The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-11-18
KELLETT BACKED
UP BY NJ DUFF|E
Discharged Sergeant of Detectives
Stops at Nothing to Regain
His Position.

That the defense in the Kellett hear.
ing will spare no pains to make things
interesting when the discharged ser
geant of detectives is heard on appeal
before the civil service commission this
morning, was made certain yesterday.
Kellett was notified yesterday morning
by the sheriff that in view OF the evi-
dence secured against him by Deputy
Attorney General Smith, his services as
police officer were no longer required
The appeal which he had made from
the order of suspension was hastily
changed to one appealing from the or
der of discharge. If the hearing be
fore the civil service commission, which
| according to the deputy city attorney
has not the power to give him hear
ing, is to be followed by criminal prose
cution, that matter will be left entire
ly to the attorney general S office, it is
said.
Center Attack on Witnesses.
The suspicion that, lacking an AIDE.
quate defense, Kellett and his attorney
would open up a cross-fire on the prin-
cipal witnesses against him developed
into certainty yesterday. Captain of
Detectives McDuffie is doing everything
in his power to make the hearing abor-
| tive, according to reports continually
coming from his department.
+. c. Peters, attorney for McDufiie
and kellett yesterday asked the detec-
tives who will testify against Kellett
| to meet him in his office and the sheriff
agreed to permit them. if they wished.
| Detectives Kuruda and Woo refused to
| go, but upon Detective Apana s refusal
| to go he was imperatively ordered by
| his direct superior, McDuffie, to do so,
and go he did. In Peters office, so
| Apana later reported he was quizzed as
to his past record, dating back ten
| years or so, and it was made plain to
him that if he went on the stand he
would have to face all the allegations
regarding his record and character that
the defense could possibly bring up
against him. The other officers have re
ceived the same intimation, but are
anxious to testify, in spite of that.
Deputy Attorney General Smith, who
will represent Sheriff Jarrett, is conf
dent that the case against the officer
is beyond injury no matter what tao
ties are adopted to break it down.
AS Deputy City Attorney Weaver has
already referred to the matter of hear.
mission as "farce' an interesting sit.
uatiOn would ensue upon the commits.
sion s reinstatement of Kellett, if it
decided on that very improbable course.
Sheriff Jarrett has not yet made any
announcement of whether he would
take Kellett back or not under such
circumstances.
Damage Suit Against Ke.lett?
complete the loose ends of the investi.
CATION and resulted in the discovery of
one case at least that may mean dam.
age suit against Kellett. The case is
typical in every way of McDuffie 8 and
Kellett s administration of the bureau,
Is brought to light within the past few
months.
The complainant against Kellett in
this case is Chang Sang, a former EN-.
ploye of the police department on reg.
ular salary. According to his own story,
which is supported in every particular
by other officers in the department, he
grew suspicious of the honesty of his
superlors as long ago as ten months,
and after vain attempts to perform his
duties in regard to Chinese gambling,
he says, he passed a remark on the
street that Kellett was apparently sup
porting the gamblers.
The remark was carried to Kellett
and Chang Sang, being Chinaman on
ly, was brought up into Kellett's Of
flee, where, according to both his story
and the stories of other officers, he was
kicked and beaten and then locked up
for three DAYS. At the end of that time
he was discharged from Jail and
fred The fact that he was com.
missioned police officer didn t bother
kellett IN the least. Deputy Attorney
General Smith yesterday advised him
that he had good grounds for dam
age suit against Kellett.