The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-12-01
ANDREWS ON THE
VOUCHER SCANDAL

The present Territorial grand Sury
| will not continue the investigation OF
the Legislature, but the matter win
be taken up in January as soon as ths
next term of court opens and new
! grand jury is called. The principal obieo-.
ton to the present jury taking up the,
work is the fact that at least two OF It's
| members are among the men mention
ed by the Federal Grand Jury as bav-
| ing profited by the graft in the Lexts-
lature and who would therefore he
disqualified. These men are Charles
Wilcox and 7. II, Mossman and they
constitute just n sufficient number to
prevent any indictment from being re-
turned, as of the remaining twelve,
members, the number necessary To Sc
cure an indictment, one Is in-Mr-
Bindt. He may have to have an op-
GRAFTON performed which would prevent
him from acting during the remainder
OF the term.
Another objection. even II there war
no disqualification of Jurors, is that
the investigation could not be finishet
by the time the jury's term viii ex-
pire by Limitation of law. The present
term ends the first of the year and hF
the time the legislators could he
brought over from the other islands tho
term would be over
The charges against the Legislators
will in all probability be the first ane
most important work which the newly
elected district attorney, w. Il. Raw
Inns, will take UP when he enters Of
flee. After the first of the year the
Attorney General will no longer be con-
cerned in prosecutions and the county
attorneys will be required to do thif
work. A conference has been arrang-
ed for this morning between Mr.. Raw
Inns and Mr.. Andrews at which tims
the voucher scandal will be discussed
and n line of policy decided upon q
have consulted with Mr.. Rawlins, the
newly elected county attorney In re-
gard to the Federal jury report on thu
legislature said Mr.. Andrews yester-
day, "as the matter If brought before
the Territorial grand jury will consume
a large amount of time, owing To the
necessity of bringing witnesses from
the other islands, and the investiga-
ton would probably not be finished be-
fore the county attorney takes over tn,
work of prosecuting attorney. The
great difficulty is that the Territorial
grand jury now has on its shoulders
because of Judge Gears infamous
crime decision, an extra large amount
of work which keeps the jury busy
with the present criminal calendar as
1T is turned out in Honolulu and oths1-
districts To stop now in the mida-
of this work and commence an investi-
cation of the magnitude of the vouch-
ers OF the House, would require an en-
tire cessation of this criminal work
This term has already been prolonged
since September, including three ses-
sions of the Supreme Court, placing 8.
large amount of work upon the Attor
ney Generals department, which has
kept all the mem bers of the legal stan
busy in the various courts on criminal
and civil matters.
1--WE will however take immediate
steps looking towards the bringing OF
any legislative charges before the Ter
ritorial grand jury as soon as matters
are regulated The term has been ex-
tended far beyond the ordinary but
will be terminated by the first of the
year. At that time this Office will no
longer be the prosecuting department
in the Territory, and therefore the
question for us to consider Is whether
to begin the investigation to run into
the new regime, or whether merely ia
prepare the cases for presentation and
turn thpm over 70 the county attOr-
ney. We will do what Is least embar-
to the county attorney and ME-
Peters and myself will meet with Mr
Rawlins tomorrow morning and decid.
what course to pursue. The depart
ment Is of course ready to render eV-
cry possible assistance to Mr. Raw
Inns when he takes up the investiga-
tion."