The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-04-04
COMPLICATIONS
OVER EMIGRANTs
LABOR AGENT LAWYERS SAY
THEY CANNOT SEE
CLIENTS.
(From Sunday . AdvortIsor.)

(From Sundays AdvortiseT.)
No such difficulties as tho attorneys
for the Alaskan interests yesterday ex.
perieneed were expected by them when
they first took up the fight to carry
laborers away from Hawaii, they sud.
denly finding themselves up against a
decision which they say prevents them
from applying for a writ Of habeas
copls they had prepared on behalf Of
the sixteen emigrants taken from the
steerage Of the Korea.
In spite of dampening their legal
ardor, this, according to statements
made, has increased their determine.
ton to fight for the labor they have
recruited, and they viii tomorrow seek
writ of habeas corpus from the su-
preme court itself.
Attorney Murphy of LorTin An
drews' office, accompanied by Craig,
were visitors at the'county Jail yester-
day to see their "clients,'' but were
met with the statement of Deputy
Warden Punohu that he had orders,
said to have been given by the sheriff
to refuse to admit anyone in to see the
sixteen except members of the firm of
Kinney, Ballou Prosser and Anderson,
special counsel for the prosecution,
whose witnesses the men are.
| 1t was afterwards stated that the or
der had also come from City Attorney
Cathcart by a telephone message and
this had the effect of displeasiDg the
police authorities as well as the attor-
neys for the emigrant agents, on the
grounds that the city attorney had no
business to dictate the management of
the Jail except through the police,
whether he was right or not.
The defense, however, is now going
to take up this point and fight it among
the many others it claims to be going
to contest The action on the part of
the police, taken under instructions, at
least, of the legal directors of the
campaign against Craig and his assis
tants, is said to be based on the fact
that the sixteen men were the wit
nesses of the prosecution, and not OF
the defense, represented by Andrews
e Watson.
What Watson Says.
"'The Territory Of Hawaii is evident
ly in state of rebellion or invasion,
said Attorney Watson yesterday after
noon, "for the privilege of the writ
of habeas corpus is to all intents an6
purposes suspended
Watson stated that as attorney fol
some fifteen Filipinos and Porto Ricani
who are held in Jail as witnesses
against certain labor agents operating
in the Territory, he prepared petition
for their release on a writ of habeal
corpus; that he then went to the jai
and told them who he was and asket
them if they wished him to represen
them, which they said they did, bu
as he was about to have them sign thu
petition, which it was necessary TO
them to do, a telephone message cam
from the city attorney Is office to Jaile
Asch ordering him to allow no one t,
see the prisoners other than member
, of the firm of Kinney, Ballou, PROSE-
& Anderson, representing private in
terests-the sugar planters association
He also states that he then went t.
the city attorney and attempted to ge
him to rescind his order Mr.. Cathcar
said that his office was not ATTENDING
to the matter, but that he would tele
phone the firm representing the suga
planters, and try to gain their eonsen
to allow the prisoners attorney to Sc
them" However, it was to no avail
Messrs. Kinney, Balfou, Prosser & An
derson declined to give their consen
! to allow Mr.. Watson to interview tn
men he claims are his clients.
Mr.. Prosser has meanwhile spen
most of Saturday with the prisoners
together with an interpreter and
, stenographer, taking their statement
!. relative TO what they know and wha
: they do not know about the matter.
Attorney Watson is now preparing
petition addressed to the supreme court
appealing for their release ON wri
Of habeas corpus. This petition wi
be based ON Section 2O57 of the r,
: vised Laws, and will be signed by
friend in their behalf.
"In the mean time,'' adds Mr.. Wa
e son, "American citizens are in Jail an
are denied the primary right Of a
: civilized people; a right which denie
by Mexico in time Of rebellion raise
all sorts of dismal foreboding as to til
4 condition Of the country" 81