The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-07-22
BOLD GRAF 7 IN
H|LO ROAD
WORK
Confession of Nahakuelua Tells of
Forgery, Padding and Double
Payrolls-Kealoha Debonair as
Ever When Sentence at Hard
Labor is Passed Upon Him.

4 (Mail Special to The Advertiser.)
HlLO, July ls.-The case of Super
visor John kealoha, charged with hay.
| ing falsely certified that David Mat.
toon worked twenty DAYS as road an.
pervisor for North Ililo, was the first
OF the county graft cases to come TO
trial. IL was heard before Judge Wise
last Wednesday morning, and was in.
tensly interesting. The prosecution
was conducted by Prosecutor Breckons
who conducted his case with his usual
vigor, making the many people in the
audience who had never seen him in
action before, sit up and take notice
HIS conduct of the case, more particu.
larly his cross.examination of David
Nation, and his argument, were worth
going far to hear. Kealoha was de.
tended by Attorney Correa.
Correa wasted no time in dilatorv
tactics, but was as ready to 90 to trial
on the issueG as was the prosecution.
The prosecution 3 first witness was
County Clerk Kai, who testified to the
signature of Kealoha and the nav roll
which formed the basis for the charge
kai also testified to the usual routine
of pay rolls, claims and the like. On
cross examination he admitted that the
Nation item had been approved by
the supervisors.
j. A. Wilson, the Laupahoehoe Su
gar Co. bookkeeper, testified that Mat.
toon had worked in his office, as as
sistant bookkeeper all last May. He
came to work at about seven in the
morning, and worked until about half
past five in the evening, with one hour
at noon for luncheon. SO far as vii.
, son remembered he had been there all
these hours every working day during
May.
On CROSSE examination Wilson stated
that Kealoha had asked him for per.
mission to use the services of Mattoon,
Z and Wilson had sad he might have
these, provided that Nations work
for the plantation was not interfered
with.
3 Wilson Nahakueua testified in re.
gard to what were the duties of road
. supervisor, basing his statement on his
!, own experience as road supervisor for
D North Hilo for siy years He said
that during May the county road gang
in North Hilo, consisting of from fifty
to sixty men, worked from six until
.. three at Maulua at the Laupahoehoe
! pail and at Kaiwilahilahi. They
|, worked at distances from one eighth OF
. a mile to three miles from the planta
. fion Office where NATION was.
e Smart Witness Wilted.
}. David NATION was called by the de
d Tense, but he proved to be almost the
I very best witness for the prosecution
!, He is a rather wonderful young person
$ arrayed in fanciful garb of daring
Q composition. He was inclined to Civ,
d smart answers, bordering closely
o on impertinence. This did not las
very long, however, for Breckons' skill
full cross.examination wilted the young
g man considerably.
n Nation testified. in answer to ques
l. tions by Correa, that he was the as
n sistant bookkeepcr for the plantation
@ but that he had acted as road super
visor since May ~. As such he super
u intended the road work, gave orders Il
the lunas, supplied the laborers will
tools and material, and went out on tn,
IS roads to look after the work. He di,
this nearly every day. He looked af
ter the road work in the morning iron
half past FIVE to six, and on Sunday
he conferred with lunas and looked af
ter the time books.
II was a Joy to witness the ease will
,r which Breckons picked the evidence o
q this self.assured young fellow to pieces
II The witness was apparently deceive'
by Breckons' quiet and retiring man
u ner at the beginning, but lie sool
10 learned that he was mistaken, and to
" wards the end of his Cross examination
~ he developed ease of lapse of memor,
- az had as that of a trust magnate.
y The argument followed, that o
u Breckons being particularly striking
G. and forcible. He pointed out that an,
he county which would allow certification
of such claims az that of Nation Il
H. pass unchallenged would soon be bank
n rupt. The court took the ease undo
N advisement until the following morning
20 Light Sentence.
n. On Thursday morning the court room
was filed with people who had com
m to hear the judgment of the court
y. Judge Wise found Kealoha guilty a
= charged, and Breckons made n state
10 ment in which he pointed out how yer
Ro evident il was that the oiense ha
-, been committed with deliberate erin
,a inal intent, and that the recurrence o
~ such cases. of which there were grea
as many, bore out this contention II
D cited. as an instance in point, the cas-
nv of Moses Kawaha. who year ag
! worked under Kealoha in South Hill
v, for ~ so, but who now. under th
a benefcent North llilo regime, Is ge'
" ting - 30 a day.
a. "In matters Of this kind the que,
70 ton is not what | would IKE to do
~ hut what I should do, said .mdg
lH Wise in pTonOuncing sentence. "Sine
w. ynAtaVIaU | haNa aHuzlAaru IL