Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-17
CONSPIRACY
TRAP CLAIMS
AT GRAY HEARING
Two Chinese Gamblers Testify
in Opening Session of Wa
hiaWa Bribery Probe

Strong indications OF a conspiracy.
aid for the defense on the part of She.
riff Rose and Iong-drawn out, de.
tailed cross-examination OF the two
witnesses for the prosecution marked
the opening OF the hearing Saturday
by the Civil Service Commission on
the bribery charge against Jesse Gray,
Wahiawa police officer. Sessions of
the commission will be held every
night this week in the. city hall until
the charges are disposed Of. It was
announced Saturday. The proseeu.
tion has one more witness to intro
duce, declared A. NJ. Cristy, first dep
uty city attorney. After that Gray's
attorney. j. B. Lightfoot, will take up
the defense.
The charges of conspiracy we're
made at the beginning of the hearing,
as the result or q request by the de-
Tense that Chang Chau, Chinese
spectator, be- barred from the court
room. When reasons were requested
byEChairman Andrews of the commits
ssiof, the attorney for the defense re-
fused to state them publicly, beyond
declaring that Chang Chau was to- be
called as a witness for the defense.
Questioned. Chang Chau declared that
he was not aware of Mr.. Iightfoot's
intention. Then an executive confer
ence Of the commissioners. the attor-
neys for the prosecution and for the
defense was requested.
Ahina Tells Of chefa Games.
Ahina was the first man on the
stand He broke out in excited Eng
lish occasionally, but for the most
part his testimony was made intelli-
gibie through an Interpreter. He told
Of conducting q chefa game In his
room at Wahiawa from January %
to March 80. He was willing enough
10 tell OF everything he had done or
seen In that period. but proved some
what recalcitrant when called on to
tell anything Of his previous life. He
has been In Hawaii for about 10 years,
he testified, and has made his living
by chefa practically all OF this time.
He told OF running game when he
first came hero and said he had OPEN
ed and closed 80 many since that he
could not tell anything about them
they were one confused mass in his
memory. At times he apparently
you'd not testify readily. He remem-
bered q conversation with Gray that
took place shortly after he opened HIS
last game, but could not te1l the
names OF any Of the runners" work
ing for him the latter part Of March.
There were Is or 16 Of them he de-
clared, when pressed, and ell OF those
arrested at the time Of Gray's raid on
hts game ffhe afternoon the charges
against the officer were filed) were
IN his employ He finally remember.
ed the name OF one OF them, but that
was ell he could recall. He was ad-
monished several times by the chair
man Of the commission, and 1t was
pointed out that he was discrediting
hts own testimony by hts refractory
tactics.
Boiled down to essential facts his
testimony was that:
He opened chefa game at Wa
hiawa on January %.
On January 20 he met Gray, told
him he was operating game and
passed him the first IS.
Every week thereafter he met Gray
on the street. by chance. not by ap-
spointment and IN shaking hands with
him passed gold piece.
After March 90, the day he made
HIS affidavit accusing Gray. the police
officer refused 10 take his money.
Everyone knew that Gray was
sfixed." He told all Of his patrons.
for they were always inQiiring what
the chances Of raid were.