Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-04-17

q hearing TO Rev J. W. Wadman, who
wished to make a plea for executive
mercy for the six Koreans, who were
convicted of murder in the first degree
for an lindcscribably atrocious murder.
Acting japanese Consul Matsubara
and Deputy Attorney General Milvcr.
ton were present. Milverton gave u
resume Of the facts OF the case, dc.
scriLing the horrible tortures with
which the condemned fends had put
their countryman to death, whereupon
Wadman read his plea for the men az
follows:
To His Excellcncy. Acting Governor
l. Atkinson. Honolulu, II. T.
Sir:-As one deeply interested in the
welfare of the Korean immigrants,
among whom am endcavoring to car.
ry on educational and missionary op.
crations under the auspices of tho
Methodist Episcopal Church, and hav'
ing learned Of the fearful and atrocious
murder committed in Kukaiau, Ha.
wall, last December. by number OF
these people on one OF their fellow.
countwmt'p, five Of whom were found
guilty in''thc Hilo criminal court and
lsontenced TO death, I beg herewith to
Iupproach Your ENcellency. whose nm.
plehsant duty It is to sign the death.
warrants which arc soon to be execut.
ed. with a plea for mercy. (,
1 I was not present at the trial In Hilo
l,por have had access TO the legal doc.
uments In the case. I am not. there
fore. confident of all the facts. My
sources of information are the con.
\ yiGt3 themselves and one or two Ko.
rean oye-witnesscs Of the trial. II Is
only with the sincere hope that. II pos
Sblc. Justice may be tempered with
mercy" that seek most respectfully
to call Your Excellency's attention to
the few facts which I have CLEANED
The names ofthe men condemned 10
die are: Shin Mycng Ok, Kang Yong
Doli, Kim Yong Ycc, Chang Chi Yuel,
Woo Mycng Sock.
Tho motive of the awful crime Of
Il which these men arc guilty Is clearly
made known In the confession which
they made after the preparation OF
the cruel deed. The victim was no.
torlous thief. He had stolen not only
n large sum of moncy-s70 In all-but
their passports as well. These pass.
! ports are certain papers the imml.
grants receive upon leaving their coun.
try and are regarded as documents Of
very precious value. without which
they could not return to Korea and
claim citizenship. Considerable tsr Is
made Of these passports among the
planters as pledges of security in buy.
ing and selling, borrowing and loaning
money. II was. therefore. the loss OF
these papers which cut such a figure
In their awful deeds of violence last
December. Four or five times these
men had caught the thief, II seems
and extor.cd his promise to refund tho
money and return the pass ports
Their anger against the fellow was
greatly incensed by his oft repeated
lies and misrepresentation. At last
they captured the wretch and began
their work of torture I'm true Korean
style, hoping thereby that he would
Yield to such painful methods and
surrender the stolen property. cspc'
ciNlly the passports. The final scene
Is enacted at the japanese cemetery,
where the victim claims 10 have bur.
led the victim claims to have buried
the money and papers. After digging
for an hour or more without avail, the
murdcrers, having drunk to excess,
proceed 10 put the man to death. II
Is evening and the hour IL late, but
carly the next morning, rs soon as
they know the manager of the planta.
ton Is In his Office. they 20 at once
and make confession OF the crime
pointing out the whereabouts of the
dead mans body and, without any rc'
sistancc. quietly surrcnsering them
selves to the officers of the law. Each
mans confession Is carefully taken
down word for word. and agree In sub
stance. When questioned as to their
confession and surrender they answer
ed az follows:
I'VE knew we had, of course, done
wrong, but the victim was n thief and
liar. by tOrturing him we hoped fol
his repentance and confession. In this
we were disappointed and so greatly
iniamed with anger We thought Il best
TO kill him and save ourselves and the
plantation from such a vile wretch"
Upon questioning them as to theii
knowledge OF our laws and customs
they are found TO be denscly ignorant
Indeed, these poor fellows represent {
class Of Orientals not so desperate AM
dangerous as Is generally supposed
but wretchcdly ignorant and deprave'
more to be pitied in a way than Il
be actually blamed.
| find also. that among these fv,
mcn the two first named In the abov,
list, namely Shin Myeng Ok ant
Kang Yong Box, were In sense tn,
Tingleaders In the fearful tragedy an,
committed most OF the outragcs on tn
victim before they dealt him the In n