The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-09-20
STRANGE CASE Of
DA| F0Ok TAI
How the EdnundS Act Works Out
in Oriental CaSes-Oirected
Verdict Granted.

federal cour-. lie Judge directing the
Jury 70 bring II verdict Of not sailtv.
The direction. however. wa> entirely
unnecessary. eng q r4e juro.> stating
after he trial had ended tina, 2 any
even; they would have acquitted the de-
PENDANT on the first ballot.
Ana notwithstanding this fact. the
trial viii be begun this morning 81 Lee
"a kee. The man with whom Dai
Foo:N Tai Was alleged 20 have had i'm
moral relations and was found not
guilty. Perhaps the re>ul, may be the
same. although reversed. a. the former
trials q the same defendants when the
woman. some three wears ago. was
found guilty and The man was acgui--
ted,
such trials are persecution. not
prosecution. said one 81 the jurors
Yesterday afternoon. The trouble i
that the prosecuting officers are deter
mined 10 win our some way ana they
keep On getting Indictments against
Orlentals, losing their eases and bring
ing more indictments, until the defend
ans are broke financially and unable
to hire lawyers and are therefore OBJ
Iiged 70 plead guilty ana 20 10 jail
The Dai Fook Tai and Lee Sa Kee
eases have been in the federal court
for years and the history Of those eases
il sufficient commentary on the appi-
cation Of the Edmund> Act to Hawaii
ard especially . the OrieutaI>, who are
the usual victims.
The history Of Dai Fook Tai Is typi-
cal OF many Of the prosecutions for
violation of the Edmunds Act Some
wears ago Dai Fook Tai was brought 70
Hawaii as & eoueubine by Chinaman
who already had a wife Such a pro-
ceeding was not unusual nor al all con
trary 10 oriental customs. But the man
who brought the woman here learned
something Of the operation Of the Ed
munds Act, concluded that il would not
be safe for him TO keep her. and SO
arranged 70 sell her TO another China
man for the sum Of $40.
Dali Fook Tai, docile ami al that she
was. only accustomed 20 obeying orders.
made no objection and she was married
TO the second Chinamau according to
the Ha-ka rites. She was brought TO
his house heavily yeiled. only partially
holding up the veil with her fan so she
could see where TO place her feet. As
she advanced toward the bridegroom. be
went 10 meet her and raised her veil
with the point of his own fan until her
face was disclosed. il being contrary
10 tradition and custom for the bride
groom TO see the face of his bride until
after the contamination of the mar
riage Then the bridegroom snatehed
of the thick veil and put il in his
pocket.
4 straw fire was started in an iron
pot. and according 70 tradition dating
back more centuries than the Christian
era can count. Dai Fook Tai jumped
over the fire.
Next two eggs were placed on the
ground and Dai Fook Tai and her bride
groom went through the formaIity Of
trying to pick them up with ehopsticks
an obviously impossible operation.
The two eggs were set aside. to be
eaten by the bride and bridegroom after
they had retired to their own apart
ments
Next. tea was served. together with
more substantial eatables. and during
the course Of this procedure Dai Fook
Tai retired % wait Tor her new nus
band
When, later, after having dismissed
his guests. the husband appeared in
the apartments Of his bride. he pro
duced from his pocket the heavy veil
with which her face had At first been
hidden, a. incoutrovertible evidence
that he was indeed the man she had
welded
- Was Dai Fook Tai welded.
Bat their marriage was di>appo NJ
raenr 20 cupid, Tor the woman. although
she was accustomed 10 obey orders
without question. Vet exercised the
feminine prerogscive Of changing her