The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-04-23
.SED|T|OUS WORDS
WILL BE PAID FOR
BY PRISON TERM
Year, and a Day In Penitentiary
Is Sentence Melted Out To
Sacramento Fireman
BOOZE RESPONSIBLE
HIS COUNSEL CLAIMS
Penalty May Not Be Considered
Maximum BY Offenders
Caught In Future

One year and one days imprison.
mont was the sentence imposed upon
Victor Johnson, a former fireman of
the steamer Sacramento, by Judge
Horace Vaughan yesterday morning
when Johnson pleaded guilty of utter.
ing seditious remark in local
saloon several weeks ago.
This is the first sentence ever given
in Hawaii in punishment for a seditiOus
utterance since the passage of the Es
pionage Law, which makes il very
serious ofrense for any person to com.
NIT an act or to say anything which
might affect the military forces Of the
United States. But ii cannot be taken
wholly as indication Of the extent of
the punishment which will be given for
similar offenses in the future, as booze
was held as some extenuation for the
remarks of the Sacramento fireman, il
Is said.
How Crime Committed
| Johnson was accused Of predicting ir
extremely vulgar, but expressive Ian
guage. what he thought was to he the
fate of America at the hands Of anothe
nation. after Germany had got
| luIbuRh WIN hNA
The Sacramento fireman was heard
to make his disloyal remark Will,
drinking in n saloon, by several sol
diers detailed on secret service work
and was apprehendcd. Since then he
has been confined in Jail here. Afte,
! Johnson was indicted by the fedora
grand jury, Judge Vaughan appointed
Attorney Joseph Lightfoot to defend
him.
Pleads for Leniency
Attorney Lightfoot made n plea fol
the light sentence in court yesterday
! after johnson had pleaded guilty. He
| attributed the offense to liquor, after
he had given an outline of johnson 5
past life.
The fireman, who is about twenty
,even years of age, is a native OF
sweden and came first to Canada as 3
Young boy. There he remained foI
en- years, the attorney said.
In answer to questions, johnson said
ne had never attempted to become o
,itiZen of either the United States OF
treat Britain.
No attempt was made in the fedora
;ourt to connect Johnson with the plo'
Nh1cn caused the WrechlnB OF lhe Cd
zine machinery of, the sacramento OF
her maiden voyage to Honolulu, al
though it may have been the surveil
lance of the Sacramento crew in Homo
lulu that led to his arrest on the othel
| ,harge.
Because of the wrecking of the Sacra
mento engine machinery, she had to b.
held here for month while repair
were made. Since her return 10 Sai
Francisco. John Lind, another fireman
On the vessel, has been arrested on I
sharge Of having been one of thos'
responsible for the damage to and thu
delay of the steamer. o.,
| While johnson is the only one wit
/ has been sentenced here for seditiou
| remarks, several others were arrestec
lbOut the same time he was taken int
,ustody on the same charge. In on
If these cases the defendant was givel
lis liberty as there was not sufficien
evidence to hold him, another was no
indicted by the grand jury, and still
mother was turned over to the fedora
authorities for prosecution.
| johnson will serve his sentence in tn
oahu prison.