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TI: So at that point, the case goes to the jury. And I believe this is on April 1st that the jury essentially was able to go off and deliberate. So explain to me what that was like, when that was happening.

BI: Well, I was with Ken during the deliberations, and he said, "If they don't come back in three hours, I could be railroaded." And he said, so he warned me not to, to be prepared for the worst. And it was, three hours had passed, and he got a little... can't say he was nervous, but I guess you'd say he was a little, wondering what was going on. And it was four hours, and so thought, "Oh," but when we went back into the courthouse and the verdict was read, it was a great relief. Count one: not guilty; count two: not guilty; count three: not guilty; count four: not guilty. (Narr. note: He was tried on just 3 counts, not 4.)

TI: And so when you said it was big relief, do you recall what, what happened, what you did?

BI: Well, I had my head down, I just didn't know what to think. And when I heard "not guilty," I raised my head and of course smiled, but you know... you may think I'm a little weird, but I looked up and I could see a white figure, and I didn't know if it was Christ or who he was, but I saw a vision. And it just made me so happy, I was smiling.

TI: Are you, at that time, were you a very religious person?

BI: Not really. I was more Buddhist than Christian, but Mother was a very devout Buddhist, and to please the family... well, they had their little temple in the house, and we were expected to say, "Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu," in the morning. So I did, and was in, I didn't know what it was all about, but it was kind of a tradition in the family, so I followed that. And, but this white figure always stayed in my mind. I thought, "Well, there's something spiritual."

TI: Can you describe that feeling when you saw that, that image?

BI: Momentarily, momentarily you don't know where you are. I see this figure, and then it disappears.

TI: How about your husband? What was his reaction when they read the verdict?

BI: Oh, of course he was, he was very, very happy. So I called the family --

TI: Oh, before we go there, what about the rest of the, the courtroom? Did anyone else react that you could recall? Did people come up to you and Ken and say things to you?

BI: No, no. We were all leaving on the same elevator, and so I wanted to thank the jury, and my attorney said, "No, don't do that." He said, "It's better not to." So that was it.

TI: And do you recall any conversations between the lawyer and Ken as, after the trial, after the verdict? Was there any comments or anything you could recall?

BI: Well, if there was, I wasn't with them. (Narr. note: I remember we took Hammond to lunch at Maneki after the trial.)

TI: How about the two women that were watching the trial? Did they come up to you and say anything?

BI: No, not that I remember. I don't know if they attended every session.

TI: Okay, you were going on, then you said you called your, your family?

BI: Yes, I called them to say that Ken was acquitted and we're coming home. And they said, "It's not an April Fool's joke, is it?" [Laughs]

TI: Oh, that's, yeah, it was April 1st. I'm sorry, who said that? Your, who said about the April Fool's joke?

BI: I don't know who answered the phone, but it might have been my older brother.

TI: So they must have been very happy.

BI: Oh, yes.

TI: What, what did Ken want to do? Because he's been locked up for months now, what did he want to do when he got out?

BI: Well, you know, he volunteered for the army, for the service, and he was turned down.

TI: So I'm sorry, as soon as he got out, he volunteered for the service?

BI: Uh-huh. Not right away, but within a few weeks.

TI: But before we go there, I mean, just the, that day, when he was released, was there anything that he wanted to do, like go eat a certain food or see a certain person?

BI: No, we went home, I think he wanted to see Ayleen, and I kept reminding Ayleen, "Daddy, Daddy," you know, because she was, she was less than a year old, I guess. Yeah, she hadn't turned quite one. (Narr. note: Actually, she turned one in February 1941.) But, so she called him, "Daddy, Daddy," and of course that just thrilled him.

TI: And this was back at South Park, or in Bellevue?

BI: No, in Bellevue. I never did go back to South Park. The reason I didn't stay in South Park was it was so close to the Boeing airfield, and then very, almost across the street from our house was the Japanese language school. And that area was all, FBIs were standing around watching, and then I had to get a permit to go into that area. And it was just, it was so unpleasant.

TI: So it was kind of a restricted area.

BI: Yes, so Ken didn't want me to stay there, and he said, "I want you to go to Bellevue," so I went to Bellevue.

<End Segment 18> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.