The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-14
JAP HELD To
Be INSANE
Jury Acquits Him
of Crime Of
Murder.

Furaki KaSabro was acquitted yes
terday of murder, on the ground of in
sanity. The insanity plea, said to be
the first ever made in the Territory,
was effective. but the verdict of acquit-
tai will not release the Japanese child
murderer from all responsibility for the
crime, and he is now turned over to
the Governor for further action, though
he will probably be sent to Japan in
the end. The trial yesterday abounded
in interesting features, not the least
of which was the statement made by
the prisoner in his own behalf. He adj
mitted guilt, but claimed that he did
not know what he was doing.
The prosecution closed, at the open
ing of court yesterday morning, and
Mr. McClanahan began his defense, de-
pending entirely upon the plea of in
sanity. the defendant admitting the
crime" The morning witnesses were
several Japs who had known the de-
/ PENDANT, and one of them testified that
Kasabro was reader of japanese nov
els, and that it appeared to affect his
mind so that he would often cry and
become angry. j. r. Highly testified
that the defendant had been stableman
at the American Sugar Company
ject to many peculiar eccentricities On
one occasion he refused to allow hay
to be taken from the stables, saying
that there would not be enough for his
horses, though at the time there was
enough hay in the barn to supply the
stock for three months. c. II. Center, !
Mrs. Carter and others testified also
as to peculiarities of the defendant. |
The wife of KaSabro was put on in /;
the afternoon, and she testified also to
some of the strange things he was in |
the habit of doing.
The most interesting witness of the |
day was the defendant who told in de- |
tail the story of his crime. He said
that he had taken his child upon the
as usual while he cut wood, /
and while there thought how useless
he was, with a paralyZed arm, and that
the baby would always be only a source
of expense. After that he remembered
nothing until he found himself stand
ing under a tree and felt pains about
his neck. Overhead hung a rope with
a broken loop. and at his side lay the
child-dead 1.-The child's death sur
prised me- said the defendant through
the Japanese Interpreter; II lost my
self thinking, for / did not want to
live either Then 1 heard voices, a
distant voice, calling 'Papai Papa!,
which I recognized as the voice of my
dead child [ turned back and could
walking in the woods, but they were
not real men. After leaving the noun
tain / went to Palama. and this time
/ turned and could see plainly, real men,
and feel the weight of my child upon
my back, and still thinking about it, /
delivered myself at the police station
The witness said he had often heard
the voices before. in Japan and in this
country.
, Are you fond of reading?" asked Mr..
Il like to read magazines and novels:
when I come to something sorrowful I
would be agitated; if 1 read books and
they are unintelligible, L become angry
and tear them up"
do you not think you should be pun
shed for this crime?' The court ruled
put the question. and the witness was
excused.
DR.. Wood was next called to testify
% the defendants sanity. He said that
rom what he had heard. coupled with
he commission of the crime, he was
that the man was insane. i
The doctor was of the opinion that the
act of the insanity of defendants q
ather was another corroborative point, f
is physicians all over the world be- S
ieved thoroughly that insanity was c
hereditary. The witness then started to
ell of his visit to Japan and the ex- e
animation of medical schools there. v
here having been no insane asylums, II
uen IedT interrupted hlfn WIFI.
Was that the time w. o. Smith was C
loDg?" b
1T was" answered the witness il
DO you want to make an objection IL
ontinued the court, turning to the e
rosecuting attorney, and Mr.. Douthitt
nterposed an objection on the ground a
hat the evidence was not material. t
Which Judge Gear sustained. DR.. Wood a
aid that the strongest human emotion G
las the parent love, and to overcome s.
his there must be some strong reason, a
nd if no such reason is given, an act n
UGH as murder could be accounted for
n no other theory than that of in
anity. Such a crime was always class
d by physicians as among the unnat-
raj crimes, which is also evidence of T
lsanity. Mr.. Douthitt asked on cross o
Examination if infanticide was not fl
racticed in India, and witness replied il
hat it was. but did not think that the d
ecessary conclusion was that it is due g
D insanity, but rather to custom. On eI
by Judge Gear. DR.. Wood Il
estlfied that the act itself was one of IL