The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-08-06
TRIAL COMES To
DRAMATIC STOP
(From Wednesday Advertiser,


The Tuesday session of the conspir.
acy trial was brought to a sudden and
dramatic stop at 1857 O'Clock when
Attorney W. A. Kinney, who had been
called to the telephone, reentered
hurriedly and whispered to Judge De
Bolt that Editor Sheba of the Hawaii
Shinpo had been stabbed by T. Mori.
The other attorneys beard what was
said, and for a moment a hush fell
over the court room, at the enormity
of the offense and a realization of the
lengths to which the more radical mem.
bers of the japanese community is
willing to go to gain their ends. The
defense was fully as startled as the
prosecution, for although the act of
the would-be ASSASSIN was directly in
line with the teachings of the Nippu
Jill, whose editor, Sega, is one of the
defendants in the conspiracy case, yet
the attempted murder of Sheba, one of
the principal witnesses for the prose
cution, came at a particularly mop
perfume moment for Maxine Higgin.
botham and his associates. 1t didn t
take them more than a minute to real
ize that the crime would react heavily
upon them and greatly lessen their
chances of getting a verdict of not
guilty.
The defense Immediately lost hope
and it was a very glum crowd of Jap.
anese that filed out of the court room
when the judge anpounced 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' life would be re.
ceived with smiles of incredulity and
that, although the jury would probably
be instructed not to take any account
of the attempted assassination, yet the
occurrence must inevitably have it's
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 a 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-
ton 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 anv.
thing to do with the election or an.
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
is to make speeches The
story he told on the stand yesterday
would be calculated to give the mali
,ini the impression that a Japanese
trike consists chiefly of speechmaking
md the beating of coal oil cans. varied
occasionally by the passing of the con.
box
Questioned regarding the first strike
It Alea, the witness stated that the
honolulu Higher Wage Association had
lothlng to do with it, didn t even
'now, officially, that it was coming
vi, and the only way the officers of
he association learned of it was by
eading the Jill. NegOro admitted that
lie had talked with one of the Aiea
men about a possible strike, and had
Idvised that the men should not strike
lntll they were ready to carry out the
trlke to successful end. But they
must be peaceable and commit no acts
# violence. strike, Negoro volun.
eered for the information of the court.
vas the only legal means of getting
n increase of wages. Negoro said he
ad promised Okino, the Aiea man. thds
f the Aiea laborers struck. the Homo
ulu Higher Wage Association would
upport them in their righteous cause
The Honolulu Higher Wage Asso.
iation," said Negoro, "didn t have
much to do except to make speeches.
et up mass meetings, get subscriptions
o the strike fund, and send out cIrcu.
ars to the plantations.
when the Japanese get up a
trike,' said the witness naively.
they beat coal oil cans and call the
eople together and say, we will get
p a strike.
Negoro told how, on the night a strike
1as declared Mt Aiea, messenger from
he plantation came and aroused him
ONE time after midnight and told him
he Aiea laborers had struck and want.
d him to come down and make
peeeh to them. So he got Maxine on
he telephone, and he and Maxine aud
'asaka went down TO Aiea and made
peeehes until the dawn was appear.
ng in the east, He told how they
nd all counseled peaceabe methods
nd advised against any acts OF Violanep |