The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-03-13
chiffon
DID STEAL
PLACE GIRL
Jury This Morning
Gave Verdict
Of Guilty

After being out for about three hour
and once having called upon the judg,
for instructions the jury at one o'ciocl
this morning brought in verde
against Harry Il. Chiffon of guilty
with u Recommendation to mercy"
Like chapter cut OF a .nelodrami
| was the evidence in the case Of Harry
b. Chiffon, charged with child stealing
as told In the circuit court yesterday
The complaining witness is Margare'
Place. n sixteen-year-old girl who, ac.
col ding to the testimony given in the
tlial yesterday. was held captive in q
cellar for three months by the defend
ant. She claims that she was held
| threats made by Chiffon. who is only
Il boy The defendant claims that the
girl came to his place against his
wishes, and that both he and his moth
er tried every way to compel her to.
return home but she refused because
of her fear Of her mother.
Thc testimony of chief interest dur
ing the day was that of the captive
girl The remaining evidence consisted
III alleged admissions made by Chiffon.
One was in the form of an interview
with r. b. Kidd Of the Star Another
was to q Salvation Army matron, who
testified that Chiffon told her that Mrs
Place had placed the girl in his control
There Is no denial that the girl was
actually confined In the cellar of the
Chiffon home.
Margaret Place testified that she was
sixteen years old, and that she met
Chiffon in September He asked her
tn go to the cellar in his fathers house
and she consented. She testified that
she wanted to leave the cellar, though
Chiffon and the Chinese regularly sup
piied her with food. but she did not
want to go home. Then she said her
abode was kept secret, and Chiffon
threatened her life if she left. She tes-
tilted that he told her that warrant
was out for her arrest, and unless she
remained hidden she would be taken by
the police and put in n cell, with cent?
pedon and scorpions. On another coca
SION she says the defendant pointed a
pistol at her head and threatened II she
told anyone of Ter confinement, or
made any attempt to leave, to shoot
her aud burn her mothers house. She
said. also, that he told her that il
would be easy to Kill her and bury her
body In the cellar so no one would dis
cover 1t.
ON cross examination witness admit
ed sending letters which said she was
all right and in Kalihi, but on redirect
she testified that the letters We're writ
ten because Chiffon threatened her II
she failed to do 90. and wanted them
written SO as to allay the fears of her
parents. On cross-examination, also,
she admitted that Mrs. Chiffon had adj
viscd her to leave and tried to get her
ort. She testified that she was given
food during all that time by Chiffon or
by the Chinese cook.
Now as a matter of fact" asked
cathcart on cross xamination for the
defendant, didn't you use to sit In the
cellar with this defendant, loving and
kissing each other?"
Not at the last" was her answer.
No all the timer
II wds just pretending" was the an
3wer.
He wasn't though, was hep"
II don't know
An evening session of the court was
held in an effort 20 finish the trial be-
fore the close of the term, which ends
saturday. There was but one more
" ith'Ss III tHe evening, ana tneH tHe
License began. Mrs. Chiffon told OF
'everal occasions in which she had
ried TO get rid of the girl. but she
would always refuse to leave, saying
hat she was afraid to go home, and
llso that she was afraid of being ar
CSted.
Chiffon denied keeping the girl in
confinement against her will. He
laims she sent word to him, saying
he wanted to get away from her father
md mother, and asking that he take
are of her. He claims that She re-
nained with him voluntarily, ana thai
he tried several times to send her home
The defense put two native boys on
he stanG who testified that they had
cen the Place girl on the street dur
ny portions of the time she was sup
Osed to have been confined in the cell
ar The Chinese cook also TESTIFIED
hat he had talked to the girl and knew
er condition but had not told anyone
t 1t.
The jury went out about ten o'clock
nd brought in their verdict three hours
alter.
The defense took exceptions to the
erdict and made a motion for n new
rial. Chiffon Is to be sentenced on Sat
rday morning.
q 4 n n n Y = n q n n r