The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-09-13
HUMPHREYS
BEFORE KNOX
BoldDeceptionsi in
His Elaborate
Defence.


the Tribune from Washington says;
For more than three hours today At
torney General Knox listened TO a re
cital of the most amazing story Of Off
cial corruption and private immortality
In Hawaii The story was brought out
in the defense set up by Judge Abram
S. Humphreys of the Territorial Circuit
Court at Honolulu against the charges
made by the Bar Association OF the Ha-
waiian Islands. for the purpose Of in
ducing the President to remove him
from the bench.
Judge Humphreys, with the assist
ance of Duane Fox of this city, present
ed a condensed form of his defense in
a brief consisting of fifty-five pages of
closely printed matter. In this brief
he answered every charge against him
and then makes what purport to be as
founding revelations concerning the
protection thrown against vice In Ho-
nolulu by the high officials of the Dole
Government, men appointed TO office
by Governor Dole and kept in place
and power by the Governor in spite OF
what Judge Humphreys declares the
Government must know of their direct
connection with and responsibility Tor
the abominable practices that are Ii
censed in the Hawaiian capital
Accusations on this point made
against these officials by Judge Hum
phreys cannot be phrased for publica-
ton in American newspapers, though
they are set forth in bald ana plain
language in a charge delivered from
the bench to the Grand Jury by Judg"
Humphreys last February, and We're re-
peated in milder form in the lpstruc-
tons given to the Grand Jury last April
by Judge Morris NJ. Estee. United
States Judge for the Territory " Ha-
waii.
The object of Judge Humphreys in
setting up this astonishing defense APP
parently is twofold-first, to show the
animus back of the movement to have
him removed from the bench, and sec
ondly, to show that the Dole Govern
nent Is not a model OF purity and
morality in spite Of the fact that, for
the most part, it's members are descend
ants from the original missionaries who
carried Christianity and civilization to
the islands.
At the close OF the sensational hear
nified his readiness to make report
and recommendation to the President
Immediately, but at the earnest solicita-
ton OF F. W. Hankey, who represents
the accusers of Judge Humphreys, the
Attorney General gave the prosecution
Eve days In which TO prepare a reply
10 the Judges remarkable brief
The charges against Judge Hum
phreys are. In the main. that he has
displayed prejudice and too great Sc
verify on the bench. Another charge
Is that ne controls and runs a partisan
newspaper the Honolulu Republican,
and that through this publication
Judge Humphreys attempts 10 control
the politics of the island. He does not
deny the ownership Of a substantial
part Of the stock Of the newspaper, nor
that before he was appointed to the
bench by President Mckinley he took
part in the management of the prop
erty, 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 affidavits from the responsible ed
ltor declaring that Judge Humphreys
has had nothing whatever TO do with
the paper since he went on the bench,
and ne also produces correspondence
showing that ever since he donned the
judicial errnine ne has been trying 70
sell all OF his stock.
To the charge OF Partially and too
great a degree of severity in his de-
pertinent on the bench toward lawyers
and iitigants Justice Humphreys replies
that in this respect ne has been actual
ed only by a high sense of the dignity
of an American court. and boldly de-
clares that ne has no apologies to make
for his action in filming certain lawyers
for contempt Of court and imprisoning
others for greater degrees OF the same
offense.
His attorney. Duane Fox. avews that
the only mistake made by Humphreys
Is his persistent attempt TO conduct in
Hawaii a genuine American court of
justice Heretofore. he says, the meth
DDS Of the courts In the Islands have
been loose and irregular. and the peo-
pie there. not even excepting the law
yers, are not yet prepared to submit 20
the rigid rules of dignity and dcorum
that prevail in the American courts. In
conclusion Judge Humphreys asserts
that the movement to Gust him from
the bench never would have been start
ed II ne had not attempted TO break
up by American legal processes the Ha-
waiian Government system of licensing
and protecting vice.
KNOX, HUMPHREYS AND HANKEY.
Especial to the Commercial Advertiser)
WASHINGTON. d. c.. Aug. 30
There is every prospect Of something
doing" in the case of Judge A. :. Hum
phreys within about ten days A hear
ing has been fixed for Sept. 10. Although
he had been described in the press dis
patches. sent east. as being sick in
Chicago and as intending to remain
there till the Attorney General was
pleased to send him word that the
charges would be dismissed, Judge
4. LII h al