Iditarod pioneer., 1914-02-14
Fairbanks Times, Jan. 23)

many startling recommendations and find ings, almost no one, unless it were the mem bers of the jury themselves or the court officials, expected to see what took place when Judge F. E. Fuller rejected the report offered yesterday and dismissed the grand jury from further service Yesterday morn ing, during the trial of the case of the United States vs Harry Jordan, the grand jurors were allowed to interrupt the pro- ceedings while they offered their final re- port.
 Before the report was read or presented to the court District Attorney Crossley re quested Judge Fuller to order the grand jury to strike out certain parts of the re- port relating to matters over which, he claimed, the body had no jurisdiction. In his statement to the court he said that the report reflected upon the integrity of cer- tain officers of the court was unworthy of this or any other grand jury and fur thermore, that part of it was ar absolute untruth
 Judge Fuller thereupon excused the grand jury until o'clock, so that he might have a chance to read over the report before passing upon the question of its admissi- bility to the record When court convened at the afternoon session the court stated that he was of the opinion that the grand jury had gone beyond its powers in cer tain matters He ordered the members to turn to their chamber then and expunge certain parts of the report which were noted by the court, and report again at , clock. At , o'clock the grand jury returned into court again with the objectionable sec l tions marked out with ink, but with a preface to the document stating that the or der was compiled with under protest Dis trct Attorney Crossley arose and stated that he would like to be heard on the subject and asked the court to order the clerk to cut out the objectionable parts with a scis sors, or to dismiss the grand jury without accepting any report whatever bullUS lIlt llliIt tIldt llit blSilCl allOl lltS was talking the court indicated that he did not care to hear the prosecutor upon the subject, and without further comment, re turned the report to the investigators with an order discharging them from further service
 The action of the court in dismissing the grand jurors without receiving their report | is the only case of the kind on record in | Alaska. A similar case occurred in San the head of the department of justice for i his attitude in certain cases
 During the time the local jurors were deliberating over the instructions of the court yesterday afternoon they adopted a resolution instructing one of their number to apprise the attorney general of the en- tire proceedings and to provide a copy of the communication for the use of the news papers of Fairbanks. The commune ation was mailed last night, and the copy referred to for the use of the press is as follows: Copy of Communication | Fairbanks, Alaska Jan p, 1O14 The Honorable the Attorney General of
 the United States:
 By resolution adopted by the grand jury of the Fourth division of the Territory of Alaska l have been instructed to forward to you for your information copy of the report of the grand jury which was pre- sented to the district court January 22, 1914, and which the court, upon motion of District Attorney Crossley, refused to receive.
 "The incosed, without any marks or ensures was the report originally present ed at II a. m. January 22 At that time, before the report could be read, MT. Cross ley, the district attorney, appeared and moved that certain portions of the report which he said were untrue and reflected on certain officers of the court, be stricken out
 ''The court took the same under advise. ment and instructed the grand jury to re- turn to the court at 1 p. m. for further instructions.
 "At l o'clock the jury appeared in court and the court gave the jury the instruc- tions which are inclosed herewith and marked Exhibit A.
 'The grand jury was then instructed to retire and further consider their report, and to report again at D. m.
 'The grand jury then retired and, in ac- cordance with the directions of the court, crossed out those portions of the report which were marbed by the court, and prefaceed the same with the following state ment, to wit:
 "'We submit under protest the following report, as ordered by the judge of this court, with pen lines drawn through the sections as indicated by his honor's marginal notes
 l, The report thus amended was returned into court at n IT, MT Crocsev there