes in the corri-
doris and throw flag ends everywhere;
and one even sees the barristers' table
9arnished with row of teapots!
The court consists of three judges
and the procurator and the clerk of
the court occupy seats beside them.
Their lordships are all comparatively
young men, and apparently as able
and intelligent as can be expected of
officials who fulfill grave judicial func-
lions at salaries of from ESQ to e200
a year. They wear gowns much like
those of English barristers, but instead
Of the horsehair wig the head is
crowned by black cowl, something
Ike that of a Catholic priest.
Almost the whole of the examination
Is in the hands of the president. The
bar has a very subordinate part. Bar
risters limit themselves to suggestive
questions and making applications;
they do not themselves examine wit
nesses-all questions are put through
the presiding judge. The propriety
Of any query the latter may think fit
to put is apparently never questioned,
the Japanese barrister appearing to be
very much less pugnacious and much
more overawed by the court than his
british confrere. Less time Is probably
wasted than in an English court.
Lastly, the judgment itself is a
curiosity. II this case be any criterion
the president of the court is at least
an anxious as the proeurator1 to ex-
hibit his literary powers. The SEN
tence on this American citizen-he
was condemned 10 be hanged-occu-
pied reams of Japanese characters, and
it's translation would run into six
columns of the Times. The advice of
the English judge, who said to a
younger colleague. Give your con-
clusions. my dear fellow. but never
your reasons" is totally disregarded
by the Japasese official, whose "judg-
nisIt" is practically one long argu-
ment. with the purpose Of proving the
correctness of his decision. The ac-
cused in this case was a sailor, and the
weapon he used is described as being |
welded by an arm that for 80 years
had wrestled with the angry wave"
The scene of the murder was hit on