The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-12-24
ON THE FAT OF
THE LAND HE
LIVES

Rufus Lyman, convicted as an en-
bezzler of Hawaii county funds, and
serving a three.year sentence, supposed
ly at hard labor, lacks but little of be-
ing a free and independent citizen, ac-
cording to reports from Hawaii. Ly-
man, it is said, has all the delieaeies of
the season on his menu, subscribes to all
the papers and magazines which reach
Hilo, wears no suit of convict clothes
like the other prisoners and spends n
large part of his time in conducting
lengthy telephone conversations with
his friends over the country, much to
the indignation of taxpayers on the
line, who are unable to use the service.
j. ID. Lewis, chairman of the Hawaii
board of supervisors, is one of the Big
Island officials bringing the story of
the treatment of Lyman as prisoner
de luxe to Honolulu.
"Lyman might as well be free, - said
Lewis, last Saturday. "IIis imprison-
ment is nothing more nor less than a
farce, and the privileges which have
been showered upon him have made the
other prisoners discontinued and mutt
nous. A iail-break a few days ago in
which several prisoners escaped is in
directly ascribed to the breaking down
of discipline through the courtesies ex-
tended Lyman.
Special Privileges.
"The people of Hawaii are indignant
because of the favors which are being
granted this man, who is nothing more
nor less than a felon. He is not re-
quired to wear stripes like the others,
and the only work he does is to officiate
as chief cook, by supervising the work
of six other cooks. The hardest labor
| he does is to twirl the automatic tele-
phone ard carry on long conversations
with his friends in Hilo and elsewhere.
The other day he held the line forty
minutes while friend of mine was try
ing to get it for an important business
conversation.
"Lyman is territorial prisoner in
charge of High Sheriff Henry and we
county officials have no say in the mat
ter. The general opinion is that if Ly-
man is not to be treated like any other
prisoner while held on Hawaii, he had
better be placed in the penitentiary in
Honolulu, where, under the eye of the
high sheriff, he would serve out his sen.
tence at hard labor as the law pro.
] vides.'
According to another Hawaii official
now in Honolulu, Lewis charges
in respect to the treatment of Lyman
are true in every particular.
Kicks About Eggs.
81, myself, have heard Lyman com
planning to his dealer at Hilo, because
the eggs sent to him for his own con
sumption, were not new laid, - said this
man. "He lives on the fat of the land
and complains when his cantaloups are
not ripe enough or few bananas are
missing from the punches he orders.
"Lyman practically runs the Jail an
uses the telephone for long periods, con
Quoting political conversations with
friends. On election night he was al
the Jail telephone at eleven clock al
night getting returns from the various
/, precincts and timed him the other
day when he held the telephone fol
twenty minutes while complaining
aboat the non.arrival of some specia
viands he had ordered.
81 understand that complaints have
been made to High Sheriff Henry as tt
the favoritism shown Lyman and that
he promised TO write and order hin
treated like any other prisoner, but il
he wrote the letter has had no effect.
"Lyman should be imprisoned OF
Oahu FIR he has too many powerful
friends on Hawaii to make his impris
onment there any more than a farce. ,
High Sheriff Doesn't Know.
High Sheriff Henry said yesterday
that he had received no official com
plants as to favors being shown Ly
man.
"They should have written me abou
it so that / would have something t,
go on" he said. "I guess the hes
thing to do is to bring him here for tn
rest of his sentence. He would get NJ
better treatment than the other prison
ers, and l am very sure he wouldn
get any cantaloups.
off it is true that he is being give
these privileges / want to know it, an
hope that some one in authority vii
write me. He is supposed to be work
ing on the road over there with til
> other prisoners loaned to the county
:, The reason he was not brought dow
;. here in the first place. is that it is ih
: custom to hold the territorial convict
> sentenced on Hawaii on that island t
, work on the road, but it will be n
trouble at all to bring Lyman here if
: find that the situation requires this az
tion.'
y --s.%.s-
u MISJUDGED THE UNIFORM.