Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-05-12
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 Az
pealed. Devised a Simple Scheme
That Discfosed the Real CuIprits.
One day a servant employed by the
proprietor OF a big store near Japan
bridge, in Yedio, was sent with heavy
pack Of valuable cotton goods on his
back to dyer in HOMO district. When
the stores messenger reached Yoke.
gawa sire, lIh 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 trav-
elers and detcnseless woman and chill
dren.
The somnolent porter awoke from q
nap to And that his employers cotton
had disappeared. In great distress be
went to the s&orekeeper and confessed
that he had slept and that robbeI
had made Off with the goods during his
slumher. The master would not b:,
lieve his story, saying that 1t would
have been impossible for robber 70
make off with SO large bundle 10
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 hev
ing fallen asleep" reproved the mayor,
"but .Uzo is equally to blame. for Re
is a god bound to protect every one
who trusts ia him, and in this inatar',e
he has betrayed you. ] will have BIN
arrested and brought before ME soi
trial"
O-.,Sa gave immediate orders to his
court officers to go and arrest the .'1Zf
Of Ycl<ogawa street and bring BIN ne
fore the mayors seat for trial. Three
Of the officers departed on their leis.
sion. They first bound the arms OF
the stone god w;'h coils of rome: Their
they fried to LIT him from his f.r
i. ,1estal into y cart. A great croMa
assembled before the JiZo. attracted
by the unusual behavior Of the coati
sti.rr1s When they were told that
tie had to go before the mayor for
II ial rie citizens marveled.
The task of unseating the god was
| 200 much for the three court officers
aud they sought aid of those standing
! about They promised that in return
| for assistance they would admit al
! volunteer workers into the courtroom
\ TO witness the extraordinary trial
\ Hundreds were spurred by curiosity
to lend 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-oka
addressed the god in stern words.
"You are a negligent fool, O Jizo!'
he exclaimed in voice, loud enough
for all to hear "You are supposed
to protect every one who believes #
you and who renders tribute, yet this
trusting porter here made prayer tr
you, then fell asleep at your feet, ant
| he was robbed while he slept. You
stand accused of being an accomplc'
IN this robbery. Have you anything to
say for yourself before l pass sen
| tence?"
| Mayor O-oka waited for few mo-
ments as 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
consider that you are guilty" said his
honor, land shall imprison YOU"
At this remarkable spectacle of s.
mayor passing sentence upon stone
god there was a litter of laughter
O-oka Numbered in voice of brass
"Who are all these people standing
about here?" he inquired of his court
officers. care they accomplices of Jizo
or only plain thieves? They think this
court is penny show, and they laugh
at the courts orders. Shut all the
| gates at Once!"
The scared attendants fastened to
shut the gates of the courtroom. Then
Mayor O-oka adjudged every man in
| the great crowd in contempt OF court
and fined each Of them one tan "a k1-
mono lengthy of cotton cloth. The hun
dreds thus suddenly found in contemm
! 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. the name of each culprit being
set down upon the one tan of cotton
| cloth which ho prnSontnd
Before he would allow the 700 to 30,
however, O-oka retired with the por-
ter who had been robbed to an inn =
chamber. and he asked the porter to
look over the 100 pieces of cotton
cloth and see if he could identify Hny
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 selvage Of each stria
with little red trademark stamp the