Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-07-30
AN IDOL IN COURT
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
In Case In Japan.
THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR.
This Seiomon like Official, to Whom an
Innocent Mao Accused of Theft APP
peased. Devised Simple Scheme
That Discfosed the Real Culprits.

innocent Man Accused OF THEFT APP
pea'ed, Devised a Simple Scheme
That Discfosed the Real culprits.
One day a servant employed by the
proprietor OF big store near Japan
bridge, in Yed.lo was sent with a heavy
pack Of valuable cotton goods on his
back to dyer In HOMO district When
the stores messenger reached Yoko-
gawa stree ne was ready to seek rest
What MOI safe than the little grove
Of trees set about the stone statue Of
The god Jizo. the patron saint Of trar
elers and detcnseless woman and chit
| d-en.
The somnolent porter awoke from
nap to flnd that his employers cotton
had disappeared. In great distress he
vent to the s&orekeeper and confessed
hat be had slept and that robbeI
lad made of with the goods during his
.lumher The master would not be
ieve his story, saying that 1t wonld
have been impossible for robber &c
make off with so large bundle 10
aroad daylight Unless the porter
should pay for the lost goods he won q
nave to 60 to prison, said the master
IN despair the porter took counsel Of
Mayor O-oka
"Ycu are certainly to blame for hs~
ing fallen asleep" reproyed the mayor.
but Jizc is equally to blame, for &c
8 god bound to protect every ont
who trusts in him, and in this instance
ne has betrayed you. l will have hin
arrested and brought before Dle FOL
rial"
O-.,Ra gave immediate orders to bis
'ourt officers to 60 and arrest the .'lZf
Iokogawa street and bring blr ne
FORE the mayors seat for trial. Three
If the officers departed on Their 1tis
sion. They first bound the arms o:
The stone god with coils Of rope; ther
hey tried to lift him from his frs
RI destal into cart. A great croWs
assembled before the Jizo, attractes'
ny the unusual behavior OF the cour'
ff'cers. When they were told thaf
Jizo had to go before the mayor fo'
trial the citizens marveled.
The task Of unseating the god was
100 much for the three court officers
and they sought aid Of those STANDING
about They promised that IN return
for assistance they would admit nj
volunteer workers into the courtroom
10 witness the extraordinary trial
Hundreds were spurred by curiosit,
to lend a hand, and when the ston'
cod went through the streets strapped
10 cart like an offender the GROVE
grew. 1t filled the great hall of justice
when Jizo was placed before the plat
form upon which sat the mayor. O-ok'
addressed the god in stern words.
"You are a negligent fool, O Jizor
he exclaimed in a voics loud enough
for all to hear you are supposed
g protect every one who believes 1.
YOU and who renders tribute, ye! tn:
'rus+inc Porter here made a !:ayer
so,1 then fell asleep at Your feet. an
a.p was robbed while he slept w
st"rd accused OF being an ace uial'ei''
n this robbery Have you anything /,
say for yourself before pass &C.
tcnce?
Mayor O-oka waited for a few MIC
1nents as If cvooctirr +hc c+onv lirs g
1iro - - u y =. Y -
3s,,-- ,...> -. \. l., 80. ,ad ~ pas
"a So. !, a. i,a,i. = -,
, "a, =, -, - ! vo''.,teF
e.a u.s. rt',4' Al .roa =, Il
y. ~, = ..,,tt =, ~ T.. y ,..'e x
:. 'hiS l.a',t. r. ~ s.t=t"elt If
T.sav..f '"'eS'''. - ll-':i e " n
,,soti ,h@r, =. -, ~ ~ a:
s9-eka thune.c,l d ii IL Voice Q. t:,s>
"N-ho are all these people STANDING
about herc?" he inquired of bis cour
1tfie ers care they accomplices of JiZ
ar only plain thieves? They think thi
rcurt is penny show, and they lau@l
1t the courts orders. Shut all TIL
gates at on 'c!"
Tho scared attendants fastened t
shut the gates of the courtroom. The
Mayor O-oka adjudged every man il
ale great crowd in contempt of con,
md fined each of thorn enc ton {" ki
.uono length) of cotton cloth. Tie hul
4ireds thus suddenly found in contemr
were happy that their punishment hat
been so light at least. and under homo
they buried to their homes to brin
back the cloth fine. Before the d.
vas done 700 pieces of cotton clot
had been presented before the mayer
\ court, the name of each culprit bein
set down upon the enc tan OF cotto
cloth which he presented.
Before he would allow the 700 to st
J however. O-oka retired with the pol
ter who had been r obed to an :nne
chamber, and he asked the porter t
, look over the 700 pieces of rotto
? cloth and see If he could identify an
Of them as having been once In tn
pack he had carried Sin @ every mar
nfacturer Of cotton cloth in Ye,ldo 4
ways marked the solv"ce # earh STIR
: with a little red trademark stamp tn
rorter searched the edges of the man
: strips of cloth for a stamp similar t
that borne on the cloth OF whl'h h
y had been robbed. re found that tw
Of the pieces Of cloth breach ut to ~"
u he mayors fine bore the =. trp - !,
u ,,l,,pdorxA mach lNS+.nfiy Nave