Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-05-20
AN IDOL IN COURT
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
In a Case In Japan.
THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR.

innocent MSN fNGeuseo OF HSfS APP
pealed, Devised Simple Scheme
That pisciosed the Real CuIprits.
One day servant employed by the
PROPRIETOR OF big store near Japan
bridge. in Yed.io, was sent with heavy
pack of valuable cotton goods on his
back to dyer In HOMO district. When
the stores messenger reached Iuno.
Rawa sire. LIE was ready to seek rest
What mol s1fe than the little grove
of trees set ABOUT the stone statue OF
the god Jtzo, the patron saint Of trav.
elers and detcnseless woman and chill
dren.
The somnolent porter awoke from
nap to flnd that his employers cotton
had disappeared. In great distress be
went to the s6orekeeper and confessed
that he had slept and that robbeI
had made OF with the goods during his
slumher. The master would not be-
neve his story, saying that it wonld
have been impossible for a robber TO
make off with so large a bundle In
broad daylight Unless the porter
should pay for the lost goods he won. d
have to go to prison, said the master,
In despair the porter took counsel OF
Mayor O-oka
"Ycu are certainly to blame for nev
ing fallen asleep" reproved the mayor,
"but Jizo is equally to blame, for re
Is a god bound to protect every one
who trusts in him, and in this instance
be has betrayed you. / will have bin
arrested and brought before ME Cor
trial"
O-osza gave immediate orders to hts
court officers to go and arrest the liz"
Of Yokogawa street and bring birl pc
fore the mayors seat for trial. 1'lne"
of the officers departed on their Ieis-
sion They first bound the arms OF
the stone god with coils of rope; thel
they tried to lift him from his frr
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 fur
trial the citizens marveled.
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 II!
volunteer workers into the courtroom
to witness the extraordinary trial
Hundreds were spurred b. curiostt.
to lend hand. and when the stone
god went through the streets strapped
to cart like an offender the CROWD
grew. 1t filed 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 negligent fool O Jizo!"
he exclaimed in voicu loud enough
for all to hear. "You are supposed
to protect every one who believes f.
you and who renders tribute, vet Thu
trusting porter here made a prayer tc
you, then fell asleep at your feet anc
lie was robbed while he slept Yoo
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 tho god Re pass
ed sentence immediately.
Since you do not defend yourself /
consider that you are guilty" said his
honor, ''and I shall imprison YOU"
+ At this remarkable spectacle of
god there was 9 litter OF laughter
O-oka Numbered in a voice of brass.
Who are all these people standing
about here?" he inquired of his court
officers. "Are they accompliccs of Jizo
or only plain thieves? They think this
court Is penny show, anu they laugh
at the courts orders. Shut all the
gates at oncer'
Inc scared attendants fastened t.
smut the gates of the courtroom Then
Mayor O-oka adjudgcd every men n
the great crowd in contempt of court
and fined each of them one tan Ia XII
mono length of cotton cloth. The hun
dreds thus suddenly found in contemp,
were happy that their punishment had
eSSh 81 iissl.l az ieitSl, ana under DOnQs
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 beins
set down upon the one tan of cottor
cloth which he presented.
Before he would allow the 700 to 90
however. O-oka retired with the nor
ter who had been robbed to an inuc,
chamber. and he asked the porter t,
look over the 700 pieces Of cotto,
cloth and see if he could identify an,
Of them as having been once in tn
pack he had carried. Since every man
nfacturer of cotton cloth in Yeddo al
ways marked the selyage of each strr
with a little red trademark stamp til
porter searched the edges of the man
strips Of cloth for stamp similar I
that borne on the cloth of which b
had been robbed. lie found that tw
Of the pieces of cloth brought to pa