Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-07-15
Delegate Makes Charges
Against Attorney General
HOUSE WILL INVESTIGATE
Accusation is Made That
the Statute of Limitations
was Purposely Allowed to
Run Against Organized
Crime" in Alaska.

secret consideration of the charges
made by Delegate Wickersham of AL
aska, that Attorney General Wicker
sham had deliberately permitted the
statute of limitation to run against
the agents of an Alaska syndicate
who had defrauded the government,
through perjury. to the extent of s5O,-
600. the house committee on judiciary
determined to report favorably res
OlutiOn of inquiry offered by Delegate
Wickersham. The resolution would
call upon the attorney general to fur
nish the house all the documents, af-
fidavits and testimony in his possess
sion relating To the affidavit submit
ted to him more than year ago and
sworn To BY III. J. Douglas, former
auditor of the Alaska syndicate in
1908
Delegate Wickersham startled the
committee when. in executive session,
he produced u copy of an affidavit
relating to an alleged criminal act
committed by Captain ID. II. Jarvis of
the Alaska syndicate, and formerly
prominent in the government revenue
cutter service, who committed suicide
at Seattle June 3, the day following
the introduction of the Wickersham
resolution calling for the production
of the papers in the case. and by
John II. Bullock of the John j. Scss-
non Coal Company of Nome.
Through the connivance of these
men. it is charged. the government
was defrauded in coal contracts and
H., =, T,nf oFf
mitted to remain unacted upon by
the attorney generals office for more
than year until the statute of lin
itations expired last May.
Delegate Wickersham furnished the
committee with Photographic copies
of a letter from the attorney for the
Alaska syndicate to ID. II. Jarvis, ad-
mitting the expenditure of money to
control government witnesses in the
Hazey murder trial in 1908, wherein
an agent Of the Alaska syndicate was
accused of numbering laborers en-
ployed by rival interests during the
construction of q railroad in Alaska.
A photograph of an expense account
for 81 1.13340 of NJ. B Morrisey. an al
legged employe of the syndicate, to
entertain government witnesses and
jurymen i'm that connection also was
submitted to the committee. This
evidence. Delegate Wickersham de-
clared, also was in possession of. the
attorney general. Delegate Wicker
sham urged on the judiciary commit
tee the Douglas affidavit involving
representatives of the Northwestern
Commercial company, one of the AL
aska syndicate concerns. and the
Sessnon Coal company.
"On MAY "a. 1910" he said. Il sent
Attorney General Wickershan a copy
Of an affidavit calling to his atten-
ton that the government had been
defrauded of $4,000 by perjury and
combination of these two corporations
I'm the sale of coal to the government
for military posts in Alaska.
4 asked him to make an investiga-
tion and prosecute the persons for
the crime. that committed that trans
action received a letter of ac-
acknowledgement May 81. 1910 and had
considerable further correspondence
and on June 13. 1911. more than a
year later. I received a letter from
the attorney general stating that the
statute of limitations has expired"
This correspondence, including the
final letter of the attorney general
was read into the record.
'T read the last letter" continued
Delegate Wickersham, ito show that
the attorney general now SAYS that
the statute of Limitations had run
against the prosecution of these men
who committed perjury and defrauded
the government They submitted false
affidavits to the government and
committed fraud i'm April and MAY.
1908 and the statute of limitations did
not expire until May 1911. I sent all
the evidence to the attorney general
a year before he failed and refused
tn prosecute these people for robbing
the treasury and he permitted the
statute of limitations TO run in their
favor.
II want the committee to have all
the facts so it may know whether the
attorney general deliberately shielded
these people from prosecution for
crime. or not 1t is fair to him and
fair to me. l say he has"
Did you send the attorney general
evidence enough and indicate where
witnesses could be found to warrant
an Indictment" asked Representative
Webb of North Carolina
Undoubtedly" replied the Alaskan