Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-05-23
AN Idol. IN COURT.
Made to Serve the Ends Of Justice
In a Case In Japan.
TIE RUSE OF 4 WISE MAYOR.
This 3oiomon like Official, to Whom an
innocent Mao Accused OF THEFT Ap-
PsaIed. Devised a SimpIc Scheme
That piscioscd the Real Cuprils.


That Disclosed the Real Cuiprits
One day q servant employed by the
proprietor of big store near Japan
bridge. in Yeddo, was sent with heavy
pack OF valuable cotton goods on h:3
back to dyer In HOMO district When
the stores Messenger reached Yoke
gaWa stres I'VE was ready to seek rest
What m0I safe than the little grove
Of trees set ABOUT the stone statue OF
the god Jizo. Che patron saint of trav
elers and defrnseless woman and chii,
dren
The somnolent porter awoke from q
nap to find that his employers cotton
lad disappeared IN great distress be
went to the ssorekeeper and confessed
that he had slept and that robbeI
tad made Off with the goods during has
slumher. The master would not b."
neve MS story, saying that it would
have been impossible for robber Il
make off with so large a bundle in
broad daylight. Unless the porter
should pay for the lost goods he woud
have to go to prison, said the master
In despair the porter took counsel ~
Mayor Ooka
"Ycu are certainly to blame for h9T
ing fallen asleep" reproved the 1bavo7.
"but ,Jizo is equally to blame, for e
is god bound to protect every fHe
who trusts in him, and in this instance
be has betrayed YOU. I will have h',n
arrested and brought before Die eo}
trial"
O-oka gave immediate orders to liz
court officers to 90 and arrest the liz.
of YolSogaWa street and bring flr! ma
fore tie mayors seat for trial. 1l'rae
of 1ae officers departed on thoir liz
sion. They first bound the arms of
the stone god with coils of ro9e; the!
they tried TO lift him FROM his fir.
pedestal into Il cart A great GROVE
| assembled before the .FiZe. attraFjca
by the unusual behavior Of the eolrt
officers. When they were told thu
Jizo had to go before the mayor f@f
t1ial she citizens n.arvelcd
I I've task of GGSeatin& &c god %A>
100 :.?ueh for the t!2ree o9,srt o.
and they sought aid Of hose standing
| ahor$. They promised that ~ return
| for assistance they would admit W
volunteer workers into the courtroom
To witness the G. y:aarCiaaly trlal
| Hundreds were SpUlfet by curiosity
to lend a hand. ard WHOM the stcnf
rod went through the streets strapn2f
to a cart like an offender the crowa
| + h, hai Of inc ia
when TiZo was placed before the plat
| forfn upon which SCI the mayor. C-ols;.
81 :"esscd tho 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 If
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
| stand accused of being an accomplcs
in this robbery. Have you anything to
say for yourself before 1 pass sen
! tence?"
Mayor O-oka waited for Il few mo
ments as If expecting the stony lips OF
|
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 d
mayor passing sentence upon stone
god there was litter of laughter
| ~ ri ", o%
"Who are all these people standing
about here?" he inquired of his court
officers: "Are they accomplices Of JiZo
or only plain thieves? They think this
court is a penny show and they laugh
at the courts orders. Shut all the
| gates at once"'
The scared attendants FASTENED t"
shut the gates of the courtroom. Then
Mayor O-oka adjudgcd every man in
the great crowd in contempt of court
and fined each of them one tan "a XII
mono lengthy of cotton cloth. Tie 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 10 bring
| DdCK the clOlu llue. bclOEe lie ut y
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 he presented.
Before he would allow the 700 to go
however, O-oka retired with the por
ter who had been rc5bed to an inner
chamber. and he asked the porter tc
look over the 700 pieces Of cotton
cloth and see if he could 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 tho selv"@e Of each st'''
/ with little red trademark stamp tli
porter searched the edges OF the many
strips Of cloth for Il stamp similar tt
that borne on the cloth Of which Il.
had been robbed. He found that two
Of the pieces of cloth brought to pay
the mayors fine bore the stamp of his
plundered pack. Instantly Mayor
O-oka gave orders for the arrest Of thu
<r.yO MAN who hod hro,1 Cht thic clot n