The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-26
TWO TOTS
To- REMAIN
Fair Chinese Girls
Have a Day
In Court.


before Judge Estee yesterday under
sisters: All sam. who was reported to
be thirteen years of age, and Kau
Pan. who was but seven Neither of
the girls looked to be over five years
of age, and listened to the case with
apparent unconcern over the fact that
the result might send them on jour
ney of thousands of miles alone and
unprotected.
The two sisters were discharged by
the courts, and given over to the GUS
| tody of an aunt, the court at the same
time delivering a general lecture on
mother who would permit children
of such tender ages 10 face the world
alone The third child, a girl of thir-
teen, and who does not look one whit
older or different from the two sisters.
was not included in the discharge. Her
name is given as All Quot.
The three little tots presented an in
teresting appearance when the case
was called yesterday morning. They
were brought into the court room by
relatives. and seemed to be altogether
helpless, and were either carried or
court officials. One of them managed
to make the bailiff understand that
| she was thirsty, and he obligingly
| brought in glass of ice water. The
three girls each took one sip, then
| looked at each other wonderingly as
| if it was the first time that such a
| liquid had passed their lips.
| The two sisters were richly attired.
| and it was brought out afterwards in
a hPiraSSaS
| TO an estate of over $4,000
7. McCants Stewart appeared for all
| three defendants when their cases We're
called. He presented an answer to the
charge of the district attorney alleg-
| ing that the two girls were sisters and
had been born in Honolulu seven and
| thirteen years ago, respectively. Some
difficulty was experienced in distin-
gushing between the two defendants.
Both of the children occupied the same
chair in court, and then there was
room to spare Neither the court nor
attorneys could tell them apart, and
| it remained fer the witnesses to point
them out by name. and even some of
the Chinese found this hard propo-
sition.
| In presenting his case Mr. Stewart
remarked that the two little girls were
of the same parentage, and were born
| here.
"Of course said Judge Estee. sar-
castically, II know that; all Cinnamon
] are born here
| Sue Shei, wife of Y. Ahin, the rice
planter, who is an uncle OF the girls,
testified that their mother was in chi
ma. and the father had been dead for
live years. The children had been taken
to China, but were later brought back
Witness testified that she lived in the
same building as the mother when
they were born, and that Y. Amin had
four sons and these two daughters by
/ his first wife
| Y. Ahin, uncle of the children, the
| brother of their father, testified that
he knew both children; knew them in
| China. and could identify the children
as his nieces. He also testified that
/ his brother had left over $4,000 for the
! children, which he had.
| See Dick, bookkeeper for the Chin
| Wo Company, testified to nearly the
same facts.
4 Judge Estee rendered an oral deci-
sion Immediately after all the evidence
had been taken. He said: There is
a good deal of doubt about the truth
of some of the testimony, but 1 an
willing to take it for what it is worth
4 There is one thing that controls the
court in passing upon the case, tnese
children have property here, ana tneS
are too small to be sent back to Chlna
alone, bat these things ought not &c
have any influence with the court
don't have. to take the testimony o.
white witnesses. and am willing to ac'
tcept the statements of the Chinese IL
! some particulars. If 1 release these
two defendants must have assurance
that they will be well taken care Oh
and properly brought up by their uncle
and aunt. AS far as the cases OF THESE
two are concerned they are discharg
ed" The children were given over u
/ Sue Shei and Z. Amin.
| THE SECOND CASE.
The trial of All Quot was begun i'm
mediateIy after the other two giri'
had been discharged Nearly the saln'
ALLEGATIONS were made in her case a.
in that of the two sisters She wa
also said to be thirteen years OF age
and to have been born in Honolulu
Her mother is in China, and her fathe
is dead Chu Quon was the hrst VII
ness, and the court questioned MN
rather sharply as to his qualifications
He testified as to the birth OF the ae
Ifendant, which led the Court TO mqulr
if he had not been witness IN seyel .i
Chinese cases previously, always test
Ifying that he had been present at tn
birth of the child. HE must be al
expert in this kind of testimony" re
marked Judge Estee. He testified tina
J this girl was born in Honolulu four
teen years ago: that ten years ago sh
had been taken to China by her moth
er. Yong Chat, tailor, testified I
NEARLY the same effect, and added tina
. | he had received a letter from TN
girls mother. in which she had aske
: for money, and requested him to &c
Iher marriage certificate. Ong Tai ties
titled that he knew the girls father
THAT defendant and her sister were tax
| en- back to China nine years ago. Vine
she went away, so the witness said, tn
girl looked like her father, but whe
: she returned she resembled her mcth
. er The case was continued at Tn