The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-11-22
CHINESE MARRIAGE
PUZZLES COURT
QUESTION OF WHAT CONSTR
TUTEs LEGAL MARRIAGE IN
CHINA-CAsE BEFORE DE BOLT.

l.
what constitutes a legal marriage in
emma? Judge De Bolt has wrestled
with the question for nearly a day and
found 1t a very knotty one. The act
ing Chinese consul was called and even
he didn't know. He begged to be ex-
cused from the witness stand saving
that he had lived most of his life in
hongkong and wasn't prepared to state
just what were the essentials of a mar
riage, and Poon Kwai Leung, secre-
tary to the consulate, was questioned.
Poon said he had attended over a hun
dred marriages in China and knew
what the essentials were, but they
were somewhat hazy when he began to
tell about them.
The question arose i'm the trial of
Chong kwai for assault to murder.
Chong Kwai did the Jealous husband
act, according to some of the Witness
es, firing half a dozen shots from re-
volver at one, Fong Quin, who told the
jury of how he was hit twice He
didn't see anything of Chong after the
first shot, for when he saw the pistol
he tried for sprinting record, and he
told the jury that he never looked
back. McClanahan wanted to put the
woman in the case on the stand as a
witness against Chong, but Thompson
objected on the ground that she was
the defendants wife and could not
testify against him. The jury was dis
missed, and the court proceeded to find
out whether Chong had married the
woman or not.
Chong testified that he had married
Mrs. Chong" twelve years ago. While
living in Honolulu he heard from his
parents to the effect that they Lad
found a mate for him and had engaged
him for a wedding. He FASTENED to
Hongkong offered a few presents to the
prospective bride and sent a sedan
chair for her She came in the chair
met his friends and served them with
tea at a wedding reception, and their
days of welded bliss began.
After the acting consul had excused
himself as an expert, McClanahan call
ed Poon Kwai Leung. Poon said that
he knew. II have attended over hun
dred weddings" said the secretary
who speaks splendid English, and has
had considerable experience as a wit.
ness in the local courts First there
is go-between, who sees the groom's
parents and tells them of the bride.
The young mans parents inquire about
the date of the girls birth and then
they consult a fortune teller, and if
they decide that the date is a lucky
one and the bride is satisfactory, the
young man sends a present of say a
thousand cakes some wine, pork and
so forth, and the contract is considered
closed. The groom's parents fix a cate
for the marriage, and on that date he
sends a chair for the bride. The sedan
chair is the marriage chair and is on
ly for marriages. a date is set for "A
feast, and friends of the groom come
and demand to see the bride. She
serves them with tea and they ask her
name and so forth, and that is all there
is to it,
Judge De Bolt wanted to know if
there was any official whose services
were needed. Poon stated that in the
cases of those who believe in idols, a
priest prayed for them, around the
idols. McClanahan wanted to know
what were the legal essentials, and how
man would marry if he couldn't pro-
vide the thousand cakes, the wine and
the pork.
That might be a matter of private
agreement between the parties" said
the witness. In the cases of the rich
there are often three or four feasts. The
bride sometimes comes to the grooms
house with thirty or forty trunks ana
a procession"
rs feast absolutely necessary to
make a marriage valid?"
Yes, because it is to give the pres
ents and receive those who are nearly
related to the bride and groom"
On further cross-eXamination il APP
peared that in the cases of poor peo'
pie the essentials" of a wedding were
most uncertain. They could get along
without presents If willing to do SO,
and the feast might be cut out, but
Poon had never seen a wedding with
out a sedan chair. There didn't appear
to be any definite laws on the subject.
The go-between also appeared to be an
essential.
There are professional GO betweens, q"
said the witness. They hear that a
certain man has a daughter old enough
to marry and that another man has a
son, aud they go and ask the ages of
the couple and begin to see the parents,
with view of bringing about a mar
riage. They make a business of acting
as go-betweens."
The net result of the examination APP
peared to be that III China the Only real
essentials of a marriage are bride
and a groom, while the go-betwean
comes next in Importance, with the Sc
dan chair very strong second and the
feast seldom left out.
Judge De Bolt held that the woman
was not Chongs wife and she was al
lowed to take the stand against him.
Her evidence closed the prosecution,
and the defendant took the stand. He
had practically no defense to Offer,
and the jury returned verdict of gull
ty Immediately after retiring. Judge
De Bolt sentenced Chong to five years
hard labor.
DREDGER CANNOT BE RAISED.
An inspection made of the sunken