The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-04

/
doubt all was very real to them. There
was not even the merriment of new
game. To them it was the real thing.
TRAGEDIES IN REAL LIFE.
! Up in the old palace, the scene OF
Hawaii's former official greatness, from
whose high walls look down the paint
ed 1ikenesses of kings and queens of
former generations, are enacted many
| little dramas of real life, and tragedy
and comedy fit back and forth past
each other day after day. One morning
as / was on my way to the governors
office my attention was called to pic
turesque little group of Chinese gath
cred about the big library table in the
lantechamber. They were all very quiet
I noticed and all very big eyed and
sad Inquiry proved that the pathetic
| little family OF six had come to call on
Governor Carte to ask for the pardon
| Of their father. Man Chong, who for
the past three years had been in prison
| on a charge of murder in the second
degree.
MOTHER DIED.
| Lee Shee, the mother of the little
family, worn out with the unequal bat
tie of life in which she had to fight for
seven, had died a few days before, and
now six helpless children, the eldest a
demure-faced, bashful girl of seventeen
and the youngest a wee black-eyed tot
of three, were left for some one to take
| care of.
| Three years ago Man Chong was ar
rested by Hawaiian police officer,
Ma elona, for alleged chicken stealing
and in the fray that ensued the Chi
naman shot at the officer, the bullet
took effect and the officer died subse-
Iquently. Man Chong was convicted or
murder in the second degree and was
isentenced to twenty-five years hard
labor in the Oahu prison. Shortly after
the father was committed the sixth lit
tile Acknowledged babe was born to add
to the already too heavy burden of the
mother, who, as soon as she was able,
lentered shop to sew. Two OF the
Older girls have been able to help her
and in this way by being very careful
the little family has been able to exist.
PRISON REUNIONS.
| Each month the little flock went to
hail to visit their father, who seemed
very fond Of them. All in a row they
went, the three little boys and the two
girls, and the baby strapped to his
mothers back. But when they went
to visit the governor there wasn't any
mother and the plump little Kan Mui
slumbered peacefully upon the young
shoulders of a slender little sister, who
lis too young for such burdens. Ng
iGang brought the little flock to the
lcapitol and with them also was Chi
Inese woman who had been caring for
them since the mother died. Ng Gang
said they were being taken care Of by
Subscription raised among the Chinese,
land if the father could be pardoned a
number of local Cinnamon would fur
nish the money to send father and chill
dre.l back to China.
WHAT THEY ASKED.
The petition stated that Man Chong
was committed April %, 1904 in the
ICircuit Court of the First judicial Cir
cult to serve twenty-five years; that
the mother, Lee Chez, died November
4 and that the six children, being de-
Iprived of all means of support, asked
the pardon Of their father 20 take care
of them. And then followed the six
names: All Toong, All Kwai, Lee De,
All Fook, All Hung and Kan Mui.
Big-eyed and silent they waited In
the reception room till Governor Car
ter could see them, All Toong as the
IeIdest daughter trying to maintain the
'dignity of the family; the little An
I Kwai. scarcely more than twelve, with
ther heavy braids and her childish race,
Hooking like a little child-mother with
1.-The heavy baby brother slung over her
shoulders; the little Kan Mui, too
tvoung to understand, sleeping peace
fully on, his plump brown face cuddled
close to his little sisters shoulder, one
lchubby fist clutching her tunic, the
iother with it's tiny silver bracelet fall
ling inert over her shoulder; the three
ltiny bows with their American-cut suits
lof black sateen so new and shiny-sit-
iting in a demure and silent row, they
waited. They didn't know exactly
what they were waiting for. They had
a vague sort of idea that the big man
with the glasses and the pleasant race
lcould give them back their father, and
| they had come to ask him about IL.
The two girls and the oldest boy had
written their names in little cramped
letters at the bottom of long paper
with printing on it and somebody else
had written the names of the three who
lwere too young to write; and there they
iwere waiting to tell their little story
at the Jail they said Man Chong is
"a good prisoner and never gives any
trouble. He Is quiet and orderly and
does the work demanded of him. He
is very affectionate toward his little
1 children. When his wife was dying an
Iattendant took him to see her for the
Hast time and once again the little
family was united and waited togeth-
Ter for death to come and take away
the little mother.
ALL FOR A CHICKEN STEW.
The matter was referred by the Gov
fernor to the Board of Prison inspectors
land High Sheriff Henry for action
1.-The fact that the man was convicted
Thief and was the cause Of a police
imans death and has served but three
LOT the prescribed twenty-five years
gives him little chance of pardon. Bu
meanwhile six lonely little orphans arr
wondering who will take care of them
MAN Chong didn't think about tina
IWhen ne planned the chicken stew.