Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-05
MURDER CASE IS CUT SHORT
FATHER CLAIMS WRONG DONE.
Aged Parent of Benito GaIman-
dez Furnishes Sensational A.
termath-Son Pleads Guilty
to Murder of Private Bostic
and Gets Twenty YearS-He
Was Told Would Be Given a
Light Sentence, It Is Charged

Benito Galmendez, Porto Rican.
pleaded guilty this morning to the
charge Of murder in the second de-
greeIand the trial OF the man for the
murder OF Private Bostic at Iwilei on
the night OF June 10, 1912, came to q
sudden end.
Gaimendez was taken to prison with
q sentence Of twenty years imprison-
ment passed upon him.
Two hours afterward the aged
father OF Benito made a public state
ment in which he declared that his
son is innocent and that an Injustice
has been done him. The father, fifty
nine years Of age, appealed to the Star
Bulletin to publish what he says is a
statement OF the conditions surround
ing the plea of guilty and the end of
the case. He says, in brief, that his
sen was induced to plead guilty by the
promise OF a light sentence, and that
he was told by the Spanish Interpreter
TO plead guilty or he would certainly
be hung. XIV.
On the other hand, County Attorney
.Cathcart, who represented the prosecu-
tion at the close of the case, says this
statement is ridiculous and that he
believes 1t 10 o framed-up job growing
out OF row over interpreters that be-
san some months ago.
Il Efforts to reach the attorney for
Galmendez. L. M. Straus; and the in!
terpreter in the case, Mendez, this AZ
ternoon were unsuccessful. = - 3
This Is the story that Pascacio CAL
mendez,4 father OF Benito Qalmendez,
: told this morning after his ton had
pied geiity to murder in the second
degree and received. q sentence OF
twenty years Imprisonment:
NY son ID innocent and some
thing is wrong about this case.
After he was sentenced this morn
ing my son told me that he was
forced to plead guilty. He says
that he was told by the interpreter
he would get a light sentence IL
he would plead guilty to the
charge of murder in the second
degree. @-s ! =. = -,
The interpreter, Mendez,, &C
cording to what my son told me,
= took Benito into room this morn.
ing and told him to plead guilty to
the second degree charge. He told
Benito that ), If he didn't plead
guilty he would be hung. He said
he would certainly be hung II he
didn't plead as he was told to. Be
nito told me that he pied guilty
only because he was instructed to
do 90, He tays in his own con-
science he knows he is not guilty.
There was witness for my
son there this morning but he was
never called. His name is Ario-
quo Valdez, and he was living up,
stairs in my house when the man
was killed. He would have tettf-
fed for my son, but he was not
called. Benito told me this morn
ing that the Interpreter said to
him you plead guilty to this
charge or there will be no witness
for you and you will be hung by
the neck.
THE girl, Carmela Ramon. who
testified against him, has turned
against him for another reason.
He had told her he would not live
with her because he must support
his own fatheriand mother When
this came up. she said to him. IF
you don't live with me l will put
you In JAIL and the same day he
was arrested.
Il want to tell the public these
facts to show the true conditions
under which my son was sentenc-
ed. know he is not guilty and
would not have pleaded guilty had
he not been told he would get
light sentence by so doing"
County Attorney cathcart's Statement.
County Attorney Cathcart scouts the
story of injustice being done.
THE whole thing is job on Straus,
the attorney for the defendant" he
said this afternoon. HE refused tC
allow a certain man to interpret fol
him and ! believe that the man, is at
tempting to get even with the attor
ney by sending the father of the de-
PENDANT to the papers. It's too absurd.
"All that l know of the matter per
sonally is that after the prosecution
rested this morning l was called into
the chambers of the judge, where
found Mr. Straus waiting. He asked
me IL would take a lower plea and
said would accept murder in the sec
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