Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-21
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
RESIGNS AND SENDS
SENSATIONAL LETTER
Charges Attorney General Or
derS Favors to Criminals
of Wealth.
TELLS OF INSTRUCTIONS
Does Not Propose to Have Guilt or In
nocence Of Rich Defendants De.
cided in Washington.
UNITED PRESS LEASED wIRu.l

San Francisco, June 21.-JOhn L. Nc.
Nab today rendered his resignation to
President Wilson as United States dis.
trict attorney, because he had been or
dered by the attorney general to post
pone the trials until autumn of Drew
Caminetti son of Commissioners General
of Immigration A. Caminetti, and
Maury Diggs, charged under the white
slave act. McNab's message to the
president reads:
81 have the honor to tender my res
ignatiOn as United States attorney for
the northern district of California, to
take effect Immediately. 1 am ordered
by the attorney.general, over my pro.
test, to postpone until autumn the trials
of Maury Diggs and Drew Caminetti,
indicted for hideous crimes which have
ruined ,-.,,o respectable homes, and
shocked the morals of the people of
California, and this after have advised
the department of justice that attempts
have been made to corrupt the govern.
ment witnesses, and the friends of the
defendants are publicly boasting that
the wealth and political prominence of
the defendants relatives will procure
my hand to be stayed, through influ.
ence at Washington.
''In these cases two girls were taken
from cultured homes, bullied and fright.
ened, in the face of their protests, in,
to going to a foreign state, were ruined
and debauched by the defendants, who
abandoned their wives and infants to
commit the crime.
Other Rich Men Favored
"FOn receipt of the attorney-general' g
telegram prepared my resignation, to
take effect at the conclusion of the
trial of the Western fuel directors and
the ], c. Wilson stock broker cases,
both Of which I had instituted and
which wished to bring to a successful
conclusion. Before could send my
resignation received another telegram
from the department ordering me to
postpone the cases against certain de-
PENDANTS Of the Western Fuel Com
pany, and not to try them unless or
dered by the department.
''In bitter humiliation of spirit am
compelled to acknowledge what I have
heretofore Indignantly refused to be-
lieve, namely, that the department of
justice is yielding to influences which
cripple and destroy the usefulness Of
this office.
''I cannot consent to occupy this po.
sition as a mere automaton, and have
the guilt or innocence of rich and pow
,erful defendants, who have been indict.
ed by unbiased grand iuries on over.
whelming evidence, determined in
Washington on representations on be,
half Of the defendants without notice
to me. seem unable to convey to the
department an understanding of the
serious situation in which its action
will leave this office.
Might as Well Quit.
"If the department in future is to
review the findings of grand juries aud
nullify their indictments, then this Of
flee might as well be abolished, for its
functions have ceased to exist. Neither
my private honor or sense of public
duty can permit me to thus destroy the
prestige Of this office.
"With profound respect and regre
that such step is necessary, I have thu
honor, in view Of my absolute inabilit!
to agree with the department, to asl
that be, by wire, Immediately re
lieved from duty on order that the de
partment Of justice may be permitted
to carry out its policy in these case
without further obstruction by me.
(Signed) "John L. McNab. "
Lured GiIls 70 Reno.
Caminetti and Diggs took Marsh