Thalia Fortescue Massie
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Thalia Fortescue Massie (born February 14, 1911 in Washington, D.C., died 1963 in Palm Beach, Florida) was the daughter of Grace Hubbard Fortescue and the wife of a Navy lieutenant and the genesis of what is now known as the Massie-Kahahawai Case. She claimed that in September, 1931, a group of Hawaiian men had raped her at Ala Moana Beach in Honolulu. Subsequently, five young men, two of Hawaiian ancestry, two of Japanese ancestry, and one of Chinese ancestry were arrested and charged with rape. With evidence presented demonstrating that none of the accused could have committed the crime, the jury deadlocked and all five were released on bail. Grace Fortescue was deeply disturbed by the release and one of the defendants, a native Hawaiian named Joseph Kahahawai, was later found dead in the back seat of her car. Defended by attorney Clarence Darrow, of the Scopes Monkey Trial, Fortescue was eventually tried and convicted of manslaughter. Originally sentenced to 10 years, her sentence was commuted to one hour in the executive chambers of Governor Lawrence Judd of the Territory of Hawaii, a Republican. The commutation of Fortescue's sentence was perceived by native Hawaiians and other citizens as a gross miscarriage of justice in the Territory. Thalia's claim and the subsequent events were seminal in strengthening the labor-union movement in Hawaii and the resolve of concerned citizens that formed the Hawaii Democratic Party.
