Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-27
CASE
GOES TO JURY
THIS AFTERNOON

The fate OF George A. tBertl Bow
er, who has been on trial in the Unit
ed States district court for the past
week on a statutory charge of adult
cry, will probably be decided today.
At noon the prosecution had conclud-
ed its argument in chief. and at
O'Clock this afternoon the argument
of the defense was begun by Attorney
Z. A. Douthitt The concluding argu-
ment for the prosecution it Is under
stood will be made by District Attor-
Iney McCarn. after which the case will
go to the jury.
The jury in the trial was not al
lowed to separate during the noon
Erecess. but was taken to lunch in a
body by the u. s. marshal.
At the opening of the court this
morning, the prosecution called 10
the witness-stand the prosecuting
witness. Victoria Mortensen, in re-
buttal She stated that she had told
Bower that her sister. Mrs. Evans,
was approaching the Mortensen
house, and that he had thereupon left
the premises by the back way. return
l1lk dllGT luG SASlCI Hnu p0ltCAs
This was in contradiction of Bower s
testimony yesterday to the effect
that he had left for the purpose OF
taking a swim in the stream, and
that he did not know that Mrs. Evans
was coming.
The court refused to allow the
Mortensen girl to state whether Bow
er had told her mother as we'll as her
father that he was an unmarried
man, on the grounds that the prose-
cution should have brought this out
in the direct examination.
An effort was made by the prose
cution to again introduce witnesses
to testify as to Bowers general rep
utation, and G. J.. Day was placed on
the stand for this purpose. District
Attorney McCarn produced various
authorities In his efforts to set the
testimony admitted, but Judge Glenn
ons abided by his decision yesterday,
and Mr.. Day was excused without
having given any testimony. Other
witnesses OF the same kind summon
ed yesterday were thereup0n dismiss
led, and the arguments were begun.
Assistant Thompson's First Case.
The court room was crowded this
morning with a large number of spec
tators, including number OF ladies'
for seeing the conclusion Of the trial
and of hearing the closing arguments
The opening argument was made by
J. w. Thompson, who recently arriv
ed here from Nashville, Tennessee
and who was able to qualify as Dis
| trict Attorney McCarn's assistant on
| ly this morning, upon the cabled no
LITIGATION that he had been appoint
ed to the place by the U. S. attorney
general. This cablegram was pre-
scented at the opening OF court TIM
morning, and Mr.. Thompson immedt
ately took the required oath of Of
| flee, and in this manner became elig
| ible to take active part in the case
The assistant district attorney be
gan his address to the jury at ten
minutes to IL o'clock, and closed al
noon. He began by asking the in
diligence of the Jury in his Ignorance
of Hawaiian phrases and unfamiliar
lily with local names. He devoted q
considerable part of his time to dwell
| ing up the Importance of the laws
against immortality, and of the respon
sibility of the courts and juries In
these kind of cases in seeing that the
dignity of the laws is upheld. He then
reviewed the case in considerable de-
tail, urging upon the jury the credib'
ility of the Mortensen girls story as
against that told by the defendant.
This being his first public appear
ance as a speaker. Mr.. Thompson was
listened to with keen interest by both
attorneys and laymen, and the con
sensus of opinion seemed to be that
he is lawyer of considerable persu'
asiye eloquence, and that he had made
strong impression on the minds OF
the Jury.