Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-08-09
AN IDOL IN COURT
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
 In a Case In Japan.
THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR.
This Solomon like Official, to Whom an innocent Mao Accused of Theft Ap- pealed, Devised a Simple Scheme That Dseiosed the Real cuIprits.


 pealed, Devised a Simple Scheme That Discfosed the Real cuIprits. One day servant employed by the proprietor of q big store near Japan bridge, in Tedio, was sent with heavy pack of valuable cotton goods on his back to dyer In Honjo district. When the store's messenger reached Yoko' gawa stres ue was ready to seek rest What mor safe than the little grove of trees set about the stone statue of the god Jizo, the patron saint of tray elers and defrnseless woman and chil. dren.
 The somnolent porter awoke from g nap to find that his employers cotton had disappeared. In great distress be went to the sAorekeeper and confessed that he had slept and that q robbef had made off with the goods during h.s slumber. The master would not ba. lieve hls story, saying that 1t would have been impossible for a robber 10 make off with so large a bundle io broad daylight. Unless the porter should pay for the lost goods he would have to go to prison, said the master Tn despair the porter took counsel of Mayor 0-oka
 "Ycu are certainly to blame for hsv ing fallen asleep reproved the mayor, but JiZo Is equally to blame, for *f Is god bound to protect every @oe who trusts in him, and in this instance be has betrayea Jou. l y'i.l have .-.-- arres ed and brought before ule sst trfel"
 z s'.a ,-e=o immediate orders to h's oourt officers tn % and arrest tho 'iz" ot oisoeaWa street and bring btri 1e fore the mayors seat for trial. Three of the officers departed on thelf I&is- sion. They first bound the arms of the stone god with coils of rope: thef they tried to lift him from his frr l redestal into cart A great crowd assembled before the Jizo, attracted hy the unusual behavior of the eourt officers When they were told tA7f Jizo had to go before the mayor fur 1 IiaI he citizens marVeled
 The task of unseatinc the god Was ta9 much for the three eonrt e4''z''''7 ana they sought aid of those standing about. They promised that n return for assistance they would admit aa volunteer workers into the courtroom to witness the extraordinary trial Hundreds were spurred by curiosity to lend a hand and when the stone rat vent threHeh the streets strasnee 10 | cart like m offender the crowd grew It filled the great haIi of justice when Jizo was placed before tie pl"t form ufon which sat tA5 9aEor 0.ols addressed the god ia stefa ve1ti@.
 "Y0u are a negligent fool, o J,..z ae exclaimed in 2 veie5s loud cceT@l ] for all to hear You are supposed to protect every one who believes 1T you and who renders tribute yet tAis trusting porter here made a prayer 6 5ou, then fel3 asleep at TaUr feat, and he was robbed while he slept. Ea1 stard accused ef heia@ an aeeo.-ys in thls robbery. Have you anything to say for yourself before I pass se'' l tence?"
 Mayor O-oka waited for few mo saents as if expecting !ie stony .t.5@ Etzo t9 a7 I in reply but vixen 40 answer was made ny the god he pass ed sentence immediately-
 Since yon do not defand yourself ! consider that you are entity" sud his honor. asald shAlI iAprison Heu.7
 .}t this remala.ahte spectacle .'f mayar sass:ag ss.H5 eH5 'tston ] sts...2 god a5as s.tar os ss.--.,=.a. o-a3ga dered n I v4i5aas brass.
 aH,he are all tseso 7oooA allag fAaut here2' he Inemrnd of His court jlaeers. Are fhev eaAaiices af tt7o IT ealy plain fh.eHr5 G,zav aa.H6 eif.s saart is , penny slsazes s.i4l hey .5u1h
 fhe eaurt.s= =arz3ers. >..js e..- --..e gates ,f eIl
 The seayz8 t=z7zss. = shut the rate= If lse =a'Jr-ra 71n. T9au Mayor 0.ok3 sdMt}4ed seepy aaa u tAe treat s-GaFgsl u 5sf5t4 e.4slt ol oU91 ..s.= iGed eas h at them one tan n Ri ino.l9 ..4t..z ## s#a .& =. l.,.a- 9veds fle ' Q .a,zt ~ere 1sa7-=s- -'Y.gt F. 7t' ,si.igsrert ' d been SO light 1t least, and under bonds they buried to their homes to bring back the cloth tue Before the dny was done 7ao aie=es of cotton cloth had eeen presented hefore the mayors court, the name of each cvlprit being set down upan the enc tan of cotton cloth which hc presented.
 Before he would allow the 7oo to go, however. O-olla retired with the DOT fer who had been rC3bed to an tuner chamber, and he asked the porter to look ever the 700 pieces of cotton cloth and see # he cou'd identify any of them as having been once in the pack he had carried. Since every man. ufacturer of cotton cloth in Yeddo al ways marked the SelSaGe of each strip with little red trademark stamp the porter searched the edges of the many strips of cloth for stamp similar to that borne on the cloth of which he had been robbed. He found that twa of the pieces of cloth brought to pav