Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-03-26
AN IDOL IN COURT
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
 In a Case In Japan.
THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR.


 Innocent Mao Accused of Theft Ap- peaIed, Devised Simple Scheme That Diseio.ed the Real CuIprits.
 One day a servant employed by the proprietor of big store near Japan bridge, in Yedsio was sent with heavy pack of valuable cotton goods on his back to dyer in Honjo district. When the stores messenger reached Yoko 9awa strev ne was ready to seek rest What moH safe than the little grove of trees set about the stone statue of the god Jizo. the patron saint of tray. elers and detnnseless woman and chil. 6fen.
 The somnolent porter awoke from a nap to And that his employers cotton had disappeared. In great distress he went to the s4prekeeper and confessed that he had slept and that robbeI had made of with the goods during bis slumber. The master would not bo neve his story, saying that it would have been impossible for a robber to make of 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.
 "You are certainly to blame for hsv, ing fallen asleep" reproved the mayor, ''but Jizo is equally to blame, for se is a god bound to protect every one who trusts in him, and in this instarse be has betrayed you. I will have hun arrested and brought before ple :or trial"
 O-oka gave immediate orders to his court officers to go and arrest the .'1zc of Yokogawa street and bring bim pc fore the mayors seat for trial. Tlraa of the officers departed on their Ieis, sion. They first bound the arms of the stone god with coils of rope; ther they tried to lift him from his firn pedestal into cart. great crowa assembled before the Jizo, attracted by the unusual behavior of the court officers When they were told thai Jizo had to go before the mayor for Jf1al Lle ClIlZeDS IuuINeleu.
 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 al volunteer workers into the courtroom to witness the extraordinary trial Hundreds were spurred by curiosity to lend a hand, and when the stone god went through the streets strapped to a cart like an offender the crowd ' grew. It filled the great hall of justice when Jizo was placed before the plat form upon which sat the mayor. O-oks addressed the god in stern words.
 "You are negligent fool, o Jizo!' he exclaimed in voice loud enough for all to hear.s You are supposed to protect every one who believes IF you and who renders tribute, yet thii trusting porter here made prayer tt you, then fell asleep at your feet, ant he was robbed while he slept. Yo' stand accused of being an accomplic' in this robbery. Have you anything t' say for yourself before I pass sen tenceY'
 Mayor O-oka waited for few mo ments as if expecting the stony lips O. Jizo to open in reply, but when n' answer was made by the god he pass ed sentence immediately.
 "Since you do not defend yourself consider that you are guilty" said hi honor, land I shall imprison you"
 At this remarkable spectacle of , mayor passing sentence upon ston god there was litter of laughter O-oka thundered in voice of brass.
 'Who are all these people standing about here?" he inquired of his cour officers. Are they accomplices of Jig or only plain thieves? They think thi court is a penny show. and they laugl at the courts orders. Shut all tn gates at once"
 The scared attendants hastened t shut the gates of the courtroom. The Mayor O-oka adiudged every man il the great crowd in contempt of cour and fined each of them one tan Ca k1 mono length) of cotton cloth. The hun 0ACuo t4uS SuOoChiy AOuhSA AAA N~AAs>AAAI | were happy that their punishment ha been so light at least, and under bond they hurried to their homes to brin back the cloth fine. Before the da was done 700 pieces of cotton clot had been presented before the mayor court, the name of each culprit bein set down upon the one tan of cotto cloth which he presented.
 Before he would allow the 700 to g however, O-oka retired with the pol ter who had been robbed to an inne chamber, and he asked the porter look over the TOO 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 mal ufacturer of cotton cloth in Yeado q ways marked the selvage of each stri with little red trademark stamp tl1 porter searched the edges of the nan strips of cloth for stamp similar that norma op t1ta cloth of which |