The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-10-11
OPEN GRAF I IN
KAU DISTRICT
CHARGED
Police Alleged to Be
Robbins GuiIeIess
japanese.

fragrant graft is charged against a
number of police officers of Kau dis
trict, Island of Hawaii. The matter
has been placed in the hands of the
county officials there, and the sheriff
has collected considerable evidence.
What steps are to be taken against the
s4srafters no one seems to know.
County Attorney Williams is lying
critically i'll, and his duties have been
performed by Carl Smith, the Hilo at
torney. A wireless dispatch on Satur-
day announced that the supervisors had
had a squabble over Smiths salary
and would not pay it, and it is thought
with the determination of Acting Coun-
ty Attornew Smith to proceed against
the grafters.
1t is likely, also that the Territory
may step in and take hand, because
some of the alleged official pilfering is
said to have been done before the coun-
ties were given the right to collect
license fees under law passed by the
last Legislature.
So far not a police officer alleged
to have been in the grating game, has
been suspended; yet Sheriff Pua, has
documentary evidence of graft; so has
License Collector Alfonso; so has Carl
Smith; so has Julian Monsarrat, of Ka-
papala ranch, and so has Thomas Wills
of PahaIa.
> Here is the system: japanese IN
Kau district, in the towns of Pahala,
HOnuapo, Waiohinu, Punaluu and other
smaller places, run small shops. There
are stores for general merchandise,
BARRIERS. tobacco sellers, and many 9th
er branches for disposing of merchan-
disc. Kau is an out-of- the way sort of
district and the license collector sell
dom gets around. But there are num-
Der of police officers and deputy
sheriff there. From the various Japa-
nese camps Messrs. Monsarrat and
Wills collected many receipts signed
by various police officers of Kau dis
trict, each receipt stating the money
was received for license fees. Dozens
and scores of receipts have turned up.
The matter became so bad that Sheriff
Put and Alfonso were sent for. They
went into the camps and collected re-
ceipts and they have these in their
possession now. The receipts do not,
it is charged, check against any stubs
on the government books. Many re-
ceipts are for the period prior to the
time the county was given power to
collect fees.
1t is said that Carl Smith, as acting
attorney for the county, intended
prosecuting, or at least bring the whole
matter to the attention of the grand
jury. Whether this determination and
the decision of the supervisors not to
: pay him a salary have any connection
is not yet known here.
The Attorney General will be noti-
fed of the whole occurrence and the
evidence laid before him. It is likely,
under the circumstances, that MEM
Der of the Attorney General office
Will 20 10 hilo 10 investigate INC may
Ater
7 AS to the Kau police, it is related of
them that some time ago one IN par
ticular had habit of stopping Japa-
nese driving along the government
roads and telling them that they were
driving too fast and therefore, violat,
ing the laws In these instance he
wheeled them into passing over their
loose change, usually from So to 50.
The cases were never heard of in the
district courts and the transactions
never appeared on the government rec
ords in the deputy sheriff s office.
Japanese minister was held up in this
manner. and s. was suggested as a
fee for settling the matter so that 1t
would not Inconvenience the minister
by appearing in court He replied that
he did not have So. It was suggested
that SO would fix the matter. He said
he had no money. 1t was finally ended
by the minister going to a japanese
store and borrowing fifty cents which
was handed over to the police officer.
That settled the matter and the case.
for nothing was ever heard of the lat
ter. This all sounds like page from
Dick Turpin 5 biography. but residents
of Kan assert that they have evidence
against the officers for such transac-
lions.
Mr. Wills IS in Honolulu at present
and it is said has much of the evidence
with him. He is not certain whether
he viii take up the matter with the
Attorney General just now. but there
is 4 strong likelihood that he will place
all the papers in the case in the hands
of Attorney General Hemenway before
he returns to Hawaii.