The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-01-08
Mother Of Dumb Girl Sworn As
Interpreter Of Sign Lan-ts
guage For Court
SENSATIONAL FEATURES
LURK At UNUSUAL TRIAL
Speeches. Complaining Witness
Presents Pltiful Picture Before
Jury In Federal Tribunal

Y 'tPidgin'' sign language held the
boards in the federal court yesterday
when Mary Pimentel, the complaining
witness, took the stand to testify in
the case Of the Territory against Man
uel M. Pavao, charged with a statutory
,ffense. To the "pidgin" sign Language
were added little scraps Of paper bear
ing tell tale messages deaf mute could
in no other manner express. X
The case is one of the most pitiful
that has been tried in local courts and
it ranks first in its class, in that IL Is
the first time known here when a deaf
mute, ignorant.of the studied sign Ian
guage, has been called upon. to testify
under oath in a court Of Justice. %
Mother Acts AS interpreter lE!
Despite the strenuous objections
made by the defense, Mrs. Mary Pr
mentel -Seabury, mother Of the deaf
mute witness, was sworn in as inter,
prefer for her daughter, all efforts to
secure some one else having failed. Pro.
Citing by the information published in
The Advertiser yesterday, Judge Dole
underworld TO secure the services of
Miss Mason, teacher Of deaf mutes
and blind in the Kaiulani School an
mex. In view Of the unpleasant and
unsavory testimony the case is develop.
ing, Miss Mason declined to serve as
interpreter of the sign language. John
A. Dominis, assistant clerk in the cir
euit court clerks Office, was given a
try out in Judge Dole's chambers, but
although he got along fairly well his
actual theoretical and practical knowl-
edge of the sign language was not Of
such ~ sufficiently advanced order that
he cared to risk his reputation in open
lccurt. TsNE Il ~ 3. .T,. ~ ,F.-..g =.
Sign Language Oath ,|.s H., e.. T..
The oath which Mrs. Piementel-S Sea-
bury took was peculiar one, in view
of the fact that when she was in the
stand the day before she gave her
testimony through an interpreter. The
oath, said to be the first Of its class
ever administered in Hawaii, was as
follows: ns...I .-'l y SsrsS r.
"You do solemnly swear that you
will well and truly interpret from Eng
'ish into the sign language the ques-
tions which shall be put to the witness,
and from the sign language into Eng
fish the answers which shall be given
| by the Witness in the case now upon
i trlal, so nelp you 6Ou. m f- e z a-... .st ~
Deaf Mute Was Alert tx
Through the medium of her mother
interpreter, the girl answered a number
of questions put to her in direct and
cross. denomination. The witness watch
ed her mothers lips with intense alert
ness, as she did the hand motions. Some
Of, the answers she wrote on scraps Of
papers. No. ..'.E.s.t - ...t@. &.
Mrs. Mary Pimentel,seabury, who
was on the stand the day before. con
eluded her testimony yesterday and was
followed in the witness box by Mary
Pimentel, the complaining Witness
Minnie Pimentel, her sister; Mrs A..
Crayens, at one time neiPhbor of the
Pimentals, and DR.. LUZ r. Gaspar, who
examined the girl after the discovery
| of her condition. ~. %. -
Sensational Developments Expected
Sensational developments are expect
ed when the defense puts on its case,
there being an intimation that an at
/ tempt will be made TO place the girl s
fall on the shoulders Of some one other
than the defendant. The prosecution
may close today and the defcnse begin.
The trial of the case will be resumed
| at half-past eight clock this morning
before the jury selected to hear the
| testimony. 49,, ..