The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-03

have showed you that no conspiracy ex-
listed and we shall be entitled to a YER
diet of acquittal. -
Negoro Witness.
Lightfoot then called Negoro to the
stand. Under questioning Negoro sta
ted that he had never before been ac-
cused or convicted of any crime; that
he was thirty-fve years old, had left
Japan when he was seventeen and gone
to San Francisco, where he worked his
way through grammar school, high
school and the University of Califor-
MIA, being graduated from the. latter
institution with the degree of bachelor
of laws. Returning to Japan for few
months, he came to Hawaii and had re-
manned here ever since 1903, with the
exception of 9, year spent in Amer
lea.
His occupation the witness said, was
dividing fees with lawyers, as he had
no special business. In other words,
he meant that he is one of the run
nerso who help lawyers obtain their
eases and split the fees with them for
so doing.
Asked what connection he had with
the Nippu Jiji, Negoro stated that he
had been asked by Editor Sega to write
articles and items for the paper and
was paid $50 month for the work. He
had no editorial authority, however.
Witness admitted that he was one Of
the originators of the higher wage
movement. 1.-THE question had to come
up some time, he said, :" for every
body was talking about higher wages
and it was in the minds of all the
japanese Sheba was the first man
with whom he discussed the matter.
This was IN the latter part of June of
1908. He had suggested 30 Sheba that
a movement for obtaining higher wages
for the japanese laborers ought to be
started, but Sheba disagreed with him.
Sheba thought that as many of the
japanese were growing cane on con-
tract and there appeared to be indica-
tions of their remaining in Hawaii as
permanent residents. any agitation for
higher wages would be harmful. for if
they were paid $26 a month, they
would be making more as employees
than they were as independent con-
tractors, and so would become depend
ents of the planters instead of becom-
ing independent.
This line of testimony gave the wit
ness an opportunity TO go into an ar
gument as to the justice of the higher
wage movement, an opportunity of
which he did not fail to avail himself
The witness said Sheba had refused
to go into any movement for the in
creasing of wages. and he went to the
editor of the Daily Chronicle, who, at
the time, took the same ground that
hob haJ Rf7+ Ia3
the Chronicle has changed its policy
about seven times since then.
Negoro stated that he had written
an article on higher wages and had
submitted it to Sheba. who refused to
publish it on the ground that it was
too radical. He then took the article
to the Jill, and it was published in thar
paper.
Lightfoot Wins Point.
Lightfoot offered the published arti-
Gle and its translation in evidence. and
Kinney promptly objected. This gave
rise to a lengthy and spectacular fight
over the point between Lightfoot and
Kinney. Kinney charged that counsel
for the defense was trying to bring
into the case the merits and dement's
of the strike, which was something en-
tirely extraneous and which should not
be permitted. Lightfoot took the
ground that Kinney in his opening ad-
dress to the jury had referred to this
very article and had said that its writ
ing by Negoro was proof that the de-
PENDANT even at that time, months be-
fore the strike began, had a mind open
to the seeds of conspiracy and crime
he contended. he should
be allowed TO offer the article in evil
denee as the best testimony as to what
was really the state of mind of Negoro
at the time