The Chitina leader., 1911-12-02
AN ECHO FROM THE PAST.

Time when reckless charges concerning the Judiciary
of Alaska frequently and reckessy expressed all
Sides habit although instances there
usabe reason and excuse for asperslons on some
of Judges yet many assertions undoubtedly made
by disappointed gants and with malice rather than facts to
justify them But for time past much more satisfactory
condition has existed and the present occupants OF judicial
places in the territory have fairly well succeeded in restoring
confidence in the judiciary But again. and almost like
bomb SHE'LL explosion from the Interior 1t seems
that for weeks past Mr. Proctor representing the de
partment of justice has been in Fairbanks investigating char
ges that have been made against Judge Peter d. Overed
1t turns out that these charges have to do principally with
matters connected with the defunc Washington Alaska
bank Then there other matters of miscellaneous nature
that the judge has DONE evidently without the endorsement of
the entire community AS for instance he appointed Abe
Spring U S. Commissioner at Circle And he made other
pontments that not entirely satisfactory and again he
has working in harmony with the District Attorney
office and the judge went duck hunting with bar tender and
that he treats with great coure certain of the saloon
of Fairbanks that he scored the grand jury for failure to
dict place the responsibility in the matter of the bank
failure, and many other ands that this distance
trivial and mmaeria to the dspensaton of justice
There may be fault to be found with the of
Judge Oveed, but it is belief that it is nothing
serious than fault of Judgment to which all prone
For the good of Alaska let hope that the present
vestgaon will not unearth anything to further disturb the
tranquility that generally holds concerning Alaska IS
judiciary Referring to the subject the Fairbanks Citizen
says:
'Nearly everyone agree that charges are for
most part very foolish in conception; that they cannot but
rebound the discontinue of those who made them the
authorship made known And here where the monsrous
wrong exist in matters of this kind The authors
protected by the wall of allowed prowl around
in the garb of character asasns and unpunshed Wheh
these charges have foundation fact will certainly be de-
ened by the testimony which the special agent has been
taking for days past The charges about Judge Over
fields conduct in regard to the WashngonAaska bank
to be echo from Fairbanks Bion Dodge though there
is of fastening the act upon him. People will wonder
why if he is lawyer he did not avail himself of the right
of appeal against the Judges decision? They will also ask
is the department of justice to take cognzance of every petty
Jogging attorneys Distress who does know enough of
to appeal. if he has had wrong ruling?
Reading between the lines it will appear that part of
the things charged wrongful the part of Judge Over
field eminated in the district attorneys office The people
will want to know why such state of affairs should exist
if does? Why officer of the court and the court itself
may not act in harmony The district attorneys office denies
that the charges emnaed from that the people
must believe that if the charges did not emnae in certain par
cuas from that then earnest friend Of the
district attorney must have interested himself the
making certain portions of the allegations
Since Republicans, Democrats Progressives and So
casts all extract comfort from the result of the elections
have at least the prma aca showing for start
year