Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-08-12
AN IDOL IN. COURT
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
In q Case In Japan.
THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR.
This Solomon-like Official, to Whom ar
Innocent Mao Accused of Theft Ap
pealed, Devised a Simple Scheme
That Disciosed the Real CuIprits

One day servant employed by the
proprietor of big store near japan
bridge, in Yedtlo, was sent with d heay.
pack Of valuable cottol goods on his
back to dyer In HOMO district. When
the stores II Messenger reached Yoke
gawa stres ne was re Y to seek rest
What MOI safe than little grove
Of trees set about the tie statue OF
the god Jizo. the patron saint OF trap
elers and defenseless woman and CHI
dren
The somnolent porter awoke from
nap to And that his employers cotto#
had disappeared. In great distress +
! went to the sSorekeepcr and confessed
that he had slept and that robhei
had made Off with the goods during h.
alumber The master would not b.
;ieve his story, saying that it woHld
have been impossible for robber *
make off with so large bundle IL
broad daylight Unless the porte;
should pay for the lost goods he Won 6
have to go to prison. said the master
In despair the porter took counsel OF
Mayor O=oka
"Ycu are certainly to blame for hsv
ing fallen asleep" reproved the lGavnf
"but Jize is equally to blame for :.
is a god bound to protect every 9n
who trusts in him, and in this instalsAe
be has betrayed YOU. | will have Mii
arrested and brought before me :oi
trial"
G-oAn gave Immediate orders to bis
court officers to go and arrest the Wa
/ # Ynl1oeawa street and bring bin ne
fore The mayors seat for trial. Three
If the officers departed Oh their l2!s
sion. They FIRST bound the arms o
the stone god with coils OF rope; the;
they tried To Eft him from his afls
t. IL staI into Il cart. \ great crow.
assembled before the Ito. attraC t.
nv the unusual behavior Of taa cotlt'
If, eis. When thay Wece told tiiai
tize had to go before the mayor Tor
t,i4! he citizens marveled
IL" task of Hnsaa,inss ;,!e god Was
100 much for the three court oillHNr
aud they sought aid OF those standing
about. They promised that in return
FOR assistance they would admit II!
volunteer workers into the courtroom
to witness the ex araordinary trial
Hundreds were spurred by curiosit,
to lend a hand, and when the stone
god went through the streets strapped
to a cart like an offender the crowd
grew It flied the great hall Of justice
when Jizo was placed before the plat
form upon which sat the mayor. O-oki,
| IN, ctn
"You are negligent fool, Jlzo!'
he exclaimed In voice loud enough
for all to hear "You are supposed
to protect every one who believes I"
you and who renders tribute, yet q.
trusting porter here made prayer
you, then fell asleep at your feet, an,
he was robbed while he slept. Yo'
stand accused Of being an aceompiis.
In this robbery. Have you anythirg@
say for yourself before ! pas
.nnrn?" ,ss.> s'e~4l - - t, II II 80
Mayor O-oka waited for a few l.o
aients as If expecting the stony !i.e4
Jfzo to oren in replSuiRut WHOM 10
answer was made by tno(Ebh..he f:is.s
ed sentence Immediately.
"Sinee you do not defend yoursef
consider that you are guilty said hi
honor land shall imprison YOU"
Al this remarkable spectacle Of {.
mayer passing sentence upon q stoa"
god re WAS Il litter Of laughter
O-oka i,.undered in Il voice Of brass
..Who are all these people stanan.
about herc?" he inquired Of his corr
| ,H. \rc NF
or only plain thieves? They think TIL
court Is a penny show. and they l;tus.
III the courts orders Shut all III
gates at One"
The scared attendants FASTENED t.
shut the gates Of the courtroom. The,
Mayor O-oka adiudged every man lit
the great crowd in contempt Of "our,
and flied each Of them one tan ia XII
mono length, Of Gotten cloth The htn
drcds thus suddenly found in cont nn't
We're happy that their punishment ia
been SO light at least. and under bond
they buried to their homes to brin:;
back the cloth fine. Before the Il =
was done 700 pieces Of cotton c'n.h
had been presented before the mayer
court the name Of each culprit hein.,
set down upon the one tan Of cotto'
cloth which he presented.
Before he would allow the 7CO to =.
however. O-Oka retired with the POI
ter who had been re bed to IN mn
chamber. and he asked the porter !
look over the 100 pieces Of OFT"
cloth and see If he could idrn.is~ ~.
Of them as having been on in T.
pack he had carried. Sin every m:''
nfacturer Of cotton cloth in Yel.o !;
ways marked the selva"e Of eae h =.
With little red tradnmar. sta'rr
porter searched tho edges OF the W.
strips Of cloth for il stamp si'n!,"r
that borne on the cloth of which
had been robbed. He found that r.
Of the pieces of cloth brought 70
the mayors fine bore the stamp of Ii
plundered pack. !nsta nt.y A!ar.
O-oka gave orders for tho arrest OF
two men who had brought this c'".'
They confessed to the robbery. and
I Of the cloth they had taken from I.