Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-16
HONORABLE HARA
IN SAD STRAITS
JAPANESE LOSES HIS SWEET
HEART AND LAWSUIT
"SURE AND EXACT | WILL HAVE
REVENGE" HE SAYS
Oriental Sues to Recover Cash Adj
vanced to Fair Maid Who
Later Webs His
Rival

Love and revenge, a la Japanese,
were aired in the township court OF
Justice Albert L. Stephens yesterday
which are many and varied and the
ends of which were not reached when
the suit ended and the justice gave
judgment for the defendant.
On the face of the papers the lawsuit
of Kikutara Hara against Fukutara
Muraoka gave little promise of excite
ment. The suit was for $299.76 on the
claim that in February, 1906, the de-
PENDANT gave Hara a promissory note
for $500, payable as soon as he had
sold his restaurant in San Bernardino.
No sooner were the Japanese contest
ants on the stand than slant-eyed
young woman of the fiowery Kingdom,
formerly yclept Miss T. Hishida, ap-
peared on the scene. 1t is about her
honorable form that the storm center
revolved.
The evidence showed that the olive
commissioned Miss Hishida in former
days had been the loved one of Hara,
but that in later years she had trans
ferred her affections to Muraoka, who
married her. 1t also showed that Miss
Hishida, before her marriage, loaned
to Hara $500.
Several months after this loan Miss
Hishida decided to take trip to Japan
and proceeded to call in her outstand-
ing money. Hara did not want to pay,
but he did. After she got the money
she changed her mind. while living at
Berkeley, and decided to stay in Amer
lea. Hara evidently got wind of this.
She had sent him letter acknowledge
ing the receipt of the money, but add
ing that she was not going back to
Japan, as there seemed to be some
thing pulling me from behind to keep
me here"
This letter was placed in evidence
Hara then went on the stand and
swore that there had been no money
transaction between the woman and
himself.
At this juncture Muraoka and his
wife got In their side of the case. Mu-
raoka swore that Hara had vowed
revenge because Miss Hishida had de-
serted Hara for him. To support this
he introduced letter written by Hara
to his beloved in Berkeley. 1t said in
part:
"You have made me wait out in the
cold night and never have seen me
once. AS an old proverb goes, There is
an independent spirit. even in very
small insect I am man and shall
revenge you, even at the cost of my
life, sure and exact.
"You say you sent the money to
Japan. All, you pretty liar. You never
sent that money to Japan, but to your
sweetheart here in this country. My
mind is now made up. I have no regret
If I die In the efforts to revenge on
you. HARA.
This was body blow to Hara. as it
proved the loan. Then Muraoka testi-
fed that Hara sought them out at San
Bernardino after their marriage. "I
have found you at last" exclaimed the
outraged Hara as he burst in on them.
He was pacified and then he asked the
former Miss Hishida to give back the
money, as the payment had crippled his
business.
Hara says her husband did promise
to give back the money and did give
him a note, which was burned in the
San Francisco fire. Muraoka and his
friends say that as Hara left the home
of his former sweetheart empty-hand-
ed he stopped in the doorway and
Kissed: at will get even with you.
Revenge! Revenge!"