Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-04
JAPANESE GIRLS
SOLD As SLAVES
BROUGHT STARTLING EVIL
DENCE TO LIGHT
Attorney Declares He viii Show That
Organized Traffic in Human
Beings Is Constantly
Carried On

Beings Is Constantly
Carried On
In spite of the vigilance OF police
officers. missionaries and representa-
tlVes of their own nation. scores of
Japanese girls are bartered and traded
for every day in every city of the
Pacific coast and particularly in Los
Angeles"
Such was the startling statement
made by a prominent resident of the
Los Angeles Japanese section in JUS
tice Pierce's township court during the
examination of Shizu Takagi, a pretty
little Japanese maid, charged with
grand larceny.
The girl was arrested at Barstow
ABOUT month ago and brought back
TO Los Angeles. 1t was alleged by
Yato Merito that the young woman had
accompanied him and several of his
companions from Fresno to Los An
geleS and that when here he started
out to see the city. He asserted that
Shizu told him to leave his money with
her for safe keeping until his return
but that when he returned to the
boarding house an hour later the young
woman had disappeared and his $3.50
mad disappeared with her.
The young woman was arraigned he
fore Justice Pierce three weeks ago and
placed under heavy bond, and although
| several of her friends came to her aid
they were unable to get the amount
necessary, so that Shuzu spent Christ
mas in jail.
Treated With Kindness
But what her friends lacked in money
they made up in kindness, and the little
woman received daily presents of fruit
and Japanese dainties
Yesterday when she appeared for
examination the girl had nothing to
say in her own behalf and remained
mute throughout the trial. The evil
dence for the prosecution was of the
usual order, and Merito and his friends
told how they had traced Shizu to
Barstow after she was alleged to have
taken the money.
Then Attorney Hugh Crawford. who
had been retained to defend the girl
started the cross-examination
did you not have an agreement with
a former owner of this young woman
whereby you were to pay a certain sum
for her?" asked the attorney of Merito.
For moment the boy looked en-
barassed and then frightened and final
ly answered in the negative.
Other questions alorg the same line
We're asked and then Deputy District
Attorney Donnell rested the case for
the prosecution. Later he called Merito
back to the stand.
There has been some intimation here
on the part OF Mr.. Crawford that this
girl was bought" said Donnell, "and
we wish to offer further evidence in
rebuttal.
Merito then took the stand and again
denied the alleged purchase
well We've got the proof and I'll
prove 1t to the entire satisfaction of
the court when the proper time comes,'
said Crawford
There is not the slightest doubt in
my mind that this sale occurred" he
said later. This sort of thing has be-
| come common in the coast cities, and I
have the proof that Merito bought the
girl from her former owner and that
through some misunderstanding he
lest his $3.50.
ut is a shame to put girl who has
been trying to do right in such try
| ing condition"
"Not Buying Grip
'Oh. we do not exactly call it buying
the girl" said prominent Japanese
| yesterday. but this trade business
| has been carried on to a considerable
extent, especially in Los Angeles and
the surrounding towns.
Among q certain class of my people
| living together Is not exactly as ter
| rible as it seems to white society The
| Japanese marriage service is very sim
pie in any class and among most of
the lower classes it consists simply of
the groom taking his bride from her
| fathers home to his own.
with that as their own form of mar
riage, that class of people do not take
any pains to get a license and go
| through all the ceremonies required by
| this country. For very small sum
| they. can bring girls over here from
Japan as their wives. Once over here,
| if one of their countrymen who has no
| wife sees the girl and would like to
have her live with him an agreement of
trade can quickly be made, and with
| certain sum of money as an inducement
the new arrival is not exactly worried
over the profitable exchange.
"Of course it is really buying and
selling the girls. but they never seem
to mind 1T and they could probably get
free by complaining to the police but
they never do. 1t is not like the
Chinese, who often keep their slave
women peIlneu up III DdrTeu cages.
These girls generally assist in keeping
house and helping their men until a
good chance for trade comes and then
they go to a new husband and new
house. and everyone is contented. The
girls are not often emotional and would
just as soon live with one man as an
other"
Sold Herself
Shzu Takagi, the slave girl who is
on trial, came from Japan about two
years ago. According to her state
| ments she sold herself as a geisha to
the master of a kindrome in one of the
cities of the province of Satsuma when
she was scarcely more than child and
lived the life of a dancing girl for sew
eral years before being freed.
Then she came to America, but who
accompanied her or whether she was
bought from the kindrome by someone
anxious to bring her to this country
she refuses to state.
She asserts, however. that she tried
to live the right kind of life in this
country and that she was about to be
married when the arrest occurred.
Her attorney refused TO put in any
evidence yesterday preferring to bring
his allegations at the trial I'm the SUI