Valdez daily prospector., 1916-10-10
.DO|NGS
 IN DISTRICT COURT

Last evening the jury in the case of Fortunate Medaini returned a yer dict of not guilty after being out but few minutes. After the verdict had been rendered the court called the complaining witness up before him and gave him a-thorough going over in plain but forceful language. He charged that the witness had been the cause of the whole trouble and had put the government to great deal of expense. for which he had req son to feel anything but proud. The prisoner was discharged.
 In the case of the United States vs. John Jackson, on the charge of H. legal fishing, the court made an or der reducing the bail bond to $100.
 In the case of the U. s. vs. John Neckinbaugh. for illegal fishing, the accused was allowed to go on his own recognizance.
 In the case of Christensen vs. Thomas Culross Mining Co.,, a motion to set aside the attachment was de- nied.
 In the case of the U. s. vs. Helmer Swanson, Ole Sandanger, Matt Jacob son and Nick Nelson for illegal fish ing. the defendants pleaded guilty and were fined $10 each.
 This morning the grand jury re- turned an indictment against John Rankin, charging him with malicious ly cutting and stabbing with intent to kill. wound and main.
 In the case of the U. s. vs. M. Ron ides. indicted for giving liquor to an Indian, the prisoner withdrew his plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty.
 S. Shimizi was acquitted today a jury in the district court of the charge of giving intoxicating liquor. to-wit, sourdough, to a native Indian, one Max Simms Chickelushin of Kenai. Two defenses were interposed: 1: First, that the defendant didn't do no such thing; second, that MT. Chick elushin was not tribal Indian and as evidence of the latter contention he was induced to admit on cross- examination that he has been voting at Kenai for Delegate to Congress for several years; also, that he works around with white men and wears white mems clothing. Visible evil dence of the latter fact was shown by the clothes he wore. which were better than the raiment adorning the persons of either of the attorneys in the case or almost any member of the jury, to which attention was di- rected by the defense as an auto-op- tic preference.
 Max also admitted that he has or dered another suit of clothes from local tailor which will set him back forty bucks. Apparently his witness fees and mileage have given Max good standing at the tailor shop. MT. Chickelushin testified that he visited Shimizi at the latter's cabin last winter and was given gallon of sourdough in pan, of which he imbibed about three-quarters during the ensuing 15 minutes. He said the result of this was that he became much spifflicated and was arrested for getting drunk and raising hell. "
 The defendant testified that he did not give Max any hootch but Max might have soaked up some while wis iting in the cabin. He testified furth- CT that Max and other dusky brethren who lived near by were regular man. ufacturers of sourdough and some times had large quantities in barrel; that he often absorbed libations from this tank at the invitation of the hosts when visiting there. He also testified that two other Indian gentlemen were very drunk the same day was and all three were arrested and fined $75 each upon the charge which Max de- scribed as getting drunk and rais- ing h-"
 All this caused the gentlemen of the jury to entertain doubts and they returned in a short time with a yer dict of not guilty.
 Joe Bourke appeared in court with bottle containing about an inch and half of chalk-cOlored liquid to H. lustrate the corpus delicti but 1t was not introduced in evidence. It is al legged that the bottle was once full but when it was in the grand jury room the cork flew out like a cham pagne cork and gave the grand jur- ors a shower bath which put the mar ried ones under suspicion when they went home.
 The jury were not called upon to decide directly whether Max is Q citt- zen and entitled to vote, so that Ques- tion is still unsettled and Max is open