Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-22
ATTORNEY
RESIGNS IN ANGER
McNab at San Francisco Ac-
cuses Department of "YieId-
ing to Influence"
SAYS RICH MEN B0ASTEO
IN WHITE SLAVERY CASE
Telegraphs President Wilson He
Was Ordered to Postpone
Action on Charges.

0SGAOu Vu OuoI6CS.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 21.-Folowing
an exchange of kilograms with Washing
ton, United States District Attorney John
l.. McNab announced here today that
hc has resigned from the government
service
MIR. McNab's resignation, the acceptance
Of which he requested by wire, Is con-
tained in long telegram to President
wilson.
I'm bitter humiliation of spirit" the
message says. Il am compelled to ac-
knowledge what l have heretofore indig-
nately refused to believe. namely, that the
Department of Justice is yielding to influ-
ences which will cripple and destroy the
usefulness of this office
Says Hands Were Tied.
Mr. McNab says in his message he
feels forced to resign because of orders
from the Attorney General tying his hands
in the prosecution of the Diggs-Cami-
netti white slave cases and the indict-
Fuel Company.
action in the case, received by telegraph
yesterday, in spite of his protest and
statement to the Attorney General that
efforts to tamper with government wit
nesses in the cases had been made.
Maury i. Diggs, former state architect
and Drew Caminetti, a son of former
State Senator A. Caminetti of Jackson
Cal, who recently was appointed commits.
Sioner of immigration by President Will
son, eloped to Reno, New, last winter
,,xl~ HI -s,,I.- c. 90,
leaving their wives and babies behind
them. They were brought back to Cali
fornia and indictments were found against
them under the Mann white slave act.
Message to the President.
Mr. McNabs message to the President
follows:
Il have the honor to tender my resig
nation as United States attorney for th'
northern district of California, to taxi
effect Immediately. | am ordered by th'
Attorney General, over my protest. t.
postpone until autumn the trials o
Maury Diggs and Drew Caminetti. in
dicted for a hideous crime, which ha
ruined two girls and shocked the mora
sense of the people of California. an
this after / have advised the Departmen
of Justice that attempts have been mad
to corrupt the government witnesses. an
friends of the defendants are publicl.
boasting that the wealth and politica
prominence of the defendants relative
will procure my hand to be stayet
through influence at Washington
In these cases two girls were takeI
from cultured homes. bullied and fright
ened into going to a foreign state ant
were ruined and debauched by the de
PENDANTS. who abandoned their wives ant
infants to commit the crime.
.AlIudae IN O<hor Cacas
"On receipt of the Attorney Generals
telegram I prepared my resignation. te
take effect at the conclusion of the trials
Of the western fuel directors and the j.
C. Wilson stock brokers' cases. both OF
which 1 had instituted, and which l wish
ed to bring to a successful conclusion.
Before | could send my resignation
1 received another telegram from the
department ordering me to postpone the
case against certain defendants of the
" estern Fuel Company and not to try
them unless ordered by the department.
In bitter humiliation of spirit l am
compelled to acknowledge what l have
heretofore Indignantly refused to believe.
namely, that the Department of JUS
tice is yielding to influence which will
cripple and destroy the usefulness or TINS
office.
Il cannot consent to occupy this po-
sition as mere automaton or have the
guilt or innocence of rich and powerful
defendants who have been indicted by
unbiased grand jurors on overwhelming
evidence determined in Washington on
representations on behalf of the defend
ants without notice to me.
Says Situation Is Serious.
Il seem unable to convey to the de-
partment the understanding of the Sc
rious situation in which this action will
leave this office. /. the department in
future has to review the findings Of
grand juries and nullify their indictments
then this office might as well be abol-
ished, for it's functions will have ceased
to exist.
Neither my sense Of honor nor public
duty can permit me mus to destroy the
prestige of this Office.
with profound respect and regret that
such a step is necessary, L nave the
honor in view of my absolute INABILITY
that / be by wire Immediately relieved
from duty in order that the Department
of Justice may be permitted to carry
out it's policy in these cases without
future obstruction by me-.
The Message to McReynolds.
Mr.. McNab sent the foIlowins message
to the ATTORNEY oSIieTdi hul
" convinced" it says, that the action
taken will destroy the prestige and ruin
the usefu,i, SIS of this office and result in
the ultimate escape from punishment of
certain of these defendants. l have noti-
fed YOU that-it is publicly charged in this
state that the prosecution of the Diggs-
Cam;netti cases would be stopped by ap-
peals to Washin ton. In the meantime.
corruption and subornation of perjury
will weaken and destroy the cases long
before autumn is here.
Robert Bruce and Sidney Y. Smith of
San Francisco are the Western Fuel Com
pany directors whom District Attorney
McNab sought to bring to trial without
delay. They and others of the Western
Fuel Company are charged with having
defrauded the government of customs
duties on imported coal through con-
spiracy entered into with steamship and
customs officials by which weight records
were falsfied. 1t was charged in evil
dence placed before the federal grand
jury that this conspiracy had extended
over a long term of years and cost the
hundreds of thousands or
dollars.
McReynolds Not in Tears.
BALTIMORE. Nd. June 21.-"A repub-
ican federal attorney has resigned, and
am shedding no tears" was the only
comment Attorney General McReynolds
would make when told of the San Fran
trict Attorney John L. McNab had wired
his resignation 10 the President.
Mr. McReynolds was at the McAdoo-
wedding, at Brookland-