The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-29
DRAMATIC
INCIDENT
Mrs. Wharton Identifies
johnson in Open
Court.

4
moment yesterday in the trial of Franz
johnson for the murder of little Sineof
Wharton at Waialua on January
last.
This was when the mother of the
slain child identified Johnson in court
Mrs. Wharton had come to the point
where she last saw her firstborn alive
on that cruel day. She said he was III
"a swing and johnson was swinging
him. Asked if 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 is the man sitting there" she
| said in Hawaiian with emotion hardly
| restrained.
| Frank Johnson cringed low down in
| his chair when thus conspicuously
pointed out by the mother, one of
whose chiefest joys in life he stands
| charged with destroying.
| 1t was the only time that the be-
reaved mother betrayed any excite
ment during more than an hour that
! she was on the stand. She was ex-
| ceedingly conscientious in her answers,
declining to 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" which recent contributor
Il Il sI110e
PATHETIC ANSWER.
There was a 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 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.
Il have never visited the place since
the day the body was found was the
reply, followed by the explanation, 1T
was 50 piuiful.'
A POINT OF DEFENSE.
1t came out yesterday, as will be seen
in the details following, that the ques-
ton of vegetation about the gruesome
scene at WaiaIua is going to figure
among the reliances of the defense for
showing the defendants Irresponsible
ity. The theory more. than limited at
py the defense is that if 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 a man responsible for his ac-
tions but that of an idiot or maniac.
THE MOTHERS STORY.
Mrs. Wharton was examined first by
Attorney General Peters with reference
To the map and photographs previously
admitted as exhibits of the prosecu-
ton. She said she was the wife Of
Henry Wharton and lived at Waialua.
Simeon Wharton was her eldest son
and three years, two months and ten
days old on January 3. 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 we'll as buildings upon |
the homestead.
THAT is the hole where my little son |.
was buried she said of a spot marked |
strongly in photograph from the |
photographers handkerchief placed |
their before taking. The general con- |
ditions Of the premises We're the same |
on January 10 (the day the pictures |
were taken) as on January 8. THE |
was photographing by him
self. l stayed in the house." she con-
Guided to Mr.. Peters.
Deputy Attorney General Prosser |
the 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 it was |
cut away The growth was as high as
witness herself. The place could not |
De seen from the house.
person standing at the other side
Of the fence dividing Wharton's land |
from the plantation), or on the road |
drumming parallel with the fence) could
lot see anybody at the spot where the
body was found. There was no place |
except near the fence from where the
spot could be seen. She meant nobody
could see that spot from the fence on
January 3. The place then WAS COW
cred with uhuloa. Il 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.
L was married to Henry Wharton |
seven years ago the witness proceed
ed. Il am his second wife. I 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
uary ). Saw him last at O'Clock in |
the morning. l was washing clothes
at that bend in the ditch (pointing on
map, myself and a deaf girl. a Japa-
nese. Simeon at that time was play
ing at the slope there (indicating).
could not see him Know he has nIax- |