The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
CAN'THAVE HIS PICTURE WIFE.
4 JAPANESE BRIDE HELD UP ny
UNCLE SAN.

KotNrru was Married In Japan to henJlro's
Photograph and lie Was We'd 10 Hers
In California Now They Want TO Meet.
but the Law Keeps Them Apart.
SAN Francisco. Feb. is.--lt was sup
posed that this country e1cellod all others
IN the variety Of marriage devices, but
Japan has recently been heard from in
new and ingenious matrimonial scheme
A case involving the Japanese ldoa came
up Inst month before the head OF the Immi-
grafton Bureau at this port when pretty
young japanese girl with the name Of
Rntsuru Xxi sought admission as the wife
OF Kcnjiro Tho. contractor, Of san Jose.
She declared, through an interpreter
that last July she was welded to kenJiro
whom she had never seen in the flesh. by
means of a picture marriage. At that
time the girl appeared before an Official
corresponding to our Justice OF the Peace
and went through a marriage ceremony
with the photograph Of the bridegroom.
Tie marriage was properly attcsted by AL
japanese officials. and Is held TO be iegai
Japan,
Al the Same time Keniiro appeared before
properly accredited officials of his own
nation in this city and also went through
The marriage ceremony with the photo
graph Of his diteen-year-old bride. Ihen
kenjiro saved up money and sent 1t to
Japan, and about Christmas the girl sailed
for this city on tho steamer Nanchuria.
Kotsuru arrived here on Jan. 20, and was
cast into the depths Of despair when she
was told through an interpreter that her
marriage certificate was not recognized
and that she would either be deportcd or
pAccd in the hands Of some mission in san
Francisco
Commissioner North has been instructed I
t. keep strict watch and not TO admit any /
Of these picture marriage brides, as 1t Is I
feared that the long range marriage "a
merely an artless japanese device for IN |
porting young and pretty women for inn |
moral purposes. North settled the case /
out OF hand by turning over hotsuru 10 Miss I
Margaret Lake Of the Japanese Women . /
Homo The girl wept and begged to be al
lowed 10 see her honorable husband. lut |
even this was refused She was bundled J
into a hack and taken 10 the mission home.
or course, Xxi was Wild with rage over .
this cavalier diversion Of his bride, who .
had cost him much good money He APP |
pealed to the Japanese Consul, but the /
Consul showed him tho California Code,
which specifically bars out brides under
the japanese picture marriage But the .
Consul promised TO make an appeal 10 ms
Minister in Washington and the matter
may be referred to tho State Department
as many japanese have recently gone
through the picture marriage ceremony
and their brides will lie held up as Ilu's
bride is now
After Xxi had appealed to his Consul and
had been put of with general promises
OF appeal TO the Federal authorities he
hired an American lawyer and sought re-
dress in the courts. His lawyer applied
for writ Of habeas corpus, declaring that
Kotsuru was illegally restrained Of her
liberty and that Commissioner North was
exceeding his authority, as he could easily .
have learned that Xxi has been a resident OF |
San jose for nine years and IL a man Of |
property, held in high esteem by both |
Japanese and Americans Xxi says that |
Commissioner North could have verified |
these facts in a single day by sending to /
any Federal official in Jan Jose.
Another Japanese girl who arrived yes
terday on the steamer Copuc with picture /
marriage credentials was held up because
she had trachoma, an eve disease very COM
her native land With her will go Sci
Yamaguchi, the daughter of "a rich brewer
who had been sent over here 10y her fond
parents TO receive an education in English
She was to have been the companion OF
another wealthy japanese girl who has
been here year in one of the local sem
inaries. Sci was found TO be suffering
from the eye disease that bars out all who
have 1t.
Japanese are pouring into San Francisco
from Hawaii. where they remain a few
months to learn English and TO get ac-
customed 10 American ways. They all
dress in hand-me-down American clothes,
which are not nearly so comfortable OF so
picturesque as their native garb, and they |
show a decided tendency to engage in retail |
shop keeping and the manufacture of fancy |
goods for women.
KLONDIkE As 4 HEILTH RESORT.