The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-18
FOR CRIMINAL LIBEL.
Joseph Murray, Late Fish Com
missioner, Indicted.
he SPOKE OF ALASKA JUSTICE.
Extracts From gr wnrrny'. Report
70 the Secretary of the United
state. Treasury-Ee Reflected, "a
Is Alleged. ON the Court and Ju-
rt~s-yudge Delaney Says Alas
kans Are Not Outlaws.

ALASKA has 4 sensation orc THAI VII
be f8r-Feachlag and watch VIII eitaeE
clear OF further Sssmircn the names o
prominent people and ex-high of'leiais-
n brief the grand jury OF Alaska aas
Just cor. 9lsted & tw0-ra5Efhs' session oy
returning an Indictment for criminal boes
against Joseph MurTay. United States nsh
con Enlssfsler, n connection Rlth mis- re-
port 20 the secretary Of the treasury on
the salmon fisheries n Alaska. made FEB
ruary J. ise5. and published Decefnssr a.
1855 The Alaska News, which has dis
played wonderful energy in running down
the story. prints the fuH text OF the IN
dictment prefacing it with A few remarks
20 the effect that while the charge came
ike 4 f3mbshsH 20 some, yet the charge
delivered b. the court al The convening
81 tue session was OF such a nature that
the 1ary could scarcely do otherwise.
In his report Mr.. Murray has made the
strongest kind OF accusations against TIE
administration Of 5nssice in Alaska and 10
Say the least, he has brought down upon
his head the wrath Of AIaskans In a man
ner that viii compel him to prove the
tfathfulness Of his allegations.
Ia the course of the alleged copy OF the
Indictment me following appears:
The indictment.
''The said Joseph Murray az or near
Juneau within the said district OF Alaska,
and within the jurisdiction OF this court
on or about the ist day OF December. in
the year Of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred ard niuety-six. did falsely. IN
lawfully. wicksdlv wi,ifglly. maljciously.
scan9aious.y. ssditiously and loelously.
containing ard intending 70 bring the adj
nainisfra ton % justice IN this district OF
Alaska, United States OF America, into
contempt and atsrepute and 70 scandalize
and viliify the administration OF justice
a. the said district OF Alaska. and the
United States district court OF the said
district % Alaska. and the Hon. Warren
Truit5. Judge thereof. and the Jurors at
tending thereat. and cause IL TO be believed
that Justice was not and could not he ad-
ministsred and the laws were not and
could not De enforced By said court and
said district did falsely. unlawfaliy, wick
eddy willfully. maiiciously. scandalously
sed.tiogsly and libelously publish and
cause TO he published on or about the ist
DAY Of December. 1895. as aforesaid, In
certain report 20 the honorable the sscre-
tary OF the treasury OF the United States
% America. entitled; Report on the sal
mon fisheries I'm Alaska made by him on
February l. 1895. and concerning the ad-
minisirafion or justice IL the district Of
Alaska, the United States district court
Of the district OF Alaska the Hon. Warren
Truitt, judge thereof. and the Jurors at
tending thereat. with intent then and
fhere and thereby 10 !niure and defame
Tire administration OF justice In the district
o. Alaska and the United States district
court for the district OF Alaska. and the
said Hon. Warren Trultt. Judge thereof.
and the said jurors attending thereat, GER
tain false. unlawful. wicked. willful. ma
Iiaious. scsndalous, seditIous and libelous
matters Of and concerniug the administra-
ton OF justice In the said district and the
United States district court thereof and
the Hon. Warren Truitt, Judge thereof.
and the said Jurors In attendance thereat.
according 70 the tenor and effect follow
ing that Il 20 say:
[" Traps are set. streams are damned.
salmon are prevented from ascending the
rivers 20 the spawning grounds and are
destroyed BY men who have no interest
whatever In the development Of the ter
ritery. and yet Il is impossible TO find a
Jury to convict the guilty ones. for the
ssiuon men viii stand by the liquor men.
ard the liquor men will stand by the sal
mon men"
ssot Guilty" az Won Know the Ropes.
The second count contains the following
extract from Mr. Murray's report.
For three weeks I was present at ev-
cry session % the court. and IN that time
learned beyond doubt that not only
were iurles 70 be had 70 return verdicts
OF not guilty in behalf OF every violator
% the revenue law but also for any
crime II one only knew The particular at
torney 20 employ"
TIE next extract from the report. which
has scandailzed the administra ton 81 jus
tice IN Alaska. e. follows;
when the case was about 10 corae 10
trial referring 10 tho hearing Of the cas-
81 the United States VS. Ad0lph Never
Ewfa
daily. hourly communication with the dis
trict attorney. whom 7 advised - stand
TO for the rlcht against all the vile meth
OILS THAI might hc used against him. and
fNat in 80 doing he wouid be supported
~ tho government. ITO said he was
afraid OF bodily harm. % his personal
safety; that unless he could secure the
3oiut services ~ a certain attorney. whom
he named ana whose strength and worth
lay Ga his power 10 influence turtles. II
would be useless 20 Try the case before a
9urv. for tnoEt of rhe furymen would re
personal friends ~ the prisoner. and
many ~ them participators in his crime:
that although De was guilty % enough
crime 70 keep him Imprisoned twenty
years. y he 0hs district attorney couid
not influence the fury no would he turned
loose on a verdict o. NOT guilty. Not
knowing how 70 influence rhs farv Tor the
purpose Indicated. and not betng able 70
control the sislr1Ct attorney. 7 was ueces-
sRrilv Obliged 20 remain q silent spectator
q = compromise between the parties In
terested. the terms ~ which were that on
condition - the withdrawal 90 the plea q
not guilty end the substitution % plea
Of guilty, the prisoner would be Jet or
with small nue and uEht sentence
vhlrh was done by tire district attorney
stating thar fine 81 So and twentv-efeht
raootas' Imprisonment would be satisfac-
farR %
How itanor Gases Were Handled.
Another cause Tor trouble IS as follows.
"f3QHnT cases were called and disposed
g wirR the regularity Of clockwork. ard
always vith the same Result The Wit
hesseS we've Indians and half-hreeas the
pFisorer WAS white man. aud his friends
were ga iae nary box 20 acQuit him"
ADJ 50 tae er2nd iuyy duty selected
inparelet sworn and charged as afo~e-