Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-05-26
PARDONS FROST.
Recommendations of Attorney General
Knox on Which President Roosevelt
Acted in the Matter.
Not Believed that Frost Had Intention
of Contributing to Resistance of
Writes of California Court.
A Young Man of Exceptionally Good
Character With Record in the
Depart rtment Above Suspicion.


Department Above Suspicion.
1t will be remembered that President
Roosevelt recently pardoned G.. A. S.
Frost, sentenced . by the California
| court to a years Imprisonment for
contempt of court in matters connected
with the famous Mckenzie receiver
case. Mr.. Frost was sent to Alaska
as special agent for the department. of
justice. and according to the statement
of the attorney general performed his
| duties we'll. He resigned his position
as special examiner to accept the posi-
tion of assistant district attorney at
Nome, and not being in the favor of
the California syndicate that was run
ming things in Alaska he was prose-
cuted and convicted and finally sent
| to jail for one year. Attorney General
Knox reviews the case at length and
the following are his recommendations
On which the president acted favor
ably:
| Office of the Attorney General, Wash
ington, D. c., May 10. 1902-In the
matter of the application for pardon of
Claude A. S. Frost.-The President:
l have carefully considered the peti-
tions and accompanying papers SUBJ
mitted to me by you. in relation to the
pardon of c. A: S. Frost, convicted of
contempt Of court by the United States
circuit court OF appeals for the Ninth
judicial district, and now undergoing
imprisonment of twelve months in the
Alameda county (Cal.) Jail.
The facts upon which the conviction
was based may be briefly stated:
In the summer of 1900, MI. Frost,
who was special examiner in this de-
partment, was directed by the attorney
general to- proceed to the second divis-
ion of the district of Alaska to assist
and advise with the newly appointed
officers of the courts relative to their
duties under the laws and the regula-
tions of the department. It was his
duty to make frequent reports as to the
necessities of the service and the per-
formance of their duties by these Off
GERS. The files of the department show
that he faithfully did so. While Frost
was still acting as a special examiner
certain writs of supersedeas Gssued by
the circuit court of appeals for the
Ninth circuit and directed to one Nc
Kenzie. who had been by the district
court of Alaska appointed receiver Of
several mines, and gold and gold dust
taken therefrom), were received at
Nome. The writs required the surren-
der of this property to the defendants
in the suits in which the receiver had
been appointed. They were served by
the marshal upon the receiver, who
turned over the possession of the
mines, but failed to deliver the gold
and dust which were on deposit in the
safety bank. MI. Vawter, the marshal
refused to execute the writs. Before
the service of the writs, on the same
| day, Mr.. Frost addressed the following
letter to the marshal:
Nome, Alaska, Sept. 10, 1OO0.-Hon.
c. L. Vawter, United States marshal,
Nome. Alaska.-Sir: Your attention
is invited to that portion of section No.
SAG. Revised Statutes of the United
States, which reads as follows:
THAT where the ministerial officers
of the United Staets have or shall incur
extraordinary expenses in executing the
laws thereof, the payment of which is
not specifically provided for, the pres
ident of the United States has the au-
thority to allow the payment thereof
under the special taxation of the dis
trict court of the district in which said
services have been or shall be rendered,
to be paid from the appropriation for
defraying the extraordinary expenses
of the judiciary" g.
If it shall be necessary for you to
incur extraordinary expenses under
this statute in suppressing specific un-
lawful acts, acts of violence or at
tempted violence, burglary, robbery,
etc, YOU will be authorized to employ
such force as may be necessary in the
premises and the necessary expenses
incurred by you may be included in an
extraordinary expense account, to be
rendered and paid as provided in said
section. Respectfully, c. A. S. Frost,
Special Examiner, Department of JUS
tice.
About a year afterwards, on August
81, 1901, Mr.. vawter made an affidavit