<Begin Segment 4>

DG: So now you were newlyweds and you were in Puyallup and...

KS: Yes.

DG: What were you...

TS: Well maybe I could relate an incident that happened in camp. I was appointed what they called Judge Advocate in Area B of the Puyallup Assembly Center where we were staying and there was a man from Seattle by the name of Kay Takayoshi, who was appointed Police Chief in there, in our area. And one day he came to me with a handful of wallets, and he threw them on my table and I asked him, "What's all that?" and he says, "I raided a dice game last night." And those wallets were stuffed with (currency) so they were all straight, and you couldn't even bend them. I asked Kay, "Well what am I supposed to do about this." And he says it's not my job, my job's to keep control of gambling. So I checked with Clarence Arai, who was Chief Judge Advocate for the entire Assembly Center and he said, "Well, it's up to you." I finally decided to have what might be called a informal hearing. I had Takayoshi come in and tell me what happened and when and where, and each of the people involved told me that such and such was their wallet. So finally I said, "Well, I don't know what authority I have, or the boundaries of my authority." So I told them, "As far as I'm concerned, you can have, all have your wallets back provided that you donate $5 or $10 each for purchase of athletic equipment for our area." And that's (why) we were able to buy basketballs and things like that for the people in our area. That was a very interesting experience.

DG: That's pretty good.

TS: And some of those fellows who were involved still talk to me about it. [Laughs]

DG: Well tell, tell me what you thought when you, when he first brought the wallets to you. You were telling me...

TS: Well, I really didn't know what... I was shocked. [Laughs]

DG: You didn't mind even doing a little gambling yourself? [Laughs]

TS: Well, as a matter of fact, I was, we, we played poker and, and I was wondering how come Kay's coming in with... [Laughs] But I guess dice was bigger and faster game than poker. It involved a lot more money.

DG: So, what else did people do to occupy their time?

TS: Oh, there was very little bridge that I recall.

KS: Some that we played.

TS: Pinochle.

DG: Was there drinking?

KS: No.

TS: Very, very little. I never.

KS: Well no, they didn't, it wasn't... you couldn't purchase it either.

DG: People didn't have to sneak in...?

KS: Well, if they did, it was very discreetly. I never saw any liquor. And, but most of us got together. We played a little bridge. We played oh, pinochle, many card games. And thanks to the athletic equipment that Toru was able to get from... and, you know, everybody enjoyed that. There was a badminton set, tennis racquets, tennis balls, 'cause the net that we used for, could be, could be used for both. And softball. It was really nice because the young people just... you know, we were only allowed to bring what would go in a duffel bag and most people forgot to put things like that in their duffel bag or just didn't...

TS: Well the government didn't provide any monies for that.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.