Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-07-12
AN IDOL IN COURT
Made to Serve the Ends of Justice
 In a Case In Japan.
THE RUsE OF A WISE MAYOR.

THE RUSE OF A WISE MAYOR. This SoIomon-like Official, to Whom an
 Innocent Man Accused of Theft Ap-
 peaIed, Devised Simple Scheme
 That Disclosed the Real cuIprts.
 One day servant employed by the proprietor of big store near Japan bridge, in Yeddo was sent with heavy pack of valuable cotton goods on his back to dyer in Honjo district. When the stores messenger reached Yoko- gawa strev ne was ready to seek rest What mof safe than the little grove of trees set about the stone statue of the god Jixo. the patron saint of trav- elers and defenseless woman and chil dren.
 The somnolent porter awoke from 6 nap to find that his employers cotton had disappeared. In great distress he went to the s&prekeeper and confessed that he had slept and that a robber had made of with the goods during his OA0A1AtCAs 4AC IAdSCcI WOulU uOL UG- neve his story, saying that it would have been impossible for robber 10 make of with so large bundle ip 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 hay, ing fallen asleep" reproved the mayor, 'sbut Jizo is equally to blame, for se is 8 god bound to protect every one who trusts in him, and in this instance be has betrayed you. l will have him arrested and brought before me For trial"
 O-oka gave immediate orders to his court officers to go and arrest the .izc of Yokogawa street and bring bin De fore the mayors seat for trial. Tbrea 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. A great crowd assembled before the Jizo, attracted by the unusual behavior of the court officers. When they were told that Jizo had to go before the mayor for trial the citizens maryeled.
 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. 9,,%o ho to witness the extraordinary trial Hundreds were spurred by curiosity to lend 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, Q-oks addressed the god in stern words.
 "You are negligent fool, o Jizo!" ,he exclaimed in 8 yeics loud enough for all to hear. 'You are supposed to protect every one who believes ir you and who renders tribute, yet this trusting porter here made prayer te you, then fell asleep at your feet anc he was robbed while he slept. You stand accused of being an accomplice in this robbery. Have you anything to say for yourself before I pass sen. tence?"
 Mayor O-oka waited for few mo- ments as if expecting the stony lips of Jizo to open in reply, but when no answer was made by the god he pass ed sentence immediately.
 "Since you do not defend yourself l consider that you are guilty" said his honor, "and I shall imprison you.'
 At this remarkable spectacle of mayor passing sentence upon stone 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 court officers. Are they accomplices of Jizo or only plain thieves? They think this court is 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. Then Mayor O-oka adjudged every man in the great crowd in contempt of court and fined each of them one tan Ca k1- mono length) of cotton cloth. The hum 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 to bring back the cloth fine. Before the day was done TOO 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 chamber, and he asked the porter to look over the TOO 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-