The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-06-14
Injustice To Missionary.
American in Korea Not Given
Fair Trial by japanese

TOXIC, May 5 Correspondence Of
Tic Associated Press)-The Rev. E.
N. Mowry Of Mansfield, o., an Amer
lean Presbyterian Missionary, had no
lawyer to represent him in the court
OF Pyeng Yang when he was convicted
recently and sentenced to six months
penal servitude for sheltering Korean
agitators in the independence move
ment. The trial was held after one
days notice TO the accused and neith-
CT he nor his friends who were in
court watching but taking no part in
the case were notified until after the
:lial that they could have asked for
and obtained postponement.
These facts are stated by the Rev.
Samuel A. Moffett who has charge OF
the American Presbyterian missionary
at Pyeng Yang. The Rev. Mr.. Moffett
has called them to the attention OF
the japanese authorities at Pyeng
Yang and forwarded statement of
the facts to the American consul at
Seoul.
The Rev. Mr.. Noffett attended the
| hearing in the case of the Rev. Mr..
made detailed report of the pro-
ceedings in which he stated that he
) called upon Mr.. Mowry, then under
arrest, on April 10. A detective in
formed Mr.. Moffett that Mr.. Mowry
probably would be sent TO Seoul but
on April Il, both MIR. Mowry and Mr..
Moffett were notified that Mr.. Mowry
would be put on trial the next morn
ing.
The Rev. Mr.. Moffett's transcript
ton of the evidence shows that the
he was a teacher of the Union Chris
tan 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 had
admitted to his house five Korean stu
dents for two days in March after the
beginning Of the independence move
ment. Ore of these had been his sec
1 retary for six years and was SO engag-
ed until he was arrested by the jap
anese.
The missionary had given him mon
ey for school expenses for five years.
The others were pupils he had taught.
The Rev. Mr. Mowry told the court
that he had heard that the Christians
and students had held an independ-
ence meeting at the Boys Grammar
! school. that he had nothing whatever
to do with it but heard they had
read a declaration of independence,
raised the Korean flag and marched
down the streets shouting "mansei
dong live Korea). The missionary
declared that he had heard that the
police were going to arrest the stu
dents 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 he told them that
he could not protect them if they were
doing anything they should not do.
''Would you not think that in COM
ing to the house of Westerner
there was something up?" asked the
Judge through an Interpreter.
Koreans often slept at my house
and I could only guess at it in view
of the times" replied the Rev. Mr.
Mowry.
did you know that they secretly
distributed announcements and that
the police were hunting for them z"
asked the judge.
II knew the police were trying to
arrest such men," said Mr.. Mowry.
but did not know these boys had
done it. I guessed that the police
were hunting for them. They said
|
police. I did not hide them as fugl-
tives. l made no effort to conceal
them and I told them could not do
so.
"If I had been informed that the
police We're trying to arrest them ana
! had concealed them it would nave
! been wrong; but I did not know that.
they were criminals. If anyone had
come to arrest them and I had con-
cealed them would have been wrong.
Concerning the independence move
ment, I had nothing whatever to 90
with it ard kept free from it and, as
an American. told them that l could
have nothing to do with it and could
give no advice"
The procurator in demanding
sentence of six months imprisonment
and addressing AIR .Mowry before the
court said, Ion one side your taking
employees and students who had no
place to fee TO was IL a sense man.
| ifestation of human kindness
The wicker basket was then put
on Mr.. Mowry's head and face and he
was led off by policeman. The Rev.
/, Mr.. Moffett visited the Office of aaoth-'
er procurator who admitted to him
that Mr. A1owry was not notified OF
his trial until the day before it was
held and that he was not asked wneth--
er lie wanted a lawyer. Mr.. Moffett
complained that the trial was brought
off so suddenly that Mr.. Mowry's
friends hcd no chance to engage a
lawyer.
The procurator told him they could
have obtained postponement and
Mr.. Moffett replied that I'VE were
given no such information that he