Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-08
AUGUST s, 1913
IT is not rhdt zee take up, bit rhdt ,ec girc
up, that makes as Jich.-Beecher.
GET JURYHEE THAT WILL DO THEIR DUTY

A weakened and probably incompetent col
oner's jury has shirked its duty in investigator
the automobile accident that cost the life of
five year-old girl last Saturday afternoon. TIL
verdict Of the jury last night makes it extremel
doubtful whether responsibility for the child
death will ever be fixed, but it does not reliey
the sheriffs office and the prosecuting attorne
Of their moral duty to make further inquiry.
The verdict places the county officials in al
unpleasant position. The plain duty of the corc
|ner's jury was to have handed in a verdict tina
would either have exonerated William Ct. Chal
ners, driver of the car, from responsibility 70
the fatal accident, or would have found him re
kponsihle. He is either innocent or guilty, ever
though that guilt may be slight in degree. TIL
verdict, merely recounting the fact that the acci
dent happened that the child was struck an,
killed by an auto driven by Chalmers, is eithe
grossly unfair to the driver of the car or it i
grossly unfair to the public. If Chalmers is no
responsible for the accident, he should be for
really and Immediately absolvetf; if he is re
<ponsible, the coroner and prosecuting attorne.
th0nld have been Immediately put in position
10 act.
The Star Bulletin would not have disagreed
With the coroner's jury had it brought in a yer
dict exonerating Chalmers, for there was mucl
tfidence-and evidence from trustworthy wit
nesses-in his favor But there was also mucl
evidence against him, and the jury, by declining
Do pass Judgment on the worth of the evidence
titker pro or con, has not satisfied the public
mind as to the drivers blame or lack Of it. The
|ad incident is not endedss q ~
The jury's own flabby verdict has made il
now a question whether Chalmers should not be
charged in police court and his case carried on
NJ the prosecuting officials The 4erritorial
rand jury also has the right to look into the
natter It's status now is exceedingly unsatis
'actory to the public.
In view of this verdict, and of two similar YER
icts just preceding it, it is quite proper to draw
public attention to the type of coroner's jury
hat is passing upon these serious questions of
lie, death and responsibility Three fatal acct.
Tents where the question of responsibility was
1Iearly important have recently occurred in Ho-
10Iulu. There was the accident at the new ma.
.'onal guard armory, in which one life was lost
he accident at the Inter-Island drydock, in
which two lives were lost the Chalmers auto ac-
cident, in which one life was lost.
The rerdict of theascoroacr,s jury in erery ono
pa these three cases shirEed the question of re-
.ponsi6ility
The three jurics sccre almost alike ia make
ID; almost the same jurors scere called to serre.
Tico men serred on all three of the juries and
|hree other men serUed on ttco jaries each.
The flabby quality of the jury that investigat-
Ia the armory accident was certain to be exhibit
Ia in the InterIsland inquiry and in the auto
inquiry, for the jury in all cases was practically
he same.
What the coroner needs is jury either with
more backbone or more intelligence. One of the
NO qualities. has been lacking at these three re-
tent inquests.
1t is said that the coroner finds it hard to get
.uries of a high type 1t is difficult to believe
That mo improvement can be made on the last
[hree
The professional coroner's juror is not likely
10 be efficient.