Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-14
LETTER BAG.


the Jury,
EDITORS HERALD AS one of the Jurors
who sat in the mis-trial of the Edelman
case just concluded, and as taxpayer of
this county, l cannot refrain from say
ing that the result of that trial was, in
deed, a miscarriage of justice and ca
lamity to the taxpayers of this county.
What struck me as most singular was
the fact that the four jurors who voted for
the acquittal of the defendant in that
case refused to give any reason upon
which they based their judgment, or to
discuss the facts of the case with other
jurors. The evidence of the witness
Lauterio practically amounted to moth
ing in the judgment of any sensible
juror, for it is the old story, that when
one thief is upon trial the other called
as witnessN to prove some
facts. always attempts to give
the impression to the jury that
he himself may be the guilty one, thus
clearing the one upon trial, who in his
turn will attempt to carry the same con-
viction to the jury when his partner in
guilt is tried for the same offense. 1t
is hard to see how any sensible juror
could vote for the acqulttal of this de-
fendant upon this trial where the evil
dence was so clear and convincing. The
prosecuting attorney presented evidence
that should convince any reasonable
man of the guilt of this defendant, and
L hope for the sake of the taxpayers OF
this county, and for the good name of
the county, that the prosecuting attor-
ney will not allow this matter to rest,
klo Iofo
but that he will continue to prosecute
these cases until he finds jury who
will pass judgment upon the case from
the evidence produced, and from that
alone. JUROR.
How Not To Do 1t At San Pedro.
EDITORS HERALD: In the HERALD OF
today you make some very perpendicu-
lar observations relative to government
appropriations for this harbor. But
there is one very important feature that
you have overlooked, and one that
should receive special attention before
the time comes for another appropria-
ton. Had the last appropriation,
meager as it was, been expended in
deepening the bar at the entrance to
the harbor it would have gone long
way toward letting in the deep sea ves-
sells that now anchor in the offing and
discharge cargo by means of lighters !;
but instead of that it has been wasted
in scooping up loose sand and mud in
the channel only to have the excavation
filled up by the first tide. And who is
to blame? Clearly not the contractor, for
his contract requires him to move a stated
number OF yards OF earth and the con-
sstency beyond which he need not go
is plainly stated. The formation where
the work is needed exceeds this in dem
sity and of course he did not dig there.
maintain that the powers that be do
not want our harbor improved, at least
not until the Oakland improvement is
completed, and when they find it neces-
sary to yield to the popular clamor to
the extent OF doling out to US small
pittance for harbor Improvements they
see to it that in some manner, like that
just instanced, they hedge it about with
chow not to do it," Ii the govern
ment engineers cannot ascertain the
real character of the formation of our
bar those interested in the advancement
of this port should do so and see that
future appropriations shall be expended
where they will be of benefit.
SAN PEDRO.
San Pedro, July 13, 1891.