The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-04
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cution, came at a particularly mop
perfume moment for Maxine Higgin-
botham and his associates. It didn'
take them more than minute to real
upon them and greatly lessen their
chances of getting verdict of not
guilty.
The defense Immediately lost hope
| and it was very glum crowd Of Jap
anese that fled out of the court room
when the judge announced that court
would adjourn for the day on account
of what had happened. They realized
| that their expected vigorous denials of
any knowledge of an attempt to be
made on Mr.. Sheba IS life would be re-
ceived with smiles of incredulity and
that, although the jury would probably
| be instructed noE to take any account
of the attempted assassination, yet the
occurrence must inevitably have its
| effect
Before that the defense was seem
ingly getting on swimmingly. Negoro
| was on the stand. as he was the day
| before, and his testimony, as was to
be. expected, was general denial of
any intentions or teachings of violence
by the Higher Wage Association.
Negoro, who is the proud possessor
Of a degree from the University of
| California as a Bachelor of Laws.
seems inclined to take the bit in his
mouth sometimes and run away with
his attorney, much to the latter's EN-
barrassment. Several times Lightfoot
was obliged to instruct the witness TO
stick to his story and not disregard
the ruling of the court by trying to
give evidence that had been ruled out
before.
When the session first began yester-
day morning, Mr.. Sheba, who was
present as he had been every day, was
excluded from the court room on mo-
tion of Lightfoot, who objected to his
presence on the ground that he was
liable to be called to the stand in re-
buttal by the prosecution. Mr.. Sheba,
accordingly announced his intention of
going away, and he left for his office,
being stabbed by Mort before he :,
reached it.
Replying to the questions of his
counsel, Negoro denied that the Homo
lulu Higher Wage Association has any
thing to do with the election or APP
pointment of the officers of the sub
sidiary or outside associations. In ,
fact, to hear Negoro tell it, about the
only duties of the Honolulu Higher |
Wage Association are to collect money |
for the carrying on of the strike, and |
the chief duty of the officers of that |
organization is to make speeches. The |
story he told on the stand yesterday |
would be calculated to give the mali
hini the impression that a Japanese |
strike consists. chiefly Of speechmaking
and the beating of coal oil cans, varied
occasionally by the passing of the con
tribution box.
Questioned regarding the first strike
at Aiea, the witness stated that the
Honolulu Higher Wage Association had
nothing to do with it, didn't even
know, officially, that it was coming
off, and the only way the officers of
the association learned of it was by
reading the Jill. Negoro admitted that
| he had talked with one of the Aiea
men about a possible strike, and had
advised that the men should not strike
until they were ready to carry out the
strike to successful end. But they
must be peaceable and commit no acts
of violence. A strike, Negoro volun-
| teered for the information of the court,
was the only legal means of getting
an increase of wages. Negoro said he
l.had promised Okino, the Aiea man, that
| if the Aiea laborers struck, the Homo
| lulu Higher Wage Association would
support them in their righteous cause.
=. "The Honolulu Higher Wage Asso-
ciation,' said Negoro, didn't have
much to do except to make speeches,
get up mass meetings, get subscriptions
to the strike fund, and send out clrcu-
lars to the plantations
'FWhen the japanese get up a
strike, said the witness naively,
"thev beat coal oil cans and call the
people together and say, we will get
up a strike. -
Negoro told how, on the night strike
was declared at Aiea, a messenger from
the plantation came and aroused him
some time after midnight and told him
i the Aiea labofers had struck and want
ed him to come down and make a
speech to them. So he got Maxine on
the telephone, and he and Maxine and
Tasaka went down to Aiea and made
speeches until the dawn was appear
ing in the east. He told how they
had all counseled peaceable methods
and advised against any actsof violence
And, boosted the Witness there has
never been any troub'e at Aiea and
none of the Aiea men has been ar,
rested
Negoro was still on the stand ex.
patiating on his mild and peaceable
methods and reciting his old speeches.
when the announcement came that
Sheba had been stabbed. and court
| 1,rnrnrntIr- . din,1rn 81 fnr 4hn dnr.