The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-02-15
STEALING 4 BATH AN IDOL IN COURT
Adventure Of Trio of Enosh Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
Tourists In GERMANY In Case In Japan.
A PRINCE AND PRIVATE TUB THE RusE OF WISE MAYOR
This solomon-Iike Official, to Whom, an
innocen. Man Accused Of Theft APP
pealed, Devised a Simple Scheme
That Disclosed the Real culpriss.

Innocent man 9ccuSeC o. HeIt SP-
pealed, Devised Simple Scheme
THAI Disclosed the Real culpri.s.
One day scrrant employed by the
proprietor OF Z big store near Japan
bridge. in Yeddo. was sent with heavy
pack Of valuable cotton goods on his
hack to dyer IN HOMO district When
the stores messenger reached Icko-
Sawa street he was ready TO seek rest
What more safe than the little grove
OF trees set about the stone statue OF
the god Jizo. the patron saint OF trav-
c!crs and detenscless woman and chill.
drer
The somno!eHr porter awokc from
nap TO find that his employers cotton
had disappeared. In great distress he
went 20 the StoTekeeper and confessed
that he had slept and that robbie.
had made OF with the goods during his
Slumber. The master would not be-
!ieve his story. saying that II would
have been impossible ior robber TO
make OF with so large : bundle In
broad daylight Unless the porter
should pay for the lost goods be would
have to go TO prison, said the master.
In despair the porter took counsel OF
Mayor O-oka.
You are certainly TO blame for har.
iug fallen asleep" rep.ored the mayor,
but Jizo is equally to ola1ae. for he
IS q god bound to protect every one
who trusts IN him. and IN this instance
he has betrayed you VIII have him
arrested and brought before me FOR
trial"
O-oka gave immediate orders to his
court officers to go and Arrest the Jizo
Of Yokogawa street and bring him be-
fore the mayors seat for triai. Three
OF the officers departed on their mis-
sion. They first bound the arms o.
the stone god with coils OF rope: then
they tried to lift him from his firm
pedesta, into cart. 4 great crowd
assembled before the Jizo, attracted
by the unusual behavior OF the cou:t
officers. When they were told tnat
JIzo had to go before the mayor 1os
trial the citizens narTeled-
The task Of unseating the god was
too much Cor the three court officers.
and they sought aid Of those standing
about. They promised that in return
for assistance they would admit all
volunteer workers into the courtroom
to witness the extraordinary trial
Hundreds were spured b. curiosity
TO lend hand. and when the stone
cod went through the streets strapped
to \ cart like IN offender the crowd
grew. It filed the great hall OF justice
when Jizo was placed before the plat
form upon which sat the mayor O-oGa
addrcssed the god in stern words
you are 4 negligent fool, o Jlzo"
he exclaimed in voice loud enough
FOR NIL to hear. "You are supposed
to protect every one who believes IN
you and who renders tribute, yet this
trusting porter here made prayer to
you, then fell asleep ut yocr feet and
be was robbed while &c sler:- You
stand accused Of being an accoEaplice
IN this robbery. Have yau anything 70
say for yourself before I pass SEN
tence?
Mayor O-oka waited for few mo-
uerts as II expecting the stony hps OF
J!zo to open In reply. but when no
answer was made By the god he pass
cd sentence Immediately.
"Siuce you do not defend yourself
consider that you are guilty" said his
honor. ..and I shall tnprison you"
At this remarkable spectacle OF 4
mayor passing sentence upon a stone
ccd there was litter OF laughter.
O-oka Numbered in a voice Of brass.
WHO are all these people standing
about here:' be inquired OF his court
officers. "Are they accomplices Of 5izo
or only plain thieves? They think this
court IS penny show. and they laugh
at the courts orders. Shut all the
gates 1T once"
The scared attendants FASTENED 70
shut the gates Of the courtroom Then
Mayor O-oka adjudsed every man IN
tie great crowd in contempt OF court
and fined each OF them one tan "a H-
mono length Of cotton cloth The hun
drcds thus suddenly found in contempt
were happy that their punishment had
been SO Light 1T least. and Under bonds
they hurried to their homes to bring
back the cloth fine. Before the Gay
was done 200 pieces Of cotton cloth
had been presented before the mayors
court. the name OF each culprit being
set down upon the one tan OF cotton
cloth which he presented.
Before he would allow the To0 70 so,
however, O-oka retired with the por-
ter who had been robbed to IN inner
chamber, and he asked the porter to
look over the 700 pieces OF cotton
cloth and see II be could identify any
OF them IS having been once IN the
pack he had carried Since every man
ufacturer OF cotton cloth in Yeddo al
ways marked the selvase Of each stip
with 4 little red trademark stamp the
porter searched the edges Of the many
strips oc cloth FOR stamp similar to
that borne on the cloth Of which ae
had been robbed He found that twc
os the pieces Of cloth brought 70 pay
the mayors fine bore the stamp OF his
plundered pack Instantly Mayor
O.oka gave orders FOR the arrest OF the
two men who had brought this cloth.
They confessed to the robbery. and al
OF the cloth they had taken from the
sleeping porter's pack was restored tc
h.m.-Japan Magazine.
a>aa.,. e-oo.i nArtco Il hns 70 In.