The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-08-06

the Jiji and that the expressions 90
much objected to by the prosecution
as threatening violence, destruction and
determination were used merely in an
allegorical sense. Lightfoot continued
stating that he would show that the
| Jill had advocated peaceable methods
of carrying on the strike, and that this
has been the policy of all the higher
wage associations. "When the outside
organizations, he said, "have wanted
| advice or assistance, they have sent to
| Honolulu and Maxine and Negoro par.
ticularly have gone to address their
meetings and have counseled them not
| to resort to violence or unlawful acts.
off" concluded Mr.. Lightfoot, 1--WE
show you all these things, we shall
have showed you that no conspiracy ex-
| listed and we shall be entitled to a YER.
diet of acquittal."
Negoro a Witness.
Lightfoot then called Negoro to the
stand. Under questioning Negoro sta.
ted that he had never before been &C.
cused or convicted of any crime; that
he was thrtyfive years old, had left
Japan when he was seventeen and gono
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 year spent in Gamer
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.
ners" who help lawyers obtain their
cases and split the fees with them for
so doing.
Asked what connection he had with
the Nippu Jiji, Negoro stated that hc
had been asked by Editor Sega to write
articles and items for the paper and
was paid $50 a month for the work. He
had no editorial authority, however.
Witness admitted that he was one of
the originators of the higher wage
movement. "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 to 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.
tons of their remaining in Hawaii as
permanent residents. any agitation for
higher wages would be harmful, for if
they were paid 500 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
Sheba had. But, added the witness,
the Chronicle has changed its policy
dbuuJ seven since t0eU.
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 Jiji, and it was published in that
paper.
Lightfoot Wins Point.
Ltghtfoot 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 mind open |
TO the seeds of conspiracy and crime. |
Consequently, he contended, he should |
be allowed to offer the article in evil |
dence as the best testimony as to what |
was really the state of mind of Negoro |
at the time.
After half an hour or more of bril-
liant argument, Lightfoot won his
point; the judge admitted the article,
though with the reservation that his |
action was not to be taken as estab- |
fishing a precedent but merely because
Kinney had referred to Negoro's arti-
Gle as he did in his opening statement.
Wanted Japan to Interfere.
The article was then read to the |
jury and proved to be an argument,
not at all tiamboyant, in favor of high.
er wages. 1t was, however, rather a |
hair-brained piece of work, the Japa-
nese government being called upon to !
take the side of the laborers and de- |
nand of the United States government |
that the agreement prohibiting the !
going of Hawaii japanese from the is.
lands to the mainland be abrogated.
On the conclusion of the reading,
Kinney professed himself AS glad to
have the article before, the Jury, say.
ing he had never read it himself.
IightfOOt responded that ha WINS mora