The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-01-09
WITNESSES ARE
MIXED UP
AN ISSUE OF VERACITY IN THE
SUMNER CASE LEADS TO QUAR-
REL AND is AIRED IN COURT

John X. Sumner proved a very bright
witness on the stand yesterday in
the circuit court. He gave some hard /
knocks to the relatives with whom he is !
in litigation and emphatically denied |
that he had ever promised them any
thing but the $4,000 each he gave them. |
Sumner was quite vivacious and gave a
little lecture on his affairs.
incidentally the trial was enlivened
by Humphreys calling the attention of
the court to alleged improper conduct
by two of the witnesses, Mrs. Weed and
Miss Weed. He said they had called
at the home of Mrs. Buffandeau and
had abused her and called her names
because of her testimony. The Witness
es ought to be protected, said Hum
phreys, and he intended to get war
rants for the arrest of Mrs. and Miss
Weed
Magoon said that the two witnesses
had come to court and were ready to
explain what they had done. Mrs Buff
fandeau was also i'm court, but Judge
De Bolt said he didn't want any more
side issues. Magoon asked Mrs. Weed
about it as she sat in her seat, and
she was heard to remark in most I'M
mistakable language that she had ac-
cused Mrs Buffandeau of swearing to
the thing which was not. There is
direct issue of veracity between Mrs.
and Miss Weed and Mrs. Buffandeau,
as to an alleged telephone conversation
on the day when John X. Sumner was
unfortunate enough to land in Homo
lulu.
Humphreys called Sumner to ques-
ton him about his Tahiti property. The
old man didn't know how much land
ne owned in Tahiti, but he was finally
induced to say that it might be- 500
&c nlo / =
one question, to which the witness re-
piled cattle" Humphreys remarked
that he didn't want to know about the
planted cattle but the live ones. Sum
ner estimated the value of his property
at about $4,000.
An objection from Davis stopped fur
Their inquiry to the evident dissatis-
faction of Davis associate Magoon.
Sumner was told he could leave the
stand, but as soon as he did so Hum
phreys closed his case and the old man
went back to the box to be quizzed by
Magoon in rebuttal. On this eXamina-
ton he talked English, and his bright
ness was a revela ton to all He told
of the various meetings at which his
affairs wee discussed, and emphatically
affairs were discussed and emphatcally
even agreed to put his property in trust
for the benefit of the Ellis heirs. Such
a plan was only talked over by them,
according to Sumner, and they did
not consult with him. MagoOn asked
if he had ever agreed to the $4,000 trust
for the Elllses, they to have the income
and the principal when he died.
Whats that you say?" asked the
old man, appearing to be much aston
ished. When the question was re-
peated he laughed and emphatically
denied that he had done so. l never
heard of it at all" he said 81 would
be foolish to do that. I don't want to
cheat myself or rob myself do -"
And you don't want other people to
rob you do you?" asked MagOon.
"They are all trying to do 1t now"
said the witness.
This gave the lawyers chance and
MagOon remarked that everybody
would agree with Sumner there, except
Humphreys. The later retorted with a
remark that it must be a hard case if
Magoon was ashamed of il, and then
Sumner went on to tell more of his
troubles.
The capitalist drew an amusing pic
ture of his meetings with the six claim
ants, Mr.. and Mrs. Buffandeau, Mr..
and Mrs. j. S. Ellis and Mr. and Mrs
w. S. Ellis They all saw him a once,
he said and talked a great deal about
his affairs. The $4,000 each was
purely voluntary gift on his part. on
one occasion he went to the late Bishop
Gulstan with all of them, and the Bish-
op said he had given advice once. that
a gift be made, and he could only say
that it had been done and was pro-
per. Asked why he had given the
money Sumner said it was so that he
could be left alone, and not have to
trouble about his relatives any more.
For years he had had to partially sup
port them and had made many gifts
when they came to him hard up. He
wanted to be rid of the bother. When
asked if the harbor land or 800, 900 was
put in trust with Bishop Gulstan by
him for the Ellis heirs he said "Why
should | have come back to Honolulu
If had dona thotop