The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-08
gets FIVE
YEAR SENTENCE
ORIENTAL WHO HAS CONDUCT
ED RESTAURANT ON FRONT
STREET FOR SOME TIME MUST
SPEND HALF A DECADE IN
STATE PEN.

Harry Fujita, the Jap restaurant
keeper of Front street. will serve five
years in Bismarck and in addition was
sentenced to pay fine of $500 for an
attempt to commit rape on the person
Of 15year-old Laura Bleisch. The
sentence was passed by Judge c. A.
Pollock this morning and begins at
noon today. A large crowd heard the
sentence passed.
Hardly comprehending what was be-
ing said or the meaning of the whole
procedure of the court, the little brown
man stood at the bar and received the
sentence imposed by the court with
out blinking an eye. AT first his in
terpreter, Harry Imai, head bellboy at
the Waldorf hotel. explained to the
defendant the nature of the charge
and the dates upon which his arrest
had taken place and when the first
information was fled. During the
passing Of the sentence the Jap stood
alone and stared at the court in a
manner which indicated he understood
nothing of what was being said nor
appreciated the gravity Of the situa-
ton.
In passing sentence Judge Pollock
stated that no crime, save murder,
was looked upon with more abhorance
than rape, which was rarely proven.
He emphasized the fact that the Jap
did not come before the bar as
foreigner, Jap, Asiatic, European, or
a member Of any other race but as
any one who is brought into court
10 60
which he may be charged The court
expiated upon the rumor regarding
the international complications which
were predicted to arise from the case
by certain newspapers, and he brand
ed all such talk as the merest nom
sense"
Every protection has been given
given you" said Judge Pollock, land
You have been fortunate in having SO
excellent a jury, for 1t is rare for
more intelligent jury 70 act than that
which sat in your case"
In reviewing the past life Of F'ujita,
the court stated that In all probability
the Jury had been Influenced in it's
decision by the evidence that was
given, which showed the Jap to have
been a cook for several years in a
house Of ill-fame, prior to the es-
adjustment of his own place Of bust
ness, the Yokahoma restaurant, at "a
Front street. 1t was brought out that
the little Mongolian had been in part
nership with the negro woman, Mae
Ford, with whom he is known to have
lived. All these things the court
stated, the jury had doubtless taken
into consideration in rendering a de-
cision.
1t was stated by the court that the
Jap was not found guilty of being a
party to any underground railroad
system for the promotion Of the ne
farious white slave traffic, nor had
the oriental been found guilty Of in
weighing the little Swiss girl into his
apartments for immoral purposes, nor
did he secure her and have her
brought to Fargo for any lewd pur-
poses.
You say that you treated the child
as your own" continued Judge Pol
lock, land that she called you papa
and the colored woman mother, and
your treatment of her was only such
as would have been accorded your own
child. Yet it was the child who COM
planned Of your treatment and threat
ened to notify the police"
In presenting his motion for a new
trial, Taylor Crum, counsel for the jap.
stated that he had been greatly handi-
capped during the proceedings, owing
to his own inability to understand fully
his client, whose acquaintance with
the English language was exceedingly
slight. Further than this Ii was stated
by Mr.. Crum that the interpreters |
OF the Japanese language
was not proficient as Mr.. Imai had
come to this country when at such a |
youthful age that he had forgotten
much Of his native tongue and was far
more familiar with English as he had |
been educated in American schools. |
and was a graduate of the Detroit, !
Mimi, high school. Mr.. Imai testified !
to this statement and admitted his in |
ability to comprehend fully on many |