Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-17
FIRES DEFENDING
HIS ORANGES
RANCHER is PROSECUTED BY
JAP GOVERNMENT
Rights Of orehardlsts to Protect Crops
Is Issue In Pomona Murder
Trial Now In
Progress

More than two hundred japanese and
ranchers from the neighborhoods of Los
Angeles and Pomona crowded depart
ment one of the superior court yester-
day during the trial of ID. w. Helm, O
Pomona rancher, charged with the muir
Ger of Sadaemon Deaf.
The case is attracting attention be-
cause of the fact that it is alleged Helm
shot and killed the Japanese for steal
ing one orange and the japanese gov
ernment has sent word to it's local rep
resentatives to have the case looked
into and the matter prosecuted as ear
as possible.
1t has taken two days to secure a jury
and the twelve men were finally select
ed yesterday shortly after noon. AT
that time Attorney Earl Rogers was
retained as associate to Attorneys Don
nell and Mccormick of the district at
torney's office in the prosecution of
Helm. Rogers represents large Japan
ese interests in Los Angeles.
Ranchers' Rights
Minor testimony was taken yesterday
and it is thought that for the most part
the case will be tried on the rights of a
rancher to protect his property rather
than the actual killing, for it is practic-
ally admitted by the defense that the
shot which killed the Japanese boy was
fired by Helm.
Helm is a wealthy rancher of Po-
mona and prominent member of the
Southern California Fruit Growers as
sociation. The members of the associa-
ton have subscribed a large fund for
the support of the accused and the case
will be fought to the United States SUI
preme court if necessary.
The killing of Deaf occurred on the
Helm ranch, on the evening of July 8
last. The boy was found in the road
way with a wound in his side and he
died the next day from loss of blood
and from the effects of the shot
wound.
Hitch over Name
When the evidence was taken under
consideration yesterday one of the first
protests to be made by the defense was
that the name of the deceased was not
spelled correctly in the complaint and
that therefore the complaint was not
valid. Several witnesses We're pro-
duced and at last the name and identi-
ty of the man was fully settled.
Deal was q years of age of small
stature and slight build. He went to
Pomona from Riverside several weeks
before the shooting and there engaged
to work for a Japanese contractor at
picking oranges and berries. The
young man lived in an adobe house
with fifteen other Japanese workers
adjoining the Helm ranch.
Several nights before the killing Helm
went into his orchard and found that
some one had just entered there and
stolen quantity of his fine Valencia
oranges. 1t is alleged the tracks of the
thief were traced toward the Japanese
house.
Fired as Warming
nj
went to his back door and fired two
shots out across the orchard as a warn
ing to any marauders who might be
there.
Several nights later the killing oc-
CURED. On that night Deaf, the Jan
anese boy, had been very i'll and had
left his house and started down the
road for walk. He was bareheaded
and stated his intention of only going
a short distance 1t is alleged he en-
tered the Helm orchard and picked an
orange. AS he stepped out from under
the tree shot was fired, the boy
pitched forward and then painfully
craWled beneath the trees over the
ditch and out on the San Bernardino
road, where he fell on his face in a
rant. He was found a short time later
by his friends and taken to a hospital.
1t is contended by the prosecution
tnat Helm went to the orchard, saw
the man standing near the Valencia
tree and fired at him. In a conversa-
tion with friend a few moments later
Helm sat on the front steps of his
mousse with his gun across his lap and
stated that he had shot at one of the
Japanese and that he thought he had
hit him, because he saw him fall to
the ground and crawl away. The next
day, when search was made of the
ranch, it was found that the trail of
blood left by the dying Jap had been
raked over during the day and partly
obliterated
The defendant will probably be nut
on the stand today in his own behalf.
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