Gunnison news-champion., 1923-02-02
-FOUR ACCUSED OF NAL
F[AslNCE IN OFFICE
Twenty-nine Well Known Citizens Hauled
Before Courts. Many Plead Guilty at
Once, Commissioners Plan to Fight
Cases. Jury Was in Session Is
Days and Heard lOl Witnesses.

officials Of ths second highway dis
trict at Gunnison In June Of last year,
| vouchers showing such money paid
as $379.l0, Of which . large part was
alleged by witnesses to have been
for booze, charged to the county. The
county clerk is charged with buying
moonshine and with having private
auto rides charged to the county rs,
delivering ballot boxes, hauling vot-
ers., ETC." Former Commissioner Wha-
len is charged with selling to the board
Of which he was Q member, automo-
biles, trucks and tires, for which he
was agent. Commissioner Knowles is
charged among other things with
purchasing wood-sawing outfit, har-
ness, ETC., and having the cost and
freight charged to county while using
S&fr on his ranch at Doyleville as
his personal property.
! Very serious penalties may be as
sessed upon conviction of illegal con-
tractings the law providing for not
more than $1,000 and six months in
jail and removal from office.
The penalty for malfeasance in
Office is $500 fine and removal
from office, II recommended By the
jury. For bootlegging, first Of
fense, It is not less than 500 nor more
than $500 fine and not less than 80
days, nor more than months in jail, or
both, at the direction Of the court. In
several cases of bootlegging alleged,
this Is the second offense, and peni-
tentiary sentence follows conviction.
The jury was in session from the
tfh In hA 0nt1
amined 101 witnesses.
Judge Logan complimented the jury
very highly on their good citizenship
in performance of their duties, and
District Attorney Burgess declared it
the hardest working, most conscienti-
GUS body Of twelve men he had ever
laid court matters before. He also
complimented Sheriff Hanlon for his
diligence in selecting the jury and
securing witnesses, stating that not
only was every witness, there on the
minute as called, but practically all
of them were summoned by the phone
without auto charge, whereas, in some
counties Of his district, the sheriffs
will make separate trip with milage
charge for every witness. Deputy
District Attorney Sprigg Shackleford
assisted thraout the hearing with the
jury.
Complete stenographic notes Of all
evidence before the jury has been tax
en-, but is kept secret unless at district
court trial the same witnesses should
repudiate it or tell different stories.
1t will then, and only then be made
public insofar as that particular testi-
mony Is concerned.
The jury is released until the April
term Of district court, but is held
subject to the call of the foreman for
investigation Of any other important
matters that shall appear.
Complete text Of the jury report
follows:
STATE OF COLORADO. ]
County Of Cunnison.
In the District Court.
IN THE MATTER OF
THE GRAND JURY IN
AND FOR GUNNISON REPORT
COUNTY, COLORADO.
To the Honorable District Court of
the Seventh Judicial District, sitting in
and for the County Of Gunnison, Colo
rado:
Now on this 10th day Of January,
1923, the Grand Jury, duly impaneled
and sworn, asks leave to make the fol-
lowing partial report:
The Grand Jury convened on Janu-
ary 18th, 1913, and has been continu-
o1eay IN soe1ion on every week day
from sid January 18th to January
18th, inclusive. During said tina 101
witnesses have appeared before the
jury I'D bo0 - 1ined, md according
t. t. Ccnytss tnstzuetions, - fhr .
w. possb!e, t1is jury has gons into
an1s Investigated matfsss reiating 70
IT, condaee ef eesey oliees md Of
netels anA iute yi6114ioae Il the IN
esedeatang Hqner ~ aed hae investi-
eeosd - ~ - Re1aih5s, all nations
- = - atslfisa persainins
M = : ssk = ~ dslbsssass.