The local farmers believed his innocence, and they implored Norio SATO, who was the distant relative of Morichika to know him well and also a well-known educator and religious person, to spare the life of Morichika.
地元の農民は無実を信じ、教育者、宗教者であり、遠縁にもあたりかねてより森近を良く知る佐藤範雄に助命を依頼。