The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-08-08
ENTERS
PLEA Of GUILTY
Hamakua Supervisor Also Admits
Some Grating on Large Scale
Will Probably Be Dealt Leni-
emily With, AS He Had Resign
ed from Board and Made no
Trouble for Probers.


HlLO, August last weet Super.
visor Purdy of llamakua added his
name TO the list of county officials who
have confessed that they have violated
the trust placed in them. He did 50
by entering plea Of guilty to charge
Of having falsely certified that onr
Solomon Klpule had worked certaif
number of days for the county, and
THAT there was therefore due him 80
while, as matter of fact, Kapuie had
done no such work. The truth is that
Kapule does not exist.
As was announced by wircless in The
Advertiser last week, the nrst conclu
sive evidence of the existence of graf
in Hamakua was discovered by Com
missioner Williamson when he made hi
preliminary Investigation in that dis
trict.
While Purdy at first refused to max,
any admission of his guilt. he agreed t,
| lie kept his promise, aud had con
ference with Brcckons and william
son, which brought him on the verg,
of n confession. Shortly afterwards
he sent word through Hawaiian
friend that he was willing to tell the
truth. p
Following the confession, Purd'
agreed to enter a plea of guilty to tn,
charge mentioned above. He also sem
in to the county clerk his resignation
as member of the board of super
visors.
Confession Partial.
Purdy's confession covered only tn,
graft connected with the padding o.
the pay rolls Another more serious
matter was that connected with th'
building of the I'aauhau plantation
road. When this road was built tn,
| plantation was given the use of thu
county rock crusheT, hut it paid tn,
men which did the work on the roaC
under the supervision of Puldy. Al
the Williamson report shows, ther,
was plenty Of proof that the payment,
had been made by the plantation tt
| Purdy, but Purdy insisted. even afte
be had made his confession. that thi'
entire transaction WAS straight al
through. . $50 t''a'
This was one of the phases of. Thu
'Hamakua graft which Was made tn,
object of specific inquiry by the com
OMISSION, when all its members, together
with Prosecutor Breekons, went t.
Honokaa lasthwsek to hold regulal
SESSION. TheiSeSUon lasted from nin'
in the morning until five O'Clock in TIL
afternoon Of Friday, and during thai
time about fortyl witnesses, most ,oi
the laborers on the road ,were ca+lec
and examined. op., ,s:r {
The evidence showed that, even out
side of the out and out graft, the roat
affairs of the district had been ins I
| topsy' turvy condition. The inguir,
was much facilitated through the fac
that, although the building of the roa'
was entirely in the charge of Purdy
the Paauhau plantation had had it
timekeeper keep the time of the me
working under Purdy. This was don
mainly to keep track of just what tn
road work was really costing.
The comparison of the county pa
rolls with the time book kept by tn
Paauhau timekeeper displayed the @,
pected condition of affairs. The me
were down for time on both. In man
cases the days which the men wer
thus alleged to have put in amounte
to total of far more days than ther
were in the month
The case of laborer named ,Jesr
is illustrative. Jesus worked on tl
Paauhau road for nineteen DAYS durin
April During that same month jest
worked one day ON the county roat
Jesus was down for his nnteen DAY
on the plantation road pay sheet, b,
he was down for twenty days on IL
county pay roll Consequently Il
county paid Jesus for his twenty da,
services, VIII lie the plantation pal
Eurdy the money with which to pa
I Jesus for the nineteen DAYS he ha
, worked on the plantation road.
Q There were many instances four
, similar to that mentioned. The ca,
: was complete, with the exception thi
/ Purdy would not come through with h
confession. lie insisted that this tran
4 action, at least, was straight.
Pleads Guilty.
So Purdy was brought back with II
> commission to Hilo last Saturd;
morning, and at nine O'Clock he n
peared before Judge Wise to answer
the charge which had been enter,
|, against him. In response to Judg,
Wise IS question as to whether he wan
ed an attorney. Purdy said that he d
j. not. He entered plea of guilty, ia
/ ing his punishment in a quiet wa
which contrasted in marked degree
, the swagger and front put up by h
|, fellow-supervisor-in.troublc. Kealoha.
:, BreckOns suggested to the court tn
" sentence he held over until next Thur
: day in order that Purdy might have
) chance to arrange his affairs before
!, would have to begin serving the il
u sentence which there was reason to h
! lieve, in view of former judgments
9 similar eases, would be inflicted. TIL
o was granted and Purdy said aft
o court had adjourned, that he wanted
g 90 home TO lamakua 70 attend to h
$ affairs. Freedoms told him that he W
released on his own recognizance uni
next Thursday.
Admits Further Graft.