The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-31
ODD HABEAS
CORPUS SUIT
Woman Rescued From
Enforced Journey
South.

Tales of two cities are told in the
same day through the agency of the
cable. Messages flashed from San
Francisco yesterday produced habeas
corpus proceedings of curious nature
before court in Honolulu, but the
mystery of it all remains in San Fran
cisco with a thread extending to New
Zealand
Ida Mooney, alias Trotman. was TAX
en- from the steamer Sonoma in port
and produced before Circuit Judge Gear
under writ of habeas corpus. 1t was
commanded in the writ that a copy
| thereof be served on one Lindsay
claiming to be d police officer or other
officer" With the subject of the writ,
a good-looking young woman of some
refinement, was a child of about two
years. Lindsay could not be found, the
Deputy Sheriff's return said, notwith-
standing due and diIigent search.
Henry E. Highton, attorney, had
sworn out the writ according to i'm
of a cablegram he received that morn
ing from lawyer named Averill in San
Francisco and another cablegram
shown to him. J. J. Dunno, Assistant
District Attorney, was consulted by Mr..
Highton before proceedings We're taken.
The information given in the petition
was rather scant. After alleging that
one Ida Mooney, alias Trotman, was
F.,,or. Clsat-ai inc n I h
erty, on board the steamship Sonorna
from the port of San Francisco, State
OF California, now entering the harbor
of Honolulu by zone Lindsay, or by
some other person, claiming to be
police officer or other officer it is de-
clared:
"That the said Ida Mooney, alias
Trctnan, is not committed or detained
by virtue Of any process issued by any
court or any judicial or executive off,
Ger, Of the United States or OF any
State or Territory of the United States,
or by virtue of any legal process or
authority whatever; but. without any
process or authority or legal right
whatever, was forcibly placed on board
the steamship Sonoma aforesaid by the
said Lindsay, or other person aforesaid
to be conveyed on said steamship 70
Auckland
1t liz shown that, by reason of Ida
Moneys being removed, detained and
restrained of her liberty before this
application, "a demand OF copy of
any pretended warrant, order or proc
ess, by virtue of which she is con-.
fined, could not be made
deputy Sheriff lfcGurn brought the
woman, with the baby in her arms,
into court. There was nobody there to
oppose the writ and the woman was
put upon the Witness stand TO tell
ahodt her captivity. She. did not have
much to say and the cotlrt was not
ir1qulsitfve beyond necessity any more
than was MIR. Highton.
Ida Mooney said she was nineteen
years of age. She was forced to leave
San Francisco. They told me had to
go TO New Zealand, =" her story ran. II
cidn't want to SO, but the judge said
L had to. He had uniform on like a
policeman and there was u policeman
at the boat. didn't want to go, but
he. said I had to. and they put me on
the steamer and paid my fare" She
had not been controlled or interfered
with by anybody on the passage from
San Francisco, it was further ascer-
tainet by questioning
Judge Gear, finding that the woman
was under no restraint, discharged
the writ of habeas corpus but at Mr..
Highton's request instructed Ida Moon
ey that she had a right to travel wher-
ever she willed. provided she had means
to pay her way Mr. Highton later re-
ceived a cablegram from San Fran
cisco stating that money would be sent
to pay the woman's expenses. He had
her placed in the Hawaiian Hotel.
1t has been ascertained that Ida
Mooney passed through Honolulu in
the steamer Sierra, on voyage from the !
Colonies TO San Francisco, nine months |
ago She was under charge or chap |
eronage of a Mrs. Trotman, who was |
matron of girls home at Ponsonby, |
New Zealand. This fact ACCOUNTS for |
the young wonan's alias Mrs. Trot- |
man, it is further learned, was the |
agent in taking the girl be- |
fore the Judge with "a uniform on
in San Francisco.
While details not yet known here
may compose d mystery, the facts as
developed make one thing seem very
clear. This is that some folks in San
Francisco wanted to get rid of the
girls presence there and had money to |
back the desire. Before the drama is
played out, there may be other of the
actors in uniform, and the Judge and
the policeman at the boat" have chan
ges of uniform, all parading in striped |
motley.
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