Weekly journal-miner., 1908-12-09
APACHE SCOUT GAINS
 FREEDOM FROM CHARGE
0F'rom Sundays Dsily)

Chafley Nakce, TOnto Apacne In dian, charged with the murder of Charley Natakec, fellow tribesman walked out of the courthouse free man last evening at 6:30 o'clock. the jury in his ease having returned yer. dict of not guilty after less than an hours deliberation. The hearing of evidence in the case occupied almost the entire time of the last two days sessions of the district court. Char. Icy F., brothcr' of Charley Nakee. cahrged with being an accomplice to the alleged murder, was released later after the court announced the ease against him had been dismissed.
 The liberated Indians left on last nights train for their homes near fayson, in Gila county, after thank. ing United States District Attorney J. l.. B. Alexander, who defended them, for their liberation from custo. dy, and Attorney J. F.. Russell. asso. ciated in the defense.
 
 The case was remarkable 'for the able defense of United States District Attorney Alexander, who defends all the Indian wards of the government accused of serious crimes when se- quested by the attorney general of Arizona or the United States. Anoth. CT feature, bordering on the ridicu. lous, Was the contradictory testimony of the Indian witnesses, the greater portion of which reached the court and jury through an Indian interpre. ter.
 lt was evident from the starting of the introduction of testimony that the witnesses for the prosecution were more or less prejudieed against the de. fendant, who served several years with Al Seiber, one of Arizona 's most famous scouts, and he also served in the capacity of trailer of criminals with the sherifr's office of Gila coun. ty. One of the important witnesses for the prosecution was an Indian, an swering to the name of Sullivan. An of his statements vanished into thin air before the jury when he was fore. cd to admit on cross examination by Attorney Alexander that he had serv- cd term in the penitentiary from this county after being convicted of assault with a deadly weapon. Dis trict Attorney R. F. Morrison recalled Indian Sullivan to the witness stand and asked him if he had not been par. doned from the pcnitentiary. He stat. cd that he had been pardoned by Governor Kibbey. He was recalled by Attorney Alexander and in answer to the question if he had been com victed of grand larceny in Gila conn. ty before his Yavapai county eonvic. ton. admitted that he had and further that he had served out the term in the pen. The verdict of the jury showed that the testimony of Indian Sullivan was no seriously considered, if at all. by the jury in it's short deliberations on the case.
 After the close of Indian Sullivan s rebuttal testimony, Attorney Alexan- der suggested to District Attorney Morrison that the ease be allowed to go to the jury without argument. This was accepted by the district attorney. Judge Sloan then charged the jury. After the verdict was returned Char ley F., indicted as an accompliee in the alleged murder of Natakee, was re- leased on Attorney Alexander's mo- ton.
 Attorney Alexander left for his home in Phoenix last night, after re- ceiving the congratulations of his many friends nere on the fact that he had never lost any ease of an Indian defended by him in his official career.