Arizona republican., 1908-05-21
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR
 ENDfD BY A JURY
A Verdict of Not Guilty in Cases of Wagner and Skinner For Stealing Chinese Flag.

The jury trying William Wagner and ohm Skinner for participation in the theft of the Chinese flag one night last February. last night re- turned a verdict of not guilty after having been out nearly five hours. The case was on appeal from Jus tice Johnstone's court
 Some interesting facts about the flag were brought out by Judge Baker who had been retained by the Chi nese colony as special prosecutor. This is not the first time that the flag of the joss-house has been stol- en by Phoenix hoodlums and it was decided to see if it could not be made the last.
 The flag, it was shown, was the property of the lodge of Chinese Ma sons, but as complaint could not be entered in the name of the lodge, it was made in the name of Yellow Dick" who testified that he was the grandmaster of the Chinese Masons for this jurisdiction.
 The flag itself was shown to be an interesting emblem and not a mere creature of cloth. All flags
 
 secret or civic societies are in a sense national flags and must have the governments stamp of approval The flags all come from China and all of them are decorated with Chi nese characters which are affixed by a single official who is authorized by the government to do so; or rather, he enjoys a concession from the gov ernment for that purpose. The off cial charges for the decoration of the flag in question was $22. The mate rial for the flag, Dick testified. cost s37, exclusive of the decoration.
 When the Chinese went to Judge Baker to secure his services in the prosecution they told him a wierd story, for historical confirmation of which the judge has since searched in vain. They said many years ago a lot of hoodlums tore down an Amer ican flag in China and an interna- tional affair was made of it by the American government. After a good deal of diplomatic representation the Chinese government settled the affair by paying the American government between s4OO.O00 and s5OO.OOO and by
  had participated in the outrage.
 Several boys were implicated in the theft of the flag one night in last February. All were arrested a couple of weeks after the occur renee, the flag in the meantime hay ing been found on the platform of Pullman car. Immediately after the arrest all of the boys acknowledged their guilt. Wagner. who is a son of the late Frank Wagner admitted it to Constable Murphy and soon af- ter being taken to jail admitted it again in the presence of Deputy Davis.
 All the others except Skinner and Wagner pleaded guilty in Justice Johnson's court, but the two latter stood trial and were convicted. They took an appeal to the district court.
 There were introduced against them their admissions to the officers and the testimony of a boy by the name of Bjorquez, who gave the de- the leading part in the foray on the flag Bjorquez's testimony was about the same as the admission of Wagner to the officers.
 
 different story and told it alike and stuck to it. Wagner said that he and skinner had been at the Airdome the lter on that night and about ten o'clock started home. As they pass ed pool room on South Center street they saw Talemente, Bjorquez and other members of the gang and not wishing to get into any trouble started home. They went by the way of Chinatown and though they kept walking when they arrived near the josshouse they saw the same gang there and one of the crowd was the pole. They did not stay put hurried on and when they reach ed the woodward, still farther east, they again overlook the crowd with he flag. Their further journey home was without incident. The next Wagner said Talemente, who was working for his father, came m and told him that he had the Chi lese flag. Frank Wagner told him to take it off the place. He went away with it and soon returned, say ng that he had buried it in the liver. Mir. Wagner told him to get | ralemente went away and returned with the flag. MT Wagner then told Skinner to take it back to China own.
 Skinner said he started with it but | put it on the platform of the Pull l nan. He was asked why he did not | ake it to Chinatown. He replied: | I wasn't runnin' no risks" The prosecution thought it had | ound an essential error in the tes- imony of Wagner when he said that | le and Skinner had been at the Air lome that night and it was brought | O his attention that the Airdome 1 vas not established for more than | month later. Wagner met this cor ection with the statement that what | le meant was that he was at the | heater which was run by the same | people who afterward started the | Airdome.
 The case went to the jury late in | he afternoon and an early verdict |