New-York tribune., 1901-09-04
CORRUPTION IN HAWAII
AMAZING STORY TOLD BY JUDGE
HUMPHREYS.
~ DEFENDING HIMSELF HE MAKES SEN
sATIoNAL CHARGES AGAINST HIGH
OFFICIALS OF THE DOLE
GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT
rpy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]


washington, Sept 3.-FOr more than three
,o,,rs to-day Attorney-General Knox listened to
- rsc,tal OF a most amazing story of official
-a--,,ntion and private immortality IN Hawaii
Trho story was brought out in the defence set up
-, Judge Abram s. Humphreys. OF the Terri
.".,sl circuit Court at Honolulu. against the
.,oreas made by the Bar Association OF the
TIoysi,an Islands for the purpose OF inducing
- President 10 remove him from the bench
- F5,,r,uhreys with the assistance OF Duane
-. % this city presented a condensed form of
a. defence In a brief consisting OF ffty-five
-.,ss ~ closely printed matter. In this brief
- .,suers every charge brought against him.
,s then makes what purport TO be astounding
.oelations concerning the protection thrown
.,orn5 vice in Honolulu by high officials of the
role government-men appointed to office by
governor Dole and kept in place and power by
she Governor in spite of what Judge Humphreys
aa,,ares the Governor must know OF their direct
.o,naction with and responsibility for the abom-
,,obla nractices that are licensed in the Ha-
,.Han capitaL The accusations on this point
.de against these officials by Judge Hum
,brevs cannot be phrased for publication in an
American newspaper. though they are set forth
!, baId and convincing language in a charge
aslivered from the bench to the grand Jury by
Judge Humphreys last February. and were re-
neated in milder form in instructions given TO
the grand jury last April by Judge Norris NJ.
Estee. United States Judge for the Territory Of
Hawaii.
The object Of Judge Humphreys in setting up
this astonishing defence apparently is twofold.
~ wit. First 10 show the animus back OF the
movement TO have him removed from the bench;
and secondly TO show that the Dole govern
,nent IS not a model Of purity and morality, in
sntA OF the fact that for the most part its
members are descendants from the original mis-
sionaries who carried Christianity and civiliza-
ton 10 the Islands.
AT the close Of the sensational hearing to-day
Attorney-General Knox signihed his readiness
10 make a report and recommendation 10 the
President Immediately. but at the earnest so
ueitation OF F. n. Hankey. who represents the
accusers OF Judge Humphreys, the Attorney
General gave the prosecution five days in which
to prepare a reply 10 the Judges remarkable
brief.
THE CHARGES AND THE DENIAL.
The charges against Judge Humphreys. in the
main, are that he has displayed prejudice and
TOO great severity on the bench Another
charge is that he controls and runs partisan
newspaper-"The Honolulu Repubncan"-and
that, through this publication Judge Humphreys
attempts to control the politics OF the island
He does not deny the ownership Of substan-
tial part OF the stock OF the newspaper, or
that before he was appointed TO the bench
by President Mckinley he took part in the
management Of the property, but he does fatty
deny that since he has been on the bench he
has had any part in the management Of the
paper On the contrary. he is armed with affi-
davits from the responsible editor declaring that
nd has haS vyna d
do with the paper since he went on the bench,
and he also produces correspondence showing
that ever since he donned the judicial ermine
he has been trying 10 sell all OF his stock
To the charge Of Partially and too great
degree Of severity in his department on the
bench toward lawyers and ntigants. Judge
Humphreys replies that in this respect he has
been actuated only by a high sense Of the dig
nifty OF an American court of justice, and boldly
declares that he has no apologies TO make for
mis- action in fning certain lawyers for con-
tempt Of court and for imprisoning others for
greater degrees OF the same offence
His attorney, Duane Fox, frankly avows that
the only mistake made by Judge Humphreys
is his persistent attempt TO conduct in Hawaii
genuine American court Of Justice Hereto
fore, he says, the methods Of the courts in the
islands have been loose and Irregular, and the
people there, not even excepting the lawyers,
are not yet prepared to submit TO the rigid rules
Of dignity and decorum that prevail in Arneri-
can courts In conclusion Judge Humphreys
the bench never would have been started If he
had not attempted 10 break up by American
legal processes the Hawaiian Government sys-
TEN OF licensing and protecting vice.
Judge Humphreys is only thirty-two years old
and is g native OF Mississippi. Soon after he
attained his majority he left the State and
sought home IN Arizona After practising law
there several years he went 10 Honolulu, where
he has lived six years. When appointed 70 the
bench by President Mckinley, Judge Humphreys
was enjoying large and lucrative pracuce IN
Honolulu A few years ago he married one OF
the daughters Of the millionaire Chinese mer-
chant OF Honolulu, An Fong, whose wife be
longs 10 the ancient aristocracy Of the islands
Captain Whiting OF the United States Navy
married another of the daughters or An b'ong
several years ago, and only last year an Ameri-
can army officer made one Of the All Fong girls
his wife