The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-25
MAN WITH
4 RECORD
Latest Humphreys
Brand Of
Lawyer.
SO YONG AND
HIS SHADY CAREER
Chinese Admitted to Practice in
District Court Convicted OF
Gambling and Assault.

A man with a record is So Yong, the
most recent addition To the list of at
| torneys admitted by Judge Humphreys
to practice in the District Courts of the
Territory. Though the papers presented
by the Chinese in his application to the
First Judge showed his qualifications.
a slight examination of the records of
his own court would have proven TO
Judge Humphreys that, according to
the rules laid down in the Hawaiian
statutes. So Yong was far from prop
er person to be given a license to prac-
tice law in the lower courts and in the
Circuit Court at chambers on appeal.
The criminal records OF the first court
shows the name OF So Yong in three
different places, first a conviction for
assault with a deadly weapon, for which
the new attorney served a term of eight
| months, and paid a fine of 800; second,
conviction for conducting a lottery
and third a conviction in the lower
court for gambling, which last case was
nolle pressed in the Circuit Court.
So Yong's application for admission
to the bar, set out his qualifications,
and alleged good character, and j. NJ.
Davidson, for whom he is a clerk. also
testified to his acquaintance with the
Chinese for seventeen years, and his
knowledge of the man, as fit candi-
date for an attorneys certificate. The
court evidently did not investigate fur
Their or he might have discovered evil
dence very much at variance with this.
So Yong was first convicted in 1886
for assault with a deadly weapon. and
sent to prison for a term of eight
months. added TO which was a fine OF
one hundred dollars.
According To the papers on file in the
Circuit Court (and of which the judges
are supposed to take judicial notice.,
the new attorney was arrested on Sat-
urday, September Is, 1856, at the in
stance OF Victor J. Fageroos. 1t seems
that So Yong was riding in a hack,
and was about to drive over the prose-
cutting witness who attempted TO stop
the horse. FagerOos started towards
the carriage to ascertain the number
when So Yong shot twice at him. The
district magistrate imposed fine OF
800 and imprisonment for six months
So Yong appealed to the Supreme
Court, was found guilty by jury. and
then sentenced to eight months inn
priSOnment with the same amount VI
fine
So Yong's second experience with the
higher courts was in June, 1894; when
he with three others was arrested for
assisting in and maintaining a lottery.
called che IA. All four OF the defend
ants were convicted in the District
Court. and So Yong was fined $50 and
costs. while the remaining defendants
escaped with $50 fine. An appeal was
taken but afterwards Withdrawn.
Yong's third conflict with the law
was but a few months ago. He was
arrested. in company with several Chi
nese, and fined thirty dollars and costs
by Judge Wilcox. An appeal was taken
to the Circuit Court and the case was
nolle pressed as to the new attorney.
some OF the other defendants pleading
guilty.
In spite of this Judge Humphreys.
but a short time after the appearance
OF the petitioner in the First Circuit
Court before Judge Gear on a criminal
charge, made him an attorney. The fol-,
lowing is the order made by Judge
Humphreys. admitting him to practice.
The petitioner, So Yong, having been
examined by me and found duly quail
fed upon such examination, and it fur
Their appearing to me that he is citi-
zen Of the United States. resident in
the Hawaiian Islands. and of good
moral character. i do order that he be
licensed to practice law in all the Dis
trict Courts of the Territory OF Ha-
wall and before the Circuit Judges at
chan bers on appeal, upon his taking
and subscribing the usual oath.
"A :. HUMPHREYS,
First Judge