The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-07
AMERICAN MISSIONARY
IMPRISONED IN JAPAN
When Convicted on the Charge of Shell
tering Korean Agitators in the INDIE
pendence ADMINISTRATION
of the Trial Related.

Toxic, June 9 Correspondence of the
Associated Press Rev. r. NJ, Mowry
of Mansfield, o., an American Presby
terrain missionary, had no lawyer to rep
resent him in the court of Pyeng Yang
when he was convicted recently and sen
fenced to six months penal servitude for
sheltering KoreanNagiators in the indie
pendence movement. The trial was held
after one days notice to the accused and
neither he nor his friends who were in
court watching but taking no part in
the case were notified until after the
trial that they could have asked for and
obtained postponement
These facts are stated by Rev. Samuel
A. Moffett, who has charge of the Amer
lean Presbyterian missionary at Pyeng
Yang. Rev. Mr.. Moffett has called them
to the attention of the japanese author
tiles at Pyeng Yang and forwarded a
statement of the facts 10 the American
consul at Seoul
Rev. Mr.. Motlett attended the hearing
in the case of Rev. Mr.. Mowry before
the district court and made detailed re-
port of the proceedings in which he stat
ed he called upon Mr.. Mowry, then un
der arrest, on April 10. A detective in
formed Mr.. Moffett that Mr.. Mowry
probably would be sent to Seoul but on
April Ia, both Mr. Mowry and Mr. Moi
felt were notified that Mr. Mowry would
be put on trial the next morning.
Rev. Mr. Moffett's transcription of the
evidence shows that Rev. Mr.. Mowry
told the court that he was a teacher of
the Union Christian college and principal
of both the boys and girls grammar
schools at Pyeng Yang and that he had
taught there since 1911. He said that
he admitted to his house five Korean
students for two days in March after
the beginning Of the independence move
ment, One of these had been his secre-
tary for six years and was SO engaged
until he was arrested by the Japanese.
The missionary had given him money
for school expenses for five years. The
others were pupils he had taught. Rev.
Mr.. Mowry told the court that he bad
heard that the Christians and students
had held an independence meeting at the
boys grammar school, that he had moth
ing whatever TO do with it but heard
they had read declaration of independ-
ence, raised the Korean flag and marched
down the streets shouting "mansei'
tlong live Korea. The missionary de.
clared that he had heard that the police
were going TO arrest the students but
that when the boys came to his home
they did not tell him why they wanted
TO stay there, did not say they were in
hiding from the japanese and that be
told them that he could not protect them
If they were doing anything they should
not do.
Would you not think that in coming
to the house Of a westerner there was
something upt" asked the judge through
an interpreter
Koreans often slept at my house and
could only guess at it in view OF the
times" replied Rev. Mr. Mowry.
"Did YOU know that they secretly
distributed announcements and that the
police were hunting for themf" asked
the Judge.
II knew the police were trying to ar
rest such men," said Mr.. Mowry, but |
did not know these boys had done it.
guessed that the police were hunting for
them They said nothing to me about
fleeing from the police. ! did not hide
them as fugitives, made no effort to
conceal them and | told them | could
not do so.
"If / had been informed that the po-
lice were trying to arrest them and had
concealed them il would have been
wrong; but ] did not know that they
were criminals. II anyone had come to
arrest them and ! had concealed them it
would have been wrong. Concerning the
independence movement, / had nothing
whatever to do with it and kept free
from it and, as an American, told them
that / could have nothing TO do with it
and could give no advice"
The procurator in demanding SEN
tence of six months Imprisonment and
addressing Mr. Mowry before the court,
said, "0n one side your taking employees
and students who had no place TO fee to
was in sense manifestation Of human
kindness"
The wicker basket was then put on
Rev. Mr. Mowry's head and face and he
was led off by a policeman. Rev Mr..
Motfett visited the office of another pro-
curator, who admitted to him that Mr..
Mowry was not notified of his trial until
the day before it was held and that he
was not asked whether he wanted
lawyer. Mr.. Moffett complained that
the trial was brought off so suddenly
that Mr.. Mowry's friends had no chance
to engage lawyer
The procurator told him they could
have obtained postponement and Mr..
Moffett replied that 1--WE were given no
such information" that he had no oppor
tlinity to confer with Mr. Mowry about
engaging lawyer and that in the in
terview he had held with Mr. Mowry in
Jail he was strictly forbidden to talk
with the prisoner about his case.
The procurator told Mr.. Moffett that
they had right to appeal but the friend
of the convict missionary pointed out
that If the appeal were not successful,
Rev Mr.. Mowry would have suffered by
reason of the fact that he did not have