The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-03-21
IN DEFENSE OF LAKE SPORTING SCHEDULE
MIR RICHARDS TELLS WHAT HE
HAS FOUND OUT.


EDITOR STAR. My attention has
been called to your column on j. W.
Lake, and the following should I'm fair
ness be said I'm reply:
In the first place it is not the purpose
of my letter to make Mr. Lake out To-
DE an angel, or even "a perfect man,
which would remove him Immediately
from the sphere of newspaper uOntrO-
versy What ! do uuhpsitaHngIy say
is that we have here an Illustration of
the old prOverb "Give a dog "a bad name
and hang him. 1t has beeu my privi-
lege to run down great many of the
rumors that have gathered about this
mans name, and have found il q mat
ter of interest that no one had any
very precise knowledge about these
alleged dishonorable transactions As
to Colonel Lakes war record / have
indlsputable evidence that he was a
corporal i'm Maine regiment during the
civil War-having seen his papers of
discharge,-and he bears a bullet mark
i'm his arm. I have no less an authority
than Senator Foraker for the following
statement: He has had much expert
ence as a soldier and is a man Of good
and reliable character i'm every respect. '
which letter is dated January 49, 1899.
and signed y. b. Foraker" ! have i'm
my possession likewise a letter from the
First Regiment Ohio Volunteers. during
the late Spanish War, of which Col j.
w. Lake was commander, and signed
by Captain j. A. Bowles for the regi-
ment, requesting that Col. j. w. Lake
be retained as their colonel "who has
done so much for our advancement and
worked so hard to organize our regl-
ment and to get us into the field" This
letter was in view of the issue as 10
whether cOlored officers should be pro-
Vided for that regiment and is adj
dressed to Senator Foraker.
Leaving his military record which is
beyond controversy, and coming to the
picnic, I find nothing further than a
series Of business misfOTtuneS. All
these firms that have been quoted gave
Mr.. Lake credit. which is a purely busI-
ness transaction. l have a letter of au-
thOrizatiOn from the Headquarters of
the African Central Committee aCk-
nOWledging the receipt of $50 from Mr.
Lake on a previous donation, and en-
couraging him i'm his further efforts.
believe that the ladies associated with
Mr.. Lake likewise have the same au-
thorizatiOn from headquarters. The
show was not a success, everybody
knows that There was reason to be-
lieve that there would be money raised
and credit was obtained, the firms TAX
ing the risk they generally take on such
matters. This is in accordance with
information I have received, although
| have not interviewed Messrs. Wall
Nichols & Company, who are quoted i'm
your paper. The crowd that finally
went to this show was permitted to en-
ter free of charge, in view of the fact
that a rumor had long been afloat thai
the entertainment was a fake due
largely to the fact that the tickets were
repudiated on the Rapid Transit early
fu,M . IL Ia 0.
failure to make the required deposit
which was afterwards produced too late
tOtbe of service
Mr.. Lakes connection with the labor
organization when sifted down amounts
to his having accepted a salaried posi-
ton with them, which he speedily re-
signed when he saw how it might COM
promise him. Whether he accepted on
resigned, however, is not a matter OF
any relevancy.
As to the matter which has brought
him to the reef. this much can be said,
there is on the minutes OF the police
court an admission by the prosecution
that Mr.. Lake was their agent to a de-
gree, and he had been paid a COM
mission for this specific service, and
hence it would have been matter for
a jury to decide whether he had a right
to collect the rent l have informa-
ton to the effect that he told his client
that he had received the money and lost
it, Offering to make restitution. If ar
appeal could have been taken to jury
(Mr. Lake had no money and many
debts, and could not do 500, it is dis.
tinctly likely that he would have beer
acquitted Of the charge This l have OF
the authority of a competent lawyer
WHAT l wash to submit as the para,
mount proposition is this: that a man
apart from the fact of his being a sol
der is far more able to pay his debt!
off the reef than on it at 30 cents a day
l am sorry to have to take decided ISSUE
with the local G.. A. r.. not only for thei
judgment. but also for their charitabi,
consideration of the case of a COmrade
and 1 have no patience with an effort tC
put a man where he not only cannot pay
his debts. but after he has emerged
therefrOm has not the slightest chance
of obtaining a fair position.
Concerning Mr.. Lakes claim to a fail
judgment by this community, I vii
state that l have letters from the New
York & Porto Rico S. S. Company re-
commencing him heartily and bearing
date of September II, 1899, and one tC
the Hawaiian Planters Association
from Agent r.. A Macfe of the Porte
RiCan Emigration Company. Mr., Lake
was their representative on the seventh
expedition Of laborers to this country
Mr.. Macfie says:
Mr.. Lake is a gentleman of wide eX-
perience, has been employed for a long
time on road work i'm Porto Rico, and
am sure he will have no difficulty I'm OBJ
tanning a position, as he would prove q
very useful man I'm many positions
After having given the question as
much attention as has probably beer
given by any one man up to date, ! be-
speak for Mr. Lake a hearing.
THEODORE RICHARDS,
HDDD1u1u March 91