Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-24
innocent,
GRAY TESTIH|ES
in OWN BEHALF
Witnesses for Defense in Chefa
Graft Charges Hurt Its
Case -

Officer Jesse Gray says he is limo
cent At the hearing of the bribery
cases against him, held Saturday by
the civil service commission in the
city hall, he told, in a series of long
rambling statements, of having con.
suited with Arthur McDuffie, chief of
detectives, regarding the character Of
evidence needed for conviction of
the keepers OF the chefa games. of
whom he is accused of accepting pro-
lection money. He declared, and re
peated at the request of attorneys for
the prosecution. that he knew nothing
of chefa before February l. that he
went to Sheriff Rose and asked how
he could get convictions of the keep
ers of several games running in Wa
hiawa and was referred to McDuffie
McDufie told MIN how the game was
run and what he must do to clean up
the bank, he testified He denied sep
arately each statement in the affida-
Wits filed against him on which the
charges are based. and then each bit
of evidence tending to incriminate him
made by the witnesses for the prose
cution. He swore that he had not ac
,
from Alma, that he had never seen
All Tong before he came on the wit
ness stand and testified that he had
paid him Gray money, that he was
not introduced 10 All Tong by Akana;
in fact, that everything testified to
that would tend to- incriminate him
was not so. . -:
When corroborating witnesses, in,
troduced by the defense, directly con.
tradicted him and gave mass of tes-
timony that made it look bad for him,
there was gasp of surprise from the
listeners .r>" ~. ."%
Sheriff Rose, who has been sitting
at Gray's side and actively aiding in
the defense, told of Chang Chau,
whose name has been introduced into
the case several times by the defense,
coming to him some five or six months
ago and charging. that Gray was ac-
cepting protection money. He said
that he had told Chang to bring his
witnesses, that Chang had failed to,
do so and witness had taken no fur
Their action in the matter. Chang
returned about two months later and
repeated the charges, and he repeated
his request that Chang produce proof
which Chang again promised to do.
After the making of charges the sec.
ond time he told Gray. and Gray told
him to make an investigation if he
wanted to, that he was notstaking any
money from anyone. The sheriff took
nd further action until A. NJ. Brown,
city attorney, brought the affdavits
on which the charges now filed are
based to him and asked what to do.
Rose declares that Brown told him.
that Chang Chau had brought the aft
dayits to him, and he was afraid that
unless something was done Chang
would run to Judge Ashford and make
trouble, that inasmuch as there was
no session OF the grand jury he did not
see what could be done with them and
that he (Rosel had suggested that
they be filed with the civil service
commission. ..r r IS.
Arthur McDutfie, chief of detectives
hurt Gray's case worst He told of
instructing Gray in the intricacies of
chefa last September or October, and
vas as confident of the time as Gray
had been OF last January or February.
William Asam was the surprise of
the dav. A witness for the defense,
he gave telling evidence for Gray un-
til he was taken over by the prosecu
ton. He first told OF Gray giving him
S1.75 to buy tickets and his inability
to do so because he was known as
friend and helper of Gray. On cross
examination Mr.. Chillingworth asked
nrly hn
worked for a soda water concern dur
ing the Carnival. II was little while
before this that he had tried to buy
tickets for Gray.
Continuing, Asam said that he knew
tickets were being sold, everybody at.
Wahiawa knew It. He had seen men
selling them In the barber shop, the
bottling works and on the streets,
Lots of men sold them, and he could
not remember the names of all but
could point them out. Asam knew
they we're selling tickets because he
saw them. Some only bought occa.
sionally, and others were regular Gus
toners and bought as often as twice
day. Runners went everywhere twice
a day and it was generally known
when and where they could be found.
He said Gray told him Yuen Hick was
selling tickets, and that Gray, like ey-
eryone else, knew runners were sell
ing tickets. i .--5~-. .~.:.= +. III
DR.. H. Wood, government physi-
clan at Waialua. testified that about
a year ago he inspected the slaughter
house of Chang Chau at Wahiawa at
Gray's request and found that it was
not complying with regulations, and
that Chang Ciau. in a conversation
held over the telephone at the time
had threatened to get Gray"
Akana, tailor at Cashier, refuted
the testimony given at previous
hearing by All Tong, that he had been
to Gray by Akana, and that
he had paid AGana IS week to be
paid to Gray for protection. He de-
MED Knowing All Tong, said that he
had not introduced Gray to anyone
last fall, as he did not know him then.
Several residents of Wahiawa who
Gray declares have acted as spies for
him in his endeavors to suppress
chefa, will be the last witnesses for
the defense at a hearing to be held
in the supervisors chambers tonight