Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-07-27
HOW 1T ALL H1PPENED.
There Has apparent C0itusion
to Defeat the Ends of
Justice.


to Defeat the Ends of
Justice.
One by one the facts relating to
the miscarriage of justice in the
case of j. f. Ailshie before the late
grand jury are being brought to
light. Some of the grand jurors
are themselves emphatic in con-
demning the methods used by the
district attorney to prevent the
Indictment. For instance: The
grand jury asked the district at
torney to let them make their re-
port and be dismissed on Friday
afternoon but Mr.. Mitchell told
them he had SO much to do that he
could not possibly let them go until
Saturday. There was no business
for the jury on Saturday, and they
expected to make, their report and
be dismissed as soon as court con-
vened on Saturday morning. But
when the grand jury assembled, the
district attorney advised them that
they had better reconsider the
matter of the indictment which
they had found against J F.. Ailshie
the previous day. The district at
torney then laid down to the grand
jury the astounding proposition
that if they persisted in indicting
Ailshie, they would also be COM
PEELED TO FIND A TRUE BILL A
GAINsT A. F. PARKER FOR CRIMINAL
LIBEL, for the articles published in
the FREE PRESS concerning ALL
SHES disreputable work in the
Stevenson case tried before Justice
Robbins last spring. The district
attorney then read some law to
the jury relative to the libel case
but he evaded reading Section
1882, relating to bogus kilograms
Attorney F. E. Fogg was before
the grand jury for nearly one hour.
He had no testimony to offer, ex-
| cept that he did not believe the
letter to Gov. Mcconnell was ip
Ailshie's handwriting. Query =?
How did Fogg know such a letter
had been presented to the jury ?
The remainder of Fogg's speech, as
well as the speeches of the other
sO-called witnesses, were a defense
of Ailshie, without a particle OF
evidence being produced. Thus
the citizens of Idaho county are
treated to the unusual spectacle
unprecedented in the annals OF
jurisprudence-ofan an accused party
appearing before a grand jury by
special counsel. TO put the mat
ter in plain English the grand jury
was turned into a political machine
for the purpose of shielding po-
litical criminal from the conse-
quences of his criminal acts. These
republican witnesses (so-called)
who were before the grand jury on
Saturday had not word of evi-
dence or testimony to give. Theil
moral influence with some of the
republicans on the grand jury was
what they were there for. The
upshot of the scheme was as
follows: On Friday, the jury stood
IL for indictment and four against
On Saturday, after the district at
torney had steered these highly
moral influences" up against th'
jury, the vote stood, nine to indie
and seven to dismiss, thus shown,
that there were three partisans OF
that grand jury who yielded t.
party ''infuence," and helped t.
condone a criminal ofiense " 70
the good of the Party!"
This is shameful and sicken:n
state of affairs and we chronicle
with deep disgust. But, thank God
the great majority of the people c
Idaho County respect the laws {
+, their country and will have ther
+ impartially administered, regard
less of the prominence or the pt
litical beliefs of the law breaker
S An impartial enforcement of til
e laws is the sole defense of mOder
. civilization against anarchy, whel
n each individual is law unto hin
# self. 1t is to say the least a star
ling innovation that horse thi
charged with grand larceny is
: be asked what ticket he votes I
u which church he attends before IL
grand jury investigates his cas-
e Lynch law originates in just sue
Y, cases of partiality and favoritisi
If the district attorney is right
his instructions to the grand ju
o. that they cannot indict Ailsh
g. on one charge without also indie
ing Parker on another charge, tn
rs Parker is perfectly ready and wi
IL ing to be indicted any number
xt times on any number of charg'
and to take his punishment wit
at ont a whimper whenever a jury
or his fellow citizens finds him gull
n of violating the laws. But t
libel charge was simply a thin
E. vice to throw dust in the eyes
st the public-a side issue to div
I'd public attention away from Ailsl
IT. and fixing it ON Parker. 1t is I
'e. old, old story of the thief cryi
"Stop Thief" to divert suspici
from himself. But We do not p
the pose that this little gang of G.