The Washington bee., 1911-09-16
AN IDOL IN COURT,
Made % Serve the Ends of Justice
In a Case In Japan.
THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR.
This Solomon-iike Official. to Whom an
Innocent Man Accused of Theft Ap-
pealed, Devised a Simple schens
That Disclosed the Real cuIprits,

One Jay d servant employed Dy the
proprietor of a big store near Japaz
bridge. in YeddO. was sent with heavy
pack of valuable cotton goods on his
back TO dyer in HOMO district. Whez
the stores messenger reached Yoke
gawa street he was ready to seek rest.
What more safe than the little grove
of trees set about the stone statue Of
the god JizO, the patron saint of trav-
elers and defenseleSs woman and chill
dren.
The sOmnOlent porter awOke from =
nap to find that his employers cotton
had disappeared. In great distress be
went to the stOrekeeper and confessed
that he had slept and that rObber
had made off with the good during his
slumber The master would not be
lieve his story. saying that it would
have been impossible for a TObber to
make off 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 haV-.
ing fallen asleep" reproved the mayor,
but JiZO is equally to blame. for ne
is a god bound protect every one
who trusts in him, and in this instance
he has betrayed YOU. ! viii have him
arrested and brought before me for
trial"
O-Oka gave immediate orders to his
court officers to 20 and arrest the JizO
IF Yokogawa street and bring him be
fore the mayors seat for trial Three
of the officers departed on their mis-
sion. They first bound the arms Of
the stone god with coils of rope: then
they tried TO lift him from his firm
pedestal into "a cart. \ great crowd
assembled before the JiZO. attracted
by the unusual behavior Of the court
officers. When they were told that
JiZo had to 20 before the mayor for
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 all
volunteer workers into the courtroom
| to witness the extraordinary trial
Hundreds were spurred by curiosity
10 lend hand. and when the stone
god went through the streets strapped
TO a 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-oks
addressed the god in stern words.
''You are a negligent fool. o JizO"
he exclaimed in a voice loud enough
| for all to hear. you are supposed
| to protect every one who believes In
you and who renders tribute, yet this
| trusting porter here made a prayer to
you. then fell asleep at your feet, and
be was robbed while be slept Yoa
stand accused Of being an accOmplice
In this robbery. Have you anything to
say for yourself before | pass sen
| tence"
Mayor O-oka waited for a few mo
ments as if expecting the stony lips Of
IizO to open in reply, but when ne
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. .'and shall imprison you"
At this remarkable spectacle Of a
mayor passing sentence upon a stone
god there was litter of laughter.
| O-oka thundered in a voice Of brass.
"Who are all these people standing
about here?" he inquired Of his court
officers. care they accOmpIices OF Jizs
or only plain thieves? They think this
rourt is a penny show. and they laugh
at the courts orders. Shut all the
gates at once
The scared attendants hastened to
shut the gates of the courtroom. Thea
Mayor O-Oka adjudged every man in
| the great crowd i'm contempt Of court
and fined each of them one tan Ia Ei-
mono lengthl OF cotton cloth. The 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
| 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 cOttOa
cloth which be presented.
Before be would allow the 100 TO go,
however, O-Oka retired with the pOr-
ter who had been robbed 10 an inner
chamber, and he asked the porter to
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
afacturer Of cotton cloth in YeddO al
ways marked the selvage OF each strip
with a little red trademark stamp the
porter searched the edges Of the many
strips Of cloth for stamp similar to
that borne on the cloth Of which he
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 the
two men who had brought this cloth.
They confessed to the robbery. and ALI