Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-01-08
.jAll SENTENCES
AREPORTIONOF
TWO OF USURERS
VivichayeS Must Serve Four
Months and Pay $500 Fine;
Peterson Three Months
JUDGE ASHFORD SCENTS
PERJURY IN TESTIMONY

Bringing to partial close the fight
which the city attorneys department
for the last several weeks has been
waging in an endeavor to break up an
alleged loan shark" ring, John Vivi.
chayes, E. Markle, w. L. Peterson and
w. E. Wayman, convicted OF usury,
were sentenced this morning by Cir.
cult Judge Ashford. In the cases Of
yiyichaves and Peterson. but little le-
niency was shown by the court. In
THE other cases. Judge Ashford was
inclined to go more lightly In the mat
| ter of sentence.
Vivichayes suffered the most, Of
the IA original charges of usury pre-
Eferred against him. the trial OF two re-
suited IN convictions. He pleaded
guilty to the third. On the urst
charge, Judge Ashford sentenced nim
to serve four months in the city jail
and pay the costs of the court.
His Fines Total $500.
On the second he was sentenced to
pay fine OF $3.50 and costs, similar
penalty being inflicted on the third
charge. In case Vivichaves does not
pay the fines, he will have to serve
500 DAYS in jail in addition to the four
months. The other charges we're nolle
pressed at the instance of Deputy At
torney Will T. Garden.
Judge Ashford said that he was con-
vinced that, during the trial of his
cases Vivichaves had committed de.
liberate perjury. You have shown
absolutely no claim to the merclful
consideration of the court" the Judge
added
Attorney ]. A. Lagoon counsel for
vivichaves, made a long address to
the court in which he stated that he
thought the penalty imposed on Vlvi-
chaves was a miscarriage of justice.
Peterson. when called up for sem
tence, said that he was not guilty as
far as his conscience was concerned.
Attorney Garden said that, in the
opinion of the prosecution, Peterson
was far more dangerous to the CON-
munity than was Vivichayes. Judge
Ashford sentenced Peterson to serve
three months in the city jail and pay
the costs of the court A motion for
a new trial has been filed in the Peter
son case, and il is understood that,
before very long, the matter will be
taken to the supreme court.
Prior to his being sentenced on two
charges Of usury, to which he had
pleaded guilty, w. E. Wayman made
long statement to the coRrt in which
he declared that he had borrowed
money to loan it to another person,
the latter having reloaned it and di-
vided up the high interest proceeds
with him. He urged that he be given
q fine, and not prison sentence The
court fined him $3.50 and costs on the
first charge and one dollar on the
second charge.
Z. Markle, motorman with the
Rapid Transit, and who was witness
for the prosecution during the trial Of
the Peterson case. was fined 1925 and
costs.
Especially in the trials of Peter
son and vivichaves, testimony was
brought out regarding the methods
used by the loan sharks" in their
transactions. In one instance, a man
was loaned 800 for three months and
was charged interest to the amount
of $40.
That perjury was committed by both
vivichaves and Peterson during their
trials is the stated belief Of the prose
cution, although no action has been
taken toward an investigation in this
resnect