Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-04-16
AN IDOL IN court
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
In a Case In Japan.
THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR.
This Solomen-Iike Official, to Whom an
Innocent Man Accused of Theft Ap-
pealed, Devised Simple Scheme
That Disciosed the Real Cuprits.

That DiscIosed the Real Cu,prits.
One day servant employed by the
proprietor OF big store near Japan
bridge, in Yedslo, was sent with heavy
pack Of valuable cotton goods on his
back to a dyer In HOMO district When
the stores messenger reached Yoke
gawa stres nt was ready to seek rest.
What MOI safe than the little grove
of trees set about the stone statue Of
the god Jizo. the patron saint Of tray
elers and detenseless woman and chill.
dren.
The somnolent porter awoke from
nap to and that his employers cotton
had disappeared. In great distress be
went to the storekeeper and confessed
that he had slept and that robbeI
had made of with the goods during his
slumher The master would not be-
lieve his story, saying that it would
have been impossible for robber to
make off with SO large a bundle in
broad daylight Unless the porter
should pay for the lost goods he would
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" rcproved the mayor,
"but Jize is equally to blame. for s'e
is god bound to protect every que
who trusts in him, and in this instarne
be has betrayed you. l viii have him
arrested and brought before Dle Tor
trial"
O-oka gave immediate orders to his
! court officers to go and arrest the .'iZ'
Of Yokogawa street and bring BIN De
fore the mayors seat for trial. Three
Of the officers departed on their 1ais'
sion. They first bound the arms OF
the stone god with coils Of rope; thep
they tried to lift him from his firm
pedestal into a cart. A great crowd
| assembled before the Jizo, attracted
by the unusual behavior of the court
officers. When they were told that
Jizo had to go before the mayor for
| trial the citizens maryeled.
The task of unseating the god was
| too much for the three court officers
and they sought aid of those standing
about. They promised that in return
for assistance they would admit III
volunteer workers into the courtroom
| to witness the extraordinary 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. 1t filled the great hall of justice
! when Jizo was placed before the plat
form upon which sat the mayor. O-ok~
! addressed the god in stern words.
"You are a negligent fool, o Jizo!'
| he exclaimed In a voice loud enough
for all to hear. "You are supposed
| to protect every one who believes IL
you and who renders tribute, yet this
! trusting porter here made prayer te
you, then fell asleep at your feet, anc
he was robbed while he slept You
etcr6 aorr~cd Of being an accomplish
| in this robbery. Have you anything to
say for yourself before I pass sen-
| tence?"
| Mayor O-oka waited for few mo-
ments rs If expecting the stony lips OF
Jizo to open In reply, but when no
answer was made by the god he pass
ed sentence Immediately.
"Since you do not defend yourself l
consider that you are guilty" said his
honor, "and shall imprison you"
At this remarkable spectacle of q
| mayor passing sentence upon a stone
god there was a litter Of laughter
sO-oka Numbered in voice of brass.
"Who are all these people standing
about here?" he inquired of his court
officers. cara they accomplices of Jizo
or only plain thieves? They think this
court is g peHny show, AID they laugh
at the courts orders. Shut all the
rctes at once"'
i The scared attendants fastened t.
shut the gates %. i'4e c"i:T,.oom. Then
! Mayor O-oI,n :,7'~t:@ed every man in
the great crowd in contempt OF court
and fined each % ti,,in one tan IA XII
mono lengthy of cotton cloth. The hun
.dreds thus suddenly found In contempt
were happy that their punishment had
been so light at least and under bonds
they hurried to their homes to bring
back the cloth fine. Before the day
was done 700 pieces OF cotton cloth
had been presented before the mayors
court. tho name of each culprit being
set down upon the one tan Of eottor
cloth which he presented,
Before he would allow the 700 to go
however. O-olia retired with the por
ter who had been Y Nhed to on inncl
chamber, and he asked the porter tt
look over the 1cn ,.ifc"s OF cotton
cloth and see if beyond identify an!
Of them as hayin~ 'hnnn once in thu
pack be had carried. s;ie"e every man
ufactHrer of cotton c!ath in Yea;.o al
ways marked the selvaee Of each stril
with a little rcd trsl1.nlrk stamp tn
porter searched tha e'i;-as CT the nan!
strips of cloth fer = *+1np ainl''ar Il
that horne on tie e1s,h o. ". j h
had been robbed To fargd that tW'
Of tho pieces Of <'o'n trooeh' - na,
-ha layers fine 1oi-:- tiae stal:lp Of hi
plundered pack. instantly Mayo
O-oka gave orders for The arrest-af TIL
Al