^Japanese jftistice.
547
from gaol. The indulgence was easily granted, proved to be the contrary. In this character istic Japan but conforms to her continental and Tochida Tori was presently brought back models, and indeed to the universal usage of from prison in charge of a stern policeman mankind, with the solitary exception of the in blue spectacles, with a sword and a note English. The judge conducts the trial book. She stood before me in the same at alone. All questions by counsel must be titude, probably believing something worse put through him. Counsel do not so much than her sentence was coming from the defend their clients as represent them. junior judge at my side. Then this little They even testify for their clients, strange dialogue ensued, as I was allowed to address as such a thing must sound to English ears. her, — "Oh, Tori San! how many times have you Another peculiarity is that husband and wife, parent and child, master and servant stolen cakes and sugar?" "Never before, Banna Sama." are prohibited from appearing as witnesses "Why did you do it this time?" against each other. "I had run away from home, and my little When about half the eleven male crimi money was gone. I was very hungry, I had nals had been disposed of, — all of them plead ing guilty, to gain the easier judgments of the no friends, and I took the first thing I could First Court, — Tochida Tori was called to the and sold it to buy gohan." "Shall you steal again when you come bar. She had never once lifted her head during the proceedings, and stood before I out >" the judge in an attitude of shame and hope-! "I would rather die than be again where lessness while the secretary read aloud how I am to-day; but I shall not come out, be she had stolen thirteen sen's worth of manjo cause I have no money and nobody to pay — a kind of cake —-and a measure of sugar, the bakkiu." which she had sold for four sen, and with the "Well! here is the ltketori. Your fine is money — about twopence — bought a bowl of paid, and when you come out of prison you rice. When asked by the judge if the charge must come to this address, and we will try was true, she murmured, " Sayo de gozaimas" to find you work." and to all other questions uttered only a Then she looked up. A comely counte hopeless " He, he!" His honor made nance, full of sorrow, shame, surprise, and short work of her, adjudging as the measure just one gleam of joy through the tears fill of her crime one month's imprisonment with ing her eyes, to show that she was glad to hard labor, a fine of a few yen, and kaushi find an unexpected friend. Yet the gleam during six months. With the hysterical was worth a good deal more than many yen, tremor which denotes great emotion in a and as, in Sydney Smith's words, " A never Japanese, she turned, and was led away by sees B in trouble without wanting C to help an officer. In the adjournment which en him," I arranged afterwards with our good sued I ventured to ask the judge whether, archdeacon — the friend of all his poor Jap since it was a first offence, and the woman anese neighbors — to find some work for had evidently been driven to her sin by ex poor Tochida Tori when she emerged from treme want, I might be permitted to pay the her captivity. — Edwin Arnold (in Dally fine and promise her some help on emerging Telegraph ).
