The Alaska citizen., 1914-01-26
THE REPORT.

Chairman of committee on final re-
port"
THE REPORT.
Final report from the grand jury for
the general November, 1913. term
of the district court. Fourth judi
cial division. district of Alaska.
held at Fairbanks.
70 the Honorable Frederick f, Full
er. judge of the district court,
Fourth judicial division, district OF
Alaska:
We, the grand jury for the No
yember, 1913, term of the district
court. duly convened at Fairbanks,
Alaska, on the 18th day of Novem-
her, 1913. beg to submit the follow
ing report:
We have investigated 81 cases and
restntments, have examined 30 VII
nesses, have found Il true bills against
4 persons, and l. not true bills.
We particularly deplore the fact
that some of the commissioners send
up SO many petty or doubtful cases
o the grand jury, not only adding
immensely to unnecessary expenses oi
ne district court, but i'll many cases
N such charges, in proportion to the
ganty evidence. that conviction is
impossible, and the offender. even when
in reality guilty, goes entirely un=
whipped of Justice whereas a trial on
1 lesser charge before the commits
Toner himself, and in the locality
there the offense occurred would
ave resulted in conviction and
lcarer approach to justice. We recon-
lcnd to the commissioners and to
the district attorney that, whenever
lssible. the charge be reduced, so a.
o bring it within the jurisdiction a
4 commissioners court, and tried in
ne locality where the crime is alleged
70 have been committed
The simple fact that one witness
vas called before this grand jury,
1T an expense sufficient to meet the
,ntire expense of this whole grand
jury for eleven days and then prov
ed to know nothing whatever bear
ng on the case, and to have SO In
formed the commissioner at the pre-
liminary hearing. is sufficient com
mentary on the present management
of such cases; also the fact that
illnesses fees and deputies travel
ng expenses in two other cases heard
y the last grand jury at Ruby, AL
aska, amounted to more than eighteen
thousand dollars, while it took the
rial jury eleven minutes to bring in
4 verdict Of not guilty in case,
and seven minutes for a verdict OF
.ot guilty in the other case.
Five cases, in no one of which
there was a possibility of conviction,
ost for witnesses fees and deputies
travelling expenses alone nearly thirty
wo thousand dollars; while another
case, involving the accidental death
f two Indian dogs, valued at twenty
five dollars each, cost thirteen hun
Ired dollars.
A set salary for every commits
Toner, such as to be worth the con
Iteration OF a competent man. instead
IF the present fee system, might seem
1t first sight great added expense;
lut would result not only in securing
r0re competent men and a more ef-
ficient administration of justice, but
would also, beyond all doubt, bring
net saving amounting to tens of thou
sands of dollars year in this diVi-
sion.
I'LL Ill pIOPSl 1SoPSSt, Doe "4o-A ga
ossibIe emphasis, we recommend t.
His Honor, the judge of this Fourth
division, that he remove the commits
sioners at Hot Springs, Fort Yukon,
and Chandlar.
We recommend, after investigation
If the district attorneys office, an
.xtra assistant in order to allow nor
thorough examination of reports and
asses coming before this office. Dur
ing the present term of the distric
court, a large number of witnesses
have been subroenaed and appearea
efore the grand jury, many Of whom
lave known nothing or little of i'm
)ortance concerning the things about
which they were called to testify.
Large sums of money have been
thus uselessly expended, which expen-
ditures would have been obviated had
the district attorneys office been pro-
oerly informed concerning the merits
Of the cases presented to the grand
jury. Furthermore, the practice of call
ing witnesses Unfortunately, with
out knowing whether they have know
ledge of any Of the facts in the case
N which they are called, has worked
great ana uSeu1eSs AafuS01ps upon
witnesses who have been subpoenaed
from long distances, involving them
and the government in needless fin
ancial loss, without being of the
slightest assistance to the govern
nent in the prosecution of the cases
n which they were called The prac-
tice of instituting criminal investiga-
lions or prosecutions upon the report
of persons who seek to hide their
identity and to avoid the responsibility
of a witness, and the inclination Of
lie district attorney to encourage such
procedures, in our opinion, in no way
COMFORTS with the proper administra-
ton of justice nor the economical ad-
ninistration of the business of tho
court.
An able and efficient administration
IF the district attorneys office would
,5ivate the conditions to which we
have called attention, and promote
lie administration of justice in this
division.
We have examined the marshal's
office and the jail and found them
conducted in a satisfactory manner.
We recommend to the office of the
Jerk of the court the prompt col
lection of all license money. and it
IS the judgment of this body that
there has been a discrimination in the
collection of hotel and lodging house
licenses, and that the matter should