The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-10-28
WAS IN DANGER
FOR SHORT TIME
WITNESS IN CASE CITED FOR
CONTEMPT BUT MATTER WAS
FINALLY SETTLED.

f. w. Klebahn, secretary of H. Hack
field and Company, was ordered to an
swer for contempt this afternoon by
United States Judge Estee, on account
of his refusal to answer questions put
to him by District Attorney Breckons,
In the cases of the Unitad Stotvs n.
Hackfeld and Company. klebahn re-
fused to testify as to whether his firm
had returned four Japanese immigrants
to Japan, as ordered by the immigra-
ton officers, and was ordered to appear
tomorrow morning and answer for con-
tempt. He finally answered the uues-
ton put to him, however, and was told
that he need not appear.
Klebahn was called to the stand by
Breckons, who introduced evidence
showing that the four Japs in question
were brought here by the steamers Do
rtc and China, for which Hackfeld and
Company are agents. 1t was also
proved that the immigration officers
had rejected the Japs as contract labor
ers and had notified the agents of the
vessel to take them back to Japan.
you may state if you know whether
or not II. Hackfeld and company ever
returned the Japanese to Japan?" asked
Breckons. Klebahn refused to answer,
and his attorney H. A. Bigelow, argued
that the secretary of the corporation
could not be made to testify against the
corporation. After discussion, Judge
Estee ordered an answer and cited Kle-
balm for contempt for refusing to give
it.
Later, the same question came up and
was further discussed, and Klebahn
finally testified that the company had
not returned the Japs Judge Estee
withdrew the citation for contempt.
Interpreter Gaffney of the immigration
office was called to testify as to the
findings Of the immigration board re-
garding the Japs. 1t appeared that they
had all been rejected on evidence that
they had come here under agreement to
work for some relative in business here,
in violation of the contract labor laws.
Collector Stackable testified as to who
constituted the immigration board and
the case for the government closed
Bigelow proceeded to argue a motion to
dismiss the informations, on the ground
that there had been no proof of refusal,
failure or neglect to return the Japs to
their home country.
The three cases of the United States
against II. Hackfeld & Company came
UP IN the federal court this morning
and are being tried all together. The
charges are based on criminal informa-
tions filed by District Attorney Breck-
ons, charging that three Japanese
ants We're under contract as laborers
when they were brought here, and that
they were therefore brought into the
country in violation of the United
States contract labor laws.
At the morning session of court a
jury was sworn in to try the case and
a recess was taken to 1870 this after
noon. There was some difficulty in get
ting a jury owing to questions put 5y
Attorney Bigelow for the defense, as to
prejudices against japanese laborers
coming here. The jurors generally an
swered that they had no objections to
Japs coming to the islands as labdfeTs,
but someNof them stated that they had
strong objections to Japs coming to Ha-
waii for any other purpose
The following jury was sworn in to
try the case: II. +. Cares, John r. Gilli-
| land, Henry A. Giles, H. w. Green, w,
f. Dillingham;, Arthur Berg, f. w.
Beardslee, NJ. G.. Silva, c. Hustace, j.
S. Andrade, Andrew Chalmers, A. w.
| Pearson