Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-05
A Majority Of the Honolulu Bar
Demand 1t.
L. A. THURSTON LEADS OUT
Circuiates Petition Among Lawyers
Acting Governor Cooper Denounced
aud ominended tor ais Action

Honolulu May rs, VIA San flanVis0''
June 5.-(Correspondence OF the Assoc
ciated Press "A strange state OF al
fairs, replele with sensations that have
deeply stirred Honolulu, has grown
out Of the Investigations Of the srahu
Jury summoned by Circuit Judge
Humphreys TO investigate the charges
Of bribery in the Legislature Last
Saturday three OF the best Known law
yers OF HonoluluGen. A, ;. HartWell'
w. A. Kinney and s. M Ballou-were
sentenced to thirty days In jail for con-
tempt of court by Judge Humphreys
but before they reached the prison all
were released by pardon by Actg Gov.
Henry Il. Cooper, The sentences were
on account OF an affidavit which the
attorneys attempted to read and Me IN
Humphreys court to show, on motion
for a change Of venue, the judge per-
sonal bias against Editor Smith OF the
Advertiser, who was indicted by the
grand jury for perjury. In the storm
raised by these proceedings the grahu
jury's investigations Of the bribery
charges have been lost sight or put the
jury Is still IN session and IS believed
TO be getting close to some bribery
cases.
The affidavit of which the introduc-
ton was adiudged 20 be contempt, was
sworn TO BY Smith and presented In
court by Hartwel Kinney and Baliou,
kinney reading II to the Judge 1t pur-
ported TO relate facts showing the per-
sonal relations Of Smith and the judge
and told Of offers the latter made to
Smith of a position as editor
of the Honolulu Republican, In
which Humphreys Is q stockholder,
which offers were rejected. When the
attorney reached q statement that the
defendants relations with the judge
had enabled him TO become acquainted
with his "inordinate ambitions ana
his personal weaknesses the court
interrupted the reading and ordered the
three attorneys who offered the docu-
ment to answer for contempt After
hearing their cases, he ruled that the
document had been filed for the pur-
pose Of bringing into the case ex"
| traneous matters, slandercus and raise
| and OF a political nature, with view
| 10 impeding and obstructing justice
| aud bringing the court into contempt
| and ne sentenced each Of thp attorneys
TO thirty days IN jail.
Hartwell was formerly representative
OF the Hawaiian government at Wash
| ingtsn and Is a veteran attorney OF
| Hawaii and the others, with him. have
| long been prominent In island affairs
| and the sentences created much excite
ment. Actg. GOV. Coopers pardons
reached the high sheriff before the at
| torneys had been placed In jail and
| they were released. Cooper's act is de-
nounced on the one hand as executive
| interference with the judiciary and as
| destructive OF the power Of the First cir
! cult court TO enforce its processes and
ON the other hand 1t is warmly COM
mcnded as releasing three highly re-
! srected lawyers from what II Is claimed
| was an unreasonable sentence.
| Local sentiment runs high and the
| AFFAIR Is generally referred 10 as po-
! lltlcal row. The Star and the Adver-
tiser bitterly assail Judge Humphreys
as a politician on the bench and de-
] nounce his sentence as having been the
result Of personal vlndictiveness. while
! the Bulletin and the Republican as Wig
! orously defend his course and attack
/ Cooper. declaring that his pardons were
! for members Of the missionary ring.
| The Advertiser saws that the grand jury
| is hacked for political ends and Il has
| published an affidavit. signed by It's
| business manager, IL. w. Pearson, say
ing that oscar Lewis, bailiff OF Hum
rhreys court, who is well known as a
shipplng master in many Pacific coast
ports offered 10 pack a trial jury for
| The Smith perjury case, In consideration
of being assisted TO get a license for a
water front saloon" This publication
was followed by Humphreys calling for
| Icwis's resignation as bailin
The foundation for the reports OF brlb-
cry In the legislature has suddenly been
! revealed by Jacob Cooper, man who
| wanted q railroad franchise and whose
name l.. A. Thurston refused to reveal
10 the grand Jury Thurston was under
sentence FOR contempt for so refusing,
but the statement Of his client released
! him. He was not confined as the SUI
preme court had issued a writ Of habeas
corpus and had not decided the case.
Cooper swears that he was asked by
three different members Of the house "a
nav money for their efforts In behalf OF
his bin to secure a franchise for his
railroad. lie had been before the grand
! Jury and 10 II Siated mas tolu the jury
the names OF the three representatives
who solicited the brides and a report
of the grand Jury Is awaited with much
interest
A petition was circulated in Honolulu
among lawyers today asking for the re.
moval Of Judge Humphreys. II was cir
culatcd by l.. A. Thurston and received
the signatures OF most OF the members
Of the local bar. Tomorrow meeting
Of the Hawaiian Bar association will be
held and a resolution against Hum
phreys Will be presented. II IL expect
ed that there win be lively discussion
A strike OF japanese laborers Of the
oahu railway company took place or
the 25th. The men were being paid Sill
per day and struck for Sl.25. About Q
hundred men walked out, but theii
places we're quickly filled and there wai
| f.tF. gTrHl1n