Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1913-04-23
Special to the Journal-Miner.


United States District Court was
convened at Phoenix, Monday, for
the empanelling of the grand jury
for the April term, Judge Morrow
was confronted with more men in
the prisoners box than at any time
before in the history of the federal
or territorial courts. There were
I55 defendants before the court, 10
of whom are charged with selling
liquor to Indians.
The grand jury is composed of the
following persons: J. H. Allison, F.
Z. Criswell, Henry Clifford, A. w.
FIckenger, o. D. NJ Gaddis, Geo.
E. Lilley, R. ]. Perkins, ST., John
H. Page, John L. Pepper, A. C..
Sieboth, E. A Tovera, David Will
lace, w. H. Brophy, Junius Brew
ster, Jas. c. Custer, J. H. Dobson,
w. H. Gibbons, Paul Hobby, w. A
Lines, Geo. S. Marable, Nabor Pa
checo, R. Power, A. T. Sowley, John
G. Verkamp They are representa-
tive of all parts of the state.
Judge Morrow appointed Alfred c.
Sieboth of Florence, foreman of the
grand jury.
In addition to the liquor selling
cases, the other offenses submitted to
the grand jury are as follows: I'M
lawfully fencing government lands
e, smuggling 10. introducing liquor
on an Indian reservation 3; having
smoking opium in possession 2, coun-
terfeiting l, unlawfully personating
another /, white slave act 2, un1aw-
fully settling on forest reserve l,
larceny of cattle from government
reserve l, violating postal laws 2,
removing of government monument
l.
In his charge to the grand jury,
Judge Morrow dealt particularly
with the liquor selling traffic. After
the customary charge to the jurors
as to their duties, he said:
at will not be necessary at this
time to call your attention to any
particular violations OF the law with
respect to which special or particu-
lar instructions are required. There
will be a large number of cases pre-
scented to you of violations of the
law prohibiting the sale OF intoXi-
eating liquor to the Indians. I was
at first disposed to think that the
sale Of liquor to the Indians had be-
come an established industry in this
state and that there must be some
defect in the law, or in its admins
tration, that would permit such a
large number of violations to come
Before the Court at one term There
are a large number of Indian tribes
IN this State, and practically all of
the Indians of these tribes are wards
of the government; that is to say,
they are under the care and protec-
ton of the Government, and, of
course, it is the duty of the govern
ment to protect these Indians from
the decentralization resulting from the
use of Intoxicating liquors. l would
like to believe that the government
IS doing its full duty in this respect.
and perhaps it is, but the charges of
violations OF the law sent here by
the United States Commissioners to
be submitted to you are so numer-
Gus that l think the matter is sub
Ject for your careful consideration
IF the large number of cases repre-
sent merely the efficiency of the
government officers in prosecuting
offenders, whereby the traffic will be
made more difficult and dangerous,
then there is nothing to do but to
continue this efficiency, and for the
officers charged with the duty to-
continue to theoretically enforce the
law. But if, of the other hand, the
large number of cases indicate that
the liquor traffic with the Indians
IS on the increase, then any recon-
mendation you may make looking to
4 mitigation of the evil will be care
FULLY considered and submitted to the
Department of Indian Affairs for
such action as the Secretary of the
Interior may approve. This last
named officer is from the West, and
IS, therefore, advised generally as
TO the situation. But beyond that
he is in thorough sympathy with
any effort that may be made to pro-
tect the Indians and make them an
industrious, thrifty and happy peo-
pie.
~The disturbed condition of af-