The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-08-14
ATTEMPT TO
WHITEWASH
HENRY VIDA
tFrom saturdays AdvertIser)

F'rom Saturdays Advertlser)
Jhapter one Of the nvestiqation b,
4 the Board OF Supervisors OF the charge
OF gross cruelty made against shcriff' ,
|, assistant Henry Vida by vi Mar,
| Young, came to q tame ending las
, night, the session being continued unit
Tuesday evening next.
| Tho whitewash pail was exhibited
over early in the evening by Super
| visor Moore who moved that the In
vcstigation be dropped as the case wa,
to be brought before the grand Jury
, No seconder was found and the investi
CATION proceeded.
Attorney Lightfoot stated that tn,
charges would certainly be laid befor,
the grand jury but was personally de
sirous Of having the board investigat,
the case to the bottom,
4 vi Marn Young told n straiqhtfor
ward story Of terrible torture endured
by him within the confines OF the DO
lice station, the torture, he alleged
having been inflicted by Vida In an
attempt to wiring confession from him
j Numerous questions by the board
failed to shake the witness testimony
one iota.
Sheriff Brown, Vida, Joe Leal, Choy
and Jack Melanphy took the stand for
the defense and testified as If reciting
a school lesson. Cruelty to n prisonerl
The very idea Of It'll Whoever said
cruelty7 The trouble was that the
prisoners were treated too well Yes,
indeed!
Attorney Lightfoot protested vigor-
ously that he had not been allowed to
cross-examine the police witnesses. He
said that he would dearly love to do
so. He expressed his willingness and
ability to produce evidence corrobora-
tive Of that offered by Vida's alleged
victim and the board adjourned in Or
der to give him an opportunity to do
this.
The Board of Supervisors met last
night at the writer request Of Sheriff
Brown to investigate the cha -ges OF
gross cruelty allose'. to hav, bavn
iractieed on Korean 0amed VI Marin
Young by Sheiiff's Assistant Vida
Present were Chairman smith. SUI
peryisors Cox, Lucas, Moore, Archer.
Clerks Kalauokalani and Buffan-
deau, Sheriff Brown, Sheriffs AS
sistant Vida, Stenographers Kearns
and Churton, County Engineer
Guy Gere, Attorney Lightfoot. Detec-
tive Lake, L. G. Blatkmnn, Officers
Mkt. Joe Leal, Manuel Lcal Fred
Weed, County Attorney Douthitt.
Warden Woods, Interpreter Yuen,
members CT the press and several pol
lice employees.
Attorney Lightfoot, who watched the
proceedings on behalf of VI Marn
Young, stated in response to a ques-
tion By Moore that the case wound be
takeE before the grand jury and Vida
criminally prosecuted If an Indictment
were returned.
Archer asked why, IL the case was
going to be attended to by the jury, !
should the Supervisors conduct an in
vcstigation?
Lucas was of the same opinion as
Archer He thought that II the grand |
jury were going to have the case
brought to their notice 1t would en-
tail unnecessary investigation IL the
board bothered with the case.
"There is no need to investigate. It
seems to me-" said Archer. Cox koku-
aed.
Lightfoot stated that he was en-
poyed to defend the Korean and had
no interest. in the relations between
he Board of Supervisors and the Of
icers of the county. Personally he
v ould be glad II the board investi-
gated the case to the bottom.
I'VE can only investigate and rec
,mmend the removal OF Vida II he is '
ound guilty" remarked the chair.
Sheriff Brown said that he had in
the charges and personally
would like to have the board investi- I
rate them. The jury would not meet
Until next month and It was rough on {
ida to have the charges hanging over
i'm for such "A long time. If the board I
bought 1t best for the jury to In
estigate, he was perfectly willing to
ct 1t go at that. He had asked the c
GARD to investigate and thought that
e had done his duty in the matter.
Moore moved that the investigation $
G dropped There was no second. r
Archer said that the affidavit pub
shed In the newspapers should be ig- j
Ored and The evidence Of VI Marn Il
Dung taken on the spot.
VI Marn Young was first called. His o
DRY as told to the board was as fol- p
ws: n
On March Is In the afternoon a Ko- a.
an came to him and told him that ~
friend wanted to see him. He found
lie friend to be a policeman and was d'
ken to the police station, where he
as searched and asked where he had
1T the revolver with which he had
lot a countryman. He denied knowl-l
ge OF any revolver and was then put p'
a cell. About Z p. m. he was called
Vida's Office. where Vida asked him b,
tell the truth about the shooting II
e denied knowledge of shooting any, NJ
dy and was told that unless he con- M
ssed he would be killed that night. M
, was then struck by Vida several X
mes In the body with his closed fist. II,
da insisted that he should confess. ic,
t the Korean protested innocence. Nj
1a then said that II he didn't tell
, truth In five minutes he would tn
I him. After five minutes Vida MI
ain punched him and threatened TO ]
K" him and to kill him. addressing Ell
n profanely, The evening Of the Yo
It day he was again called TO Vlda's l
ce. where were two policemen. Vida OH
ain said he would kill him IL he did Sci