Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 494, 11 January 1902 — EXPERTS RECKLESS SWEARING [ARTICLE]

EXPERTS RECKLESS SWEARING

Dunne Says That Sugar Men Talk Like Madmen as to Values. ESIEE WILL CHARGE JURY TODAY ARGUMENT IN SECOND PEARL HARBOR CASE FINISHED YESTERDAY. Annie Makanui't Estate—A. S. Cleghorn Appointed Guard'an of the Youngett Child—Elizabeth Kim aluna Has Charge of the Thi-ee Elder Minors—Court Notes. * E-t*-e will deliver his i barge to the Jury in the i a«e of the Government against tb«- Honolulu Plantation Com pany. the suit for <ondemnation of a leasehold interest in certain lands at Pearl Harbor required by the United State* for naval purposes. Closing argument to the Jury was commenced yesterday morning at Jo o'clock and was finished shortly' after I! o'clock yesterday afternoon. Tax Assessor J. VV. Pratt was the last witness for the defense. being • ailed to show the progressive in • Tease of value in the property of the plantation. United States District Attorney J. J. Dunne, who had the opening and closing argument, commenced by com menting on the character or the ex pert testimony of value produced by the defendant. Professional Sugar Men. District Attorney Dunce drew attention to the fact that the witnesses were nearly ail professional sugar men who steadfastly ignored details. They gave what was known in law as a lumping appraisement. Lorrin A Thurston, a plantation promoter and the last expert witness, had given an estimate of $239,400. or- s7do per acre, for 342 acres of the holding. . Allan Herbert had not wanted to testify on values at all and reluctantly gave an estimate of $54 per acre. Manager Low. of the Honolulu plantation. deeply interested in the- enterprise, swore on the stand that the leasehold interest was woffth $400,000 to the company, and yet Mr. Low. In ills sworn answer to the complaint, had placed the value at $144,945, or $200,000, less expenditures on improvements. Mr Dunne said also that Mr. Lowhad placed the- value of 4T20 acres at sso,Oil© in the tax returns for 1900. from which the Jury might calculate the proportionate valuation of the 501 acres in the lease containing the lands sought to be condemned. Irrational Valuations. Not only are t Lie expert valuations irrational." said Mr. Dunne, “hut they are full of inconsistencies. Compare the testimony of Manager Low with that of Mr. Thurston. While testifying in the Bishop estate . ase Mr. lavw placed the value of f he fee simple on this property at sl’tio per a-re for arable land. Mr. Thurston presents a v aim of STOO for the lease alone.* Mr. Dunne referred to the testimony of Mr. l/ow as “that of a mailman." The District Attorney spoke of the testimony of Manager Ooodaie on the v»U as "reckless swearing “ Annie Makanui Estate. Judge Humphreys ordered that lei-; ’ of Vnnie Maknnui issue to F. W. Me übesnev upon h*« filing an approved bond in the sum of s3tK> administrator to give usual notice of publication and to file an inventory of the prop erty of the estate within thirty days. Annie Makauni died intestate on September 22. 1901. leaving an estate of about the value of $4OO, consisting of three shares of stock of the Kona Sugar Company. Limited of tee par value of $lOO in the bands of F W. McChesney. The heirs are four minor children. The court ha* appointed Elizabeth Kawaluna guardian of the three elder 1 Ulren of the de- -as»-d and A S. Cleghorn has been appointed guardian of tae younges; . hild. which is three years old. In the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court sat yesterday with District Judge Lyle A. Dickey as associate Justice in tfce place of Justire Galbraith, who was held to be dlsqpaiifled in the case of C, A Brown against J D. Spree keis et al. The . ase w ill be continued this morning and bids fair to iast a day or two.