Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1909-11-25
Government Cases Fizzle Out

siohu Jul dl MOScOW laSl
May and indicted for perjury, have
been discharged, Judge Dietrich, al
the session of the federal court ius,
closed at Moscow, instructing the Jury
in the case of the L. S. VS. Frank
Wyatt, to render verdict of not
guilty. In the other two cases the
indictments were declared void. Then
the government attempted to secure
their Indictment upon other evidence
but upon considering the same that
body found no grounds for an indict.
ment and so informed the government
attorney.
The citizens of the community are
usually pretty good judges of a man Is
guilt or innocence and there never has
been a time when the people of Idaho
county thought for one minute these
men were guilty as charged. Some Of
the methods used by the prosecution
are being criticised as well as the mo-
tive which promoted it.
1t seems to a great many people,
people who came and pioneered in
this country and know the character
OF those being prosecuted, that in the
keenness Of the prosecution to show
their usefulness and necessity to the
government, they become over-zealous
and quite often drag into court men
beyond reproach upon some fiimsy
evidence supplied by understrappers
at great loss Of time and money to
both sides. In the light of the few
convictions which are resulting the
public is forming much the same
opinion.
Every good citizen is in favor of
the enforcement of the laws and who
is there who will say Wyatt, Hall,
Gibbins and others are not of that
class. But what is the use of dragging
men in court, making a big hip, hip,
hurrah, and then when the matter
finally comes to trial there is no evil
dence?
Before adjourning a number Of in
dictment were returned against men of
the best Of the citizenship Of our
neighboring county and the people of
Idaho have grave doubts of any wrong
doing on their part.
As we have said before the COM
munity in which man lives is very
fair judge of the innocence or guilt of
that man, men whom he has lived
among for years usually known.
Here is the way Lewiston looks up
on the Indictment Of some of their
citizens:
The directorate of the Lewiston Ma
tional bank, in session, adopted the
following resolutions:
Lewiston, Idaho, Nov. 22, 1909.
Appraised by the press that Frank
w. kettenbach, on whose complaint.
as president of the Lewiston National
bank, Clarence W Robnett was bound
over to answer on account of short
age Of S139, 226.19 which was made
good to the bank by .the shareholders
at the time of its discovery last spring,
is required by the grand jury to stand
trial Oh the charge of having been
partner with Robnett in taking the
money from the bank in which Mr..
kettenbach held the largest interest
and he and his relatives owned more
than one-half Of its capital and sur
plus; we, the directors, who assisted
in making the shortage good with our
own means so that the bank is not
now affected in any way by the orig
inal shortage or by these indictments,
hereby affirm, without any reservation
the same entire confidence in Mr.. ket-
that we had before we first
from him learned of the shortage and
we believed he will continue to enjoy
the same confidence in the entire sec
tion where vast fabric of his business
stands and will stand as
an unimpeached and impeachable
to his business integrity.
"The friends and patriots of this in
stitution, which has had a successful
and honorable career, beginning in
1888 when it succeeded the first bank
establishment in Northern Idaho, will
find pleasure in the fact that, in the
face Of its difficulties of some months
ago, it has recently gained in deposits
and in reserve, which has resulted no
doubt from the confidence created by
the honorable and courageous course
Of its officers and shareholders in
promptly meeting the shortage that
occurred.
This expression of confidence in
MIR. kettenbach must not be taken as
any reflection on the grand jury or
other officers, since We fully recognize
that the grand jury does not pass upon
guilt or innocence but only presents
Tor trial Of guilt or innocence persons
against before them. We
know that no officer or shareholder of