The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-08-11
ATTEMPT TO
WHITEWASH
HENRY VIDA
Motion ito Drop Investigation Fas---PoIice
Witnesses Strangely Unanimous. Light.
foot Had Kick Coming.

nored and the evidence of vi Marn
| Young taken on the spot.
| vi Marn Young was first called. His
! story as told to the board was as fol-
| lows:
| on March Is in the afternoon a Ko-
rean came to him and told him that
a friend wanted to see him. He found
the friend to be a policeman and was
taken to the police station, Where he
was searched and asked where he had
put the revolver with which he had
shot countryman. He denied knowl-
edge of amy revolver and was then put
in a cell. About p. M. he was called
to Vida's Office. where Vida asked him
to tell the truth about the shooting.
He denied knowledge of shooting any
body and was told that unless he con-
feSSed he would be killed that night.
He was then struck by Vida several
times in the body with his closed fist
Vida insisted that he should confess,
but the Korean protested innocence
Vida then said that if he didn't tell
the truth in five minutes he would
kill him. After five minutes Vida
again punched him and threatened to
fix him and to kill him, addressing
next day he was again called to Vida's
office, where were two policemen. Vida
again said he would kill him if he did
not tell the truth. The Korean was
,ken t,ound with ro..es GAGGED d1d
placed on a large box, after which
water was poured in his eyes, nose and
mouth. On being again admonished to
tell the truth sHe said he was innocent
and had nothing to tell Vida then
struck him with his fist, then gave him
three minutes in which to cofess before
he killed him. NeYt the Korean was
blindfolded and his arms bound and
was told that he would be thrown into
a pipe which ran down into the sea.
He was told to pray to God to have
mercy on his soul. Thinking he was
going tc die. ne prayed. \ little later
he was stretched on the floor and given !
the water cure again. Vida then said |
as it was late he would not kill him |
until the following night. The third |
night he was again summoned to the |
office and told to tell the truth and |
stand straight like a soldier. Vida |
then drew a revolver and pointed it at
the man and said he would shoot him.
The Koreans neck was then encircled
with rope and Vida pulled on one end |
and a policeman on the other until
his senses left him and in despair he
murmured yes" For while the man
was left bound and then released and
revived by Vida and the policeman,
who told him that he had confessed
During the two days he was given
neither food nor water until after he
had said yes" He had asked po-
iceman for water but was told that
Vida had said that he mustn't be given
my. He wasn't even allowed to have
water with which to wash his face.
Vida, after he had confessed, gave a
policeman quarter and he was given
meal in a Chinese restaurant. The
leXt day he was taken before the judge
# the District Court.
Chairman asked witness a few ques-
ions touching on his evidence and
lucas did likewise, eliciting the fact
hat Officer Joe Leal was the man who
lad poured the water on him.
Cox wanted to know if anybody else
the torture, but got no sat
sfactfcn on that point, the question
eing ruled out. }
vi Marn Young recognized Vida as :
he man who had tortured him. ;
Henry Vida was then called. He >
estifed to vi Marn Young's arrest. :
he same evening he called him into +
he office and questioned him as to the +
hcoting without obtaining euy salts i
sctory answer from him. He denied r
aying beaten him or threatened him f
, any way The Korean had not been h
eprived of food or water Tor three Y
avs or submitted to any ill-treatment | n
hatever. Vi Marn Young had con- I
,ssed to the shooting after being con- h
,onted with his revolver and the man W
ith whom he had stayed at Eva the Il
sht after the alleged shooting. Man Il
FL Leal had taken him out for meal o
/ the night in question a
Smith asked for testimony corrob- V
.ative Of Vi Marn Young'S ch-Tges. ii
he Korean said that Lightfoot had a
me, but the attorney said that all ne 5
,ew of the case was merely hearsay. III
Sheriff Brown testified that as far as d
knew vi Marn Young had been
hmitted to no violence CT Iil-treat-
ent. Had there been. he would Ger f.
inlv have heard of it. No complaint -
d been made to him by the Korean, Il
was impossible that a prisoner -
uld be deprived of food unless the n
der had come from him. c,
officer Joe Lea1 corroborated the n,
eriffs testimony and a Korean ca
med Choy did likewise. ST
Turnkey Melanphy knew nothing of nC
V ill-treatment Of VI Marn Young ffC
was certain that he had eaten and II
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