They were convicted under a section of the Penal Code which outlaws deeds intended to wound or insult "the religious feelings of any class of persons" through acts committed in, upon or near sacredobjects or places of worship.
Ultimately, thanks to these efforts, millions of objects and sacred texts were returned to their rightful heirs or held in trust by Jewish successor organizations.
The museum and several Native Hawaiian groups are struggling to figure out what should be done with 83 objects, including bones and rare carved artifacts taken from sacred burial caves in Kawaihae, on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1905.