The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-02-15
Chinese Hui Offers Taylor Fourteen Hundred
Dollars Week for Protection
and Monopoly.

reporter accompanied Idylor W ths
store mentioned and watched the door
until Taylor reappeared. He kept Tay'
lor in plain view until he Joined him
on Nuuanu avenue. accompanying him
To the police station. where Sergeant
Aea again searched him. finding the
fifty dollars which he had received
from the Chinaman. This money was
placed in an envelope, initiated by the
Deputy Sheriff, Taylor and the report
err, and placed in the receiving clerks
safe.
On Monday, Taylor. accompanied by
the same reporter, visited the Chinese
store again. both going in, the object
being to force Lee Let into committing
himself in the presence Of a witness.
Lee Let, however. was not in, but a
note from him was handed to Taylor,
The note read:
Answer you everything this after
noon p. m. 8 o'clock, Monday"
The note was signed with the mi
tial "L."
Taylor and the reporter paid another
visit to the store yesterday afternoon,
being met at the door by one of the
Chinese clerks, who informed them that
Lee Let was holding an important
meeting, but wanted particularly to see
Taylor, asking him to return at
o'clock. This hour was finally changed
to o'clock, at which time he and the
reporter again went to the place, only
to find the store shut. Lee Let was
either away arranging for the opening
of his pakapio bank or had smelt rat
and was keeping out Of the way. An
inquiry at his residence on Vineyard
street failed to bring any information
as to his whereabouts. the Chinese
there saying that he would probably
be back around midnight.
Taylor had made up his mind that
the business had gone far enough, au-
thcrizing the publication of the facts
as given and the further plblication of
the statements as dictated by him day
by day to the stenographer in the Of
fee of Sheriff Iaukea, copies of which
were filed with the Sheriff, with the
Attorney General and with the editor
Of the Advertiser.
Now that the public has an oppor-
tunity of learning plainly what the
sums of money are involved in these
'small' Chinese games, and with what
impudence the chief gamblers propose
to violate the law of the land win the
connivance of bribed officials, it is to
be supposed that the determination of
the police to pursue relentless cam
paign against the gambling evil will re-
ceiVe even more than it has the back
ing of all the lava biding citizens of
the. community.
Following are Mr.. Taylor's signed
statements from day to day, which he
Is ready to put into affidavit form for
the use of the grand jury:
OF A. P. TAYLOR.
Taken at Police Station, February s.
1907: On Wednesday, January goth,
1907, while l was about TIC enter the
officer of the Hawaiian Gazette Co., H.
NJ. Ayres, reporter for the Advertiser.
spoke to me, saying in substance:
Suppose a hui of Chinese offered YOU
certain sum of money to permit them
to run a game of paikau, say for in
stance, for week; and suppose you
accepted that offer, would you pinch
hem at the end of the week." 1 re-
'lied, why, certainly, would, just as
much as l would at the beginning of
he week"
On Saturday, February list. 1907, 1
vent to the Queens Hospital to see
Ayres who had been taken there the
light before at my orders to have some
calp wounds attended to, such wounds
having been received by him in Pala-
ma, On the way back to town, Mr..
Ayres accompanied me in a hack. He
approached the subject of protecting
gambling game again. He said, you
emember that ma tier that 1 spoke to |
ou about; well that is go l believe |
here is hui which wants to play |
aikau and they came to me instead of |
irect to You (Taylor), because they |
bought that they better net go to you |
irectly. Now this hui Is willing to |
make an offer. If you want to look up
N 1t as bribery, there is chance for
'ou to make a record for yourself. L
hink that a meeting could be arrang-
d."
l replied: 1T certainly is a good
nance to make a record You go
head and arrange for any meeting,
he sooner the better. want to go to
he bottom of this business" Mr..
Ayres said: well, how would Monday
OF" (meaning Monday. February Srd).
nd said, Monday is just as good as
ny other day; go right ahead"
And this projected deal I reported to |
Walter G. Smith. editor of the Adver-
lser, and to Sheriff Iaukea, and dis
used the matter, and 1t was decided |
hat the best thing to do was to carry
he thing out and capture the bribers. |
On Tuesday found the enclosed note |
n my desk at the police station:
February 4. 1907.
A. p. Taylor.
THAT matter is going through o. X. |
rendezvous is being prepared for to- |
morrow about 3-5 p. m, so keep I'M
ngaged. VIII see you here at 4:30 |
. m.
"(sgd.) H. Nj. A."
q append Mr.. Ayres original note to |
ne to this statemenD.
VISITS FROM CHINAMEN.
on the morning OF Tuesday, February |
tn. before l had arisen from bed, a |
'hinaman whose name, believe is |
hung Soon, and Is related to former |
'hinese Janitor of the High School, !
anne TO my house in Manoa Valley and |
aid that he wanted to see me very
nueh, to inquire. as it was reported TO
ne by Mrs, Taylor, about Informing