Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-18
THE MURDER OF DAMON
GOV CARTER BUSINESSES POLICE
OFFICIALS.
Crime Was Not Hunted Down With
suhicient vigor--Business De-
preston Abating.

| Gus murder. s. E Damon, the son and
cious murder. 8. E. Damon, the son and
hve weeks ago. just out Of town near his
home. left his buggy in order to enforce
the replacing Of guard lantern in the
! road which had just been carried away by
a tramp. The wretch met him with
nerce plunge of a sharp knife which went
nearly through the body. producing death
IN less than an hour. Another passer-by
who witnessed the act drove Damon over
two miles to the police station before he
expired. An active deputy sheriff sue
| ceeded soon after in arrestIng the tramp
and his two companions just as they ar
/ rived In town. The murderer was indicted
| the next day. convicted in nine days after
| the crime, and executed on the twenty
| ninth day, which was rapid work in these
| times of technical perversions, of Justice
His two companions. a woman and boy
| witnessed against him.
| The three were Porto Ricans two recent
| ly out OF prison. The murderer, Miranda
had been habitual criminal, and had that
| day robbed two Cinnamon on the road to
| town. There has been large collection
| OF an extremely vicious element of Porto
Ricans In the vfler slums of this city.
| Some five years ago the scarcity of labor
for the sugar plantations led to an assisted
| immigration of about 1900 people of both
| sexes from the island of Porto Rico, via
! New Orleans and San Francisco. No such
|
class of .laborers were brought into
| Hawaii. They have been hard to secure
efficient labor from In the field. lack skill
| as well as industry, and continually drift
| into the towns to swell the idle and GRIM
inal class. 1t is very probable that they
| do not constitute a fair representation of
their countrymen. but may have been re-
! cruited from the worst elements drifting
| about the towns of that island. They ap-
pear to be of mixed Spanish and negro
| blood. the white predominating amid much
E,fvs 1stt1
ligion and less of morals. In Hawaiis judy
| H1ent, Uncle Sam made a poor job in
| annexing that one of the larger Antilles.
Probably our most desirable element of
| assisted immigrant laborers has been the
| Portuguese from Madeira and neighboring
| islands. They of a pure white race,
and although illiterate. are virtuous in
morals. extremely Industrious, and often
| skilled artisans. They are generally skill
/ full in gardening and agriculture, and very
| thrifty. Most of them are Catholics, but
several considerable churches of Protes-
| tants have been gathered from them, one
especially prosperous one in Honolulu L
! have not at hand the precise data, but be-
| lieve that they now number about $4,000
in Hawaii. nearly one-haif OF whom were
born here, and have been educated In our
| schools. They are likely to constitute
most important portion Of the future
| white element 81 Hawaii.
Chinese and the Japanese.
At the recent conference at Lake Mohonk
| the point was made prominent that of the
| future citizenship of Hawaii very large ele-
ments would be people of Chinese and Jap
! anese blood especially the latter, born in
| these islands. 1t Is now the fact that
| considerable proportion of the children In
| the public schools belong to those races. The
| Japanese children are nearly all of pure
| blood. The Chinese are majority or them
| part Hawaiian, since the Chinese women
| have not been brought here In large num-
| the 1ananeSa These half
| Chinese youth are, however, very bright
| In marriage with the less capable saces the
| Chinese exhibit an exceptional power of inn
| parting their own superior ability to the
| offspring. The Chinese blood wholly pre-
| dominates in the admixture. The China
| man is the product of a very exclusive and
intensive civilized culture 5000 years DID,
by which a breed of man has been gene
rated which wholly predominates In cross
| breeding. This is probably not true or the
i japanese, who are themselves product OF
! a quite mixed cross-breeding of the Mon
| golod stock upon other races, largely with
that of the Maiayo-Polynesian element.
| which anciently drifted northward by way
| Of the Philippines. That southern element
| is peculiarly receptive and CHEEKY. and is
doubtless the source Of that remarkable YER
satility and receptiveness, as well as cheer
mess which SO remarkably diferentiate the
| Japanese from their more sullen and I'M
| movable cousins of the Chinese empire
Police Officials Dismissed.
| We have just ndu the cHJoS "a w
serving a notable display of ''strenuoslty'
| on the part of our lively young governor.
George r. Carter. such tas has not lacked
| quite general approval. Mr.. Carter inherits
| activity and capacity. His grandfather
| was the very capable and forceful DIR. q.
| p Judd who ran the kings government
| with great success between fifty ana SKY
years ago. His father was h. A r CarIef'
one of the very brightest and ablest bust
| ness men of Honolulu, who served HAWAII
for some years as minister at Washington.
| About two weeks ago our town got a lively
| shaking up by learning that the governor
had suddenly descended upon the police de-
| partment in so forcible. a manner as to Sc
| cure the prompt resignation OF the hisn
sheriff and deputy sheriff. as well as OF
| criminal completely of these officers seems
| to be alleged: the charge is systematic and
| intentional failure to enforce the laws
| against gambling illicit and Sunday liquor
| selling. and probably also against brothels
| Mr.. Sheriff Brown rs a man of excellent
repute, and has for many years conducted
| the police system very successfully. Deputy
| Chillingworth Is noted for very exceptional
courage and skill in detecting and arrest
| ing criminals Yet the whole system had
| fallen into q line OF substantial tolerance
Of the crimes named. This was Doubtless
| without base intention. 1t Is natural
| tendency to tolerate the sins In which
| reputable citizens are prone to indulge.
But there was very peculiar feature In
|
| great disquiet among the better elements
| of the city at the immunity enjoyed by the
| evil doing above named. The governor had
become well satisfied that the police In
| efficiency was Intentional and systematic.
| So, In order to be sure Of his ground. he
| ordered from the Pinkertons detective to
| study up the business and report. first
| class man promptly came out and went to
| work with the utmost activity and secrecy.
| reporting frequently to the governor
| through a third party. After some eight
| weeks of these labors all was ready. the
detective delivered his final report and Gov.
| Carter jumped with both feet on to the
I sheriff's establishment. New officials were
| appointed Some Iaxities In the financial
| accountings were searched out and elimi-
| mated and a new. and 1t may be hoped.
| vigorous police regime is established, to be
| reasonably intolerant Of crime.
Financial Depression Abating.
| The very trying financial depression pre-
| vailing in this territory FOR three years
| past Is somewhat abating. The cause was
! the depression in the price Of sugar. Ha-
| wallis great staple. which rapidly went
| down from eighty-five to sixty-five dollars
a ton. At the latter price none but a few Of
1 v,lo., fati