The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-12-14
SLAVERY CASES CANNOT BE
PROVEN.
only Citizens Should Work on Public
Contracts-Injustices Done to Sea-
aptains-Edmunds Act.

The Federal Grand Jury made its
final report this morning and was dis
charged. The jurors investigation Of
Chinese slavery ended in the usual
failure. The report submitted contains
the old familiar statements of moral
conviction that traffic in slaves is car
ried on, but says that legal evidence
cannot be found. The jurors advised
more care in holding sea-captains on
unreliable testimony of seamen who
charge them with assault and discuss
ed the eight-hour law, violations of the
Edmunds act and other matters, The
report is as follows:
ITO the Honorable NJ. NJ. Estee,
Judge OF the United States District
Court, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii:
The United States Grand Jury for the
October Term, 1901, were called and
sworn and charged by the court on
October Is at 10 a. m.
Mr.. j. b. Atherton, being appointed
foreman, promptly called the jury to
order, who from time to time as cases
were ready aimed to carry out the able
and precise charge of your honor
After several days session Foreman
Atherton was excused as he was leav-
ing for the mainland and Mr.. G. II.
Brown was appointed by your honor
in his stead, serving in this capacity
to the end of the term.
After the thorough examination Of
the many witnesses in the large num-
ber of cases brought before us, and
after very careful deliberation on the
same we have found the following true
bills, to wit: CHere follows a list Of
the indictments previously reported)
In the other cases brought before
us we found no bills on account of the
lack of evidence which would warrant
indictment With regard to lack of
evidence we refer especially to traffic
in slaves.
Regarding the traffic in Chinese
slaves your jury is disappointed in hav-
ing to report no Indictment While we
are morally certain that the business
is being carried on so carefully is it
done and so unwilling the witnesses
to testify that no direct discriminating
evidence can be adduced which would
warrant your jury in finding an in
dictment. The jury gave much time
and careful consideration to the exam
ination and testimony of many wit
lesses who would not or could not give
evidence which would guide your jury
to a placing of the crime of buying or
selling their fellow creatures, on any
particular persons.
In the matter of the several sailor
cases brought before us, your jury has
been most careful in the examination
of witnesses and as a rule found that
the testimony of most of the sailors
was anything but reliable, In several
cases was the testimony so flimsy that
it could not be believed for a moment.
We are of opinion that the United
States Commissioner should use more
diligence and discretion in the eXamin-
alton of such cases of cruelty on the
high seas as would warrant no such
injustice being done in future as was
in "a nf N nf
the American ship Emily Reed and
Captain Wallace of the American bark
Sea King who were acquitted by this
jury on the same evidence they were
held on before the United States Com
missioner. We further find that in the
cases where no Indictment was found
the action of the sailors was due to
spite against their superior officers.
Complaints have been made that
federal officers who have charge Of the
erection of public buildings are permit
ting Asiatic aliens to perform skilled
labor on same which in our judgment is
wrong.
Referring directly to the Eight
Hour Labor Law we find the same
practically imperative here. There
fore we would suggest that in the fu-
ture all federal work be given out to
tender from citizens of the United
States and all Asiatic aliens be debar-
red from same as sub contractors.
"As a result of the visit to Oahu Jail
the jury found six federal prisoners
serving sentence and one prisoner be-
ing held on commitment awaiting
trial The premises were found in a
very cieanly condition, although the
quarters We're small and much over
crowded at present. The cells are very
small and occupied by two prisoners
each. Under the present conditions the
ventilation is poor but as good as could
be expected under the circumstances.
The jury would strongly recommend
that a separate Jail be provided for
United States prisoners or that an addi-
tion be built to the present Jail to ac-
commodate such prisoners.
"YOur iurY has endeaXOred thrOugh