The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-03-30
DRAMATIC
INCIDENT

moment yesterday in the trial " FRANK
johnson Tor the murder of lit,ic sinieoh
wharton at walalua on January ;
last
THIS vas when the mother OF the
slain child identihed johnson In court.
Mrs Wharton had cone to the point
where she last saw her firstborn alive
on that cruel day. she said be Was iii
o, swing and Johnson was swinging
him. Asked " the man she called
johnson was then present In court.
Mrs. Wharton turned from the map ON
the wall to which her answers until
then had referred and. rising In the
witness chair. extended her right arm
at full length as she shook her index
finger at the defendant.
"That IL the man sitting there" she
said in Hawaiian with emotion hardly
restrained.
Frank johnson cringed low down I'm
his chair when thus conspicuously
pointed out by the mother. one Of
whose chiefest Joys in life he stands
charged with destroying.
II was the only time that the be-
reaved mother betrayed any excite
mcnt during more than an hour that
she was on the stand. She was ex-
ceedingly conscientious in her answers,
declining 10 state as facts what she
might have been expected TO know but
did not know. This was in striking
contrast to the manner of women as
Witnesses" whicn recent contributor
to a well-known. periodical describes.
PATHETIC ANSWER.
There was q pathetic touch. indeed.
to the reason Mrs. Wharton gave for
not knowing a certain thing she was
asked relative TO present conditions
about her own home. She had told of
heavy growths on January 3 about the
srot where her child's body was found
in horrible mutilation and was then
asked how the place was now in the
same respect Of vegetation.
II have never visited the place since
the day the body was found" was the
reply, followed by the explanation, ut
was so pitiful"
A POINT OF DEFENSE.
II came out yesterday, as Will be seen
in the details following, that the ques-
lion of vegetation about the gruesome
scene at Waialua Is going TO figure
among the reliances of the defense for
showing the defendants irresponsible
ity. The theory more than limited at
Dy the defense is that IL the crime
was committed where its commission
could easily have been seen from fire.
quented parts of the Wharton home
stead, then the crime was not the
work Of man responsible for his ac-
lions but that Of an idiot or a maniac.
THE MOTHERS STORY.
Mrs. Wharton was examined first by
Attorney General Peters with reference
10 the map and photographs previously
admitted as exhibits of the prosecu-
ton. She said she was the wife If
Henry Wharton and lived at Waialua.
Simeon Wharton was her eldest son
and three years. two months and ten
days old on January g. His size was
Ike that of her foster child, who was
brought into court and identified by
her. This was Japanese boy three
feet five inches in height. Witness
Identified the various places marked on
The map, including roads, ditch, fences
and ravine as well as buildings upon
the homestead
That is the hole where my little son
was buried" she said of a spot marked
strongly IN n photograph from the
photographers handkerchief placed
their before taking. The general con-
ditions OF the premises were the same
on January 10 Ohe day the pictures
were taken) as on January 3. The
gentleman was photographing by him
SELF / stayed in the house" she con-
cluded TO Mr.. Peters.
Deputy Attorney General Prosser
continued tine examination. on the
third OF January, Mrs. Wharton said.
The place where her sons body was
found was covered with uhuloa growth
except the very spot, where II was
cut away. The growth was as high as
witness herself, The place coulu not
be seen from the house.
A person standing at the other side
Of the fence dividing Whartons land
from the plantation). or on the road
drumming parallel with the fence) could
not see anybody at the spot where the
boay was round. There was no place
except near the fence from where the
spot could be seen. She meant nobody
could see that spot from the :ence on
January 3. The place then was COW
cred wlth uhuloa. II have never visit
ed the place since the day the body
was found. It was so pitiful," the Wit
ness concluded on that line.
THE WHARTON FAMILY.
II was married to Henry Wharton
seven years ago" the witness proceed
ed. IL am his second wife. | have had
three children. Simeon was the eldest.
Lemon Is my second son, The third
Is girl named Marianne simeon
died on the third OF January at our
place In Waialua.
Il saw simeon at our place on jan
nary 3. Saw him last NJ 8 o'clock In
the morning, l was washing clothes
AT that bend In the ditch (p0inting on
map, myself and a deaf girl, Japa-
nese Simeon AZ that time was play
ing at the slope there Ondicating).
could not see him, Know he has play
ing there because after breakfast az
o'clock / told all the children 10 play
down there by the slope, That In all
the reason | know for saying he wa,
playing there. ! first swept out the
house, then washed quite a long time,
hul still Il was In the morning
SIMEON CALLS PAPA,
while ! was washing simeon left
the other children and got under the