Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-07-26
AN IDOL IN..C0URT
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
 In a Case In Japan.
THE RUsE OF A WISE MAYOR.
This Solomon like Official, to Whom an Innocent Mao Accused of Theft Ap- That DiscioSed the Real Cuiprits.

pealed, Devised a Simple Scheme
 That Discio.sd the Real cuiprits.
 One day . servant employed by the proprietor of big store near Japan bridge, in Yed.lo. was sent with heavy pack of valuable cotton goods on his back to dyer in Honjo district When the stores messenger reached Yoko- gawa stree np was ready to seek rest What mol safe than the little grove If trees set about the stone statue of elers and detnnseless woman and chil- dren.
 The somnolent porter awoke from . nap to find that his employers cotton had disappeared. In great distress be went to the s&orekeeper and confessed that he had slept and that robber na. made of with the goods during h:t 4iumker The master would not be
 eve his story, saying that 1t would lave been impossible for robber to nakr off with so large bundle ip hrnad daylight. Unless the portnr should pay for the lost goods he would nave to 20 to prison, said the master. In despair the porter took counsel of Mayor O-oka
 "You are certainly to blame for hay Ing fallen asleep" reproved the Hav"r, but .Iizo Is equally to blame. for te n god bound to protect every one who trusts in him, and in this instarce 'e has betrayed you. l will have hum arrested and brought before me for rial"
 O-oRa gave immediate orders to hls 'ourt officers to so and arrest the .,izc
 f yolsogawa street and bring bim Ss, fore the mayors seat for trial. Ilrsa ef the officers departed on their rcis. sion They first bound the arms of the stone god with coils of rope; thep lucy tried to lift him from his tirn ,.tdt stal into a. cart. A great crowd Ssembled before the ,IiZo, attracted ny the unusual behavior of the court officers. When they were told thaf .,izo had to go before the mayor for iliai che citizens marveled.
 Tue task of unseatings the god was sno much for the three court officers tod they sought aid of those standing about They promised that in return for assistance they would admit al! volunteer workers into the courtroom tn witness the extraordinary trial Hundreds were spurred by curiosity so lend a hand, and when the stone god went through the streets strapped 10 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-oka addressed the god in stern words.
 You are negligent fool. o Jizo!' ne exclaimed in voice loud enough for all to hear. "You are supposed to protect every one who believes in you and who renders tribute, yet thi. trusting porter here made prayer tc you. then fell asleep at your feet, and he was robbed while he slept. You 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 few mo ments os if expecting the stony lips of 'izo to open fin reply. but when no answer was made by the god he pass ed sentence immediately.
 ''Since you do not defend yourself 'onSider that you are guilty" said his ''onor, "and I shall imprison you"
 At this remarkable spectacle of 8 s.,ayor 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 aoout here?" he inquired of his court
 only plain thieves? They think this court Is penny show. and they laugh at the courts orders. Shut all the !tes at oncer'
 The scared attendants hastened to shut the gates of the courtroom Then Mayor O-oka adjudged every man in the great crowd in contempt of court and fined each of them one tan Ca Ri. mono length of cotton cloth. The hun- dteds thus suddenly foand in contempt were happy that their punishment had been so light at least. and under bonds they hurried to their homes to 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 cotton cloth which he presented.
 Before he would allow the 700 to go, however, O-oka retired with the DOT ter who had been robbed to an inner 'hamber, and he asked the porter to look over the 1OO 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 the selvage of each strip with little red trademark stump the porter searched the edges of the many strips of cloth for stamp similar to that borne on the clus.t of which he had been robbed. Va fnuad that two of the pieces Of cloth brought to pay the mayors fine bore the stamp of his plundered pack Instantly Mayor n oiyo rvor., DrI fnr h., arroSf Of thu,