Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-26
PRES. WILSON ACCEPTS DIST.
ATTY, McNABE'S RESIGNATION.
Has Decided to Order Immediate Pr0secu=
ton in California White Slave Cases.
Grand Jury, Which Returned ln=
dictments, Are against Delay.
GRAND JURY PROTEST.

San Francisco, June 25. Twenty
three members of the federal grand
jury which returned the original in
dietments against the Western Fuel
Co, directors, including Robert Bruce
and Sidney Y. Smith the postpone
ment of whose cases at the order of
Attorney General James McReynolds
was among the causes of District At
torney John l.. McNabe resi2nipg,
Tuesday night. sent telegram to Pres.
Wilson protesting against "usurpation
of power by the attorney general of
the United States" The telegram fol-
lows:
LAS the grand jury which returned
the original indictment against the
Western Fuel directors, we most re-
spectfully, but strongly and vigorous
ly protest against the usurpation of
power by the attorney general of the
United States in giving ear to the pri
vate appeals of certain defendants and
then ordering that those defendants be
relieved from prosecution.
The defendants who have been thus
selected by the attorney general as
marks Of his peculiar favor, were in
dicted on tho same evidence introduced
against ALI other defendants. For an
administrative officer 10 single out GER
tain defendants and refuse to permit
them TO be tried is tn overthrow and
destroy ell established precedent and
law, it is to publicly attempt to free
favored defendant after the exercise of
influence in the privacy of the attor-
ney generals office in the absence of
the evidence and in violation of JUS
tice; it is an attempt to subyert the
powers OF the federal grand jury to
make the attorney general the subsu-
tute for the courts and to destroy the
usefulness of the United States at
.orney's office.
ANY attorney general who can thus
declare men innocent can in the same
yay declare them guilty and inevitable
corruption and fragrant injustice Will
result.
IF these defendants We're innocent
why did they not insist on immediate
vindication before a trial jury, instead
instead of seeking to escape trial by
privately appealing to the attorney
general without notice to the United
States district attorney"
after the presentation of the evidence
leading TO these indictments our duty
was plain To have voided it would have
been to exhibit cowardice. We cannot
refrain from expressing our protest that
after 10 days of earnest labor devoted 10
the consideration of evidence against
these defendants our work Is swept
away by the autocratic act of an admin
istrative official.
This grand jury reposing the highest
faith in your rectitude of purpose appeal
to you publicly to discountenanee the ac-
ton thus t,l;en and to uphold the hands
of the United States attorney in vigor-
Gus prosecution of all the defendants
without fear or favor.
This grand jury which for four months
was in almost daily contact with the
United States attorney, John l.. McNabe.
while he was engaged in the active per-
Torrance of his duty wish to declare That
we repose the most implicit confidence in
him both as lawyer and man in all his
official actions"