Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-03-27
PLEADS GUILTY
TO SEVEN GROSS
CHEAT CHARGES
Bright Posed as Governors
:. Son, Clerk, Detective and
Policeman in His Time

j ItI ItIS
If one charge OF gross cheat is
worth three months in jail, what will
seven charges be worth?
| This was the problem which young
John Bright, Hawaiian, figured over on
| his fingers Saturday morning as Judge
| Monsarrat started down the list oppo-
site his name on the calendar. and if
he hasn't got the answer yet, he will
study il out through practical anal
ysis.
John is said by officers to be the
| biggest possibility in the gross cheat
line in Hawaii, and by the time he got
through confessing his sins to the
| Judge Saturday morning he had prob
ably come to some such conclusion
himself
| Officers say that other charges
could have been brought against him,
but that they felt these seven would
be enough to start with.
Said Governors Son.
Bright began his notorious career
when he came to the city from Ha-
wall He told people here that he
was a son of Governor Baker of Hilo,
and took luxurious apartments at
downtown hotel.
Though brief, his joy in that short
span glittered with wine, woman and
song, and with auto rides that often
lasted until morning. John served
| time for that little deception. and
again preathed the air of freedom. He
returned to Hawaii. and had scarcely
set foot on the strand of his native
| island when ne began again. This
time he was Capt. Arthur McDuffie Of
the Honolulu police, and as such ran
bills on Japanese and Chinese hotel
keepers, and borrowed money reck.
lessly. ?.
Following his term in jail, Bright
returned to Honolulu, posing as a pc.
lice officer in Nuuanu valley, was ar
rested, served time, and was again ar
rested for similar stunt on the other
side of the island.
Posed as County Clerk.
Finally Bright decided to become
county clerk of Hawaii. Mere detect
i've and police life. was too tame for
him. He bargained with resident
of Prospect street for a beautiful
home there, bought on credit a large
number. of dishes from A. V. Peters,
and told a young Hawaiian girl on
Iolani street that he would marry her.
But one OF those rough places that
lie in the course Of true love came
along in the shape of police officers
on the eve of the wedding, and John
remained bachelor. His mornings,
which he had previously spent at a
telephone in q local hotel, calling up
imaginery blsir essmen, were now
spent in the grim corridors OF the city
Jail. @
Bright was patient. He served his
time and came out again to the open
air. He went to Waianae then, posed
as member of the police force, and
became the toast of the town.. Ha-
waiian families killed fat porkers and
pounded out many feast of poi for
him, until at last the life grew too
tame, and he decided to leave.
Told Friends to Wait.
He told some of his closest friends
to wait one night at the depot for
him, that he would come in machine
to get them The friends waited all
night, and John walked through Wal.
amaze gap and settled down IN Leile-
hua Deputy Sheriff Plemer captured
him in the Wahiawa district, but |
Bright was given a suspended SEN
tenee.
Then John took horse and started |
to Honolulu, coming as far as the |
pumping station. Here he grew fear
full of officers, and took the horse |
back to Red Hill, where he left it, |
coming in to town on foot =
In the Kaimuki district the gay de-
ceiver posed again as police officer;
and filched $3.50 from a Chinanan on |
the ground that lie had salary of $50 |
a month. .s-. /
Il am going To build a fine resi-
dence en- 18th avenue" Bright told |
the gullible Chinese, "and you shall
come to see me-" ~~ /
Started for kaneohe. II
But he never carried out his prom
Use, for the next day he went to Ma
noa, again as an officer, again using
his old tricks. After a short stay in
the valley, he took a horse from a
man named Silva, and left for Kane
ohe side :.~
On March 10 he returned to Homo
lulu, this time canvassing Makiki and
Punahou districts, with the same old
game detective officer and police
man. He whiled away. his time be
tween Honolulu and Schofield Bar
racks where he had friends in the 18th
Infantry. 49, Il
Finally he came back here to settle
down, rented a newly furnished room
and began to dream new dreams of
Honolulu districts he had not visited.
One day when he was out in a fine L
red sweater for a morning stroll the
detectives got him. He pleaded guilty
to each of the seven charges on Sat