The Wrangell sentinel., 1926-03-18

IoEuGY AIluuH 1 oAOup 0huSG nominations for reappointment are under fire. defended their records today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. charges against them having been brought by the Hon. Dan Sutherland, delegate from AL aska.
 Judge Reed prefaced his state ment by denying that lawlessness is rampant in the Territory
 WASHINGT0N.-Judge Reed ex- plained that the robbery of fish nets with which the trio had been charged had become a serious pro- blem. and that the Governor of Alaska, had made a report to the Department of Justice on such piracy. The three men were in dicted in November 1924. Their testimony which was full of in consistencies was that they had not been within 100 miles of traps
 
 said their evidence was corroborat- ed by two other witnesses despite the fact that Judge Reed said several other witnesses at the trial had seen the men within twelve miles of the traps. A jury dis agreed and was discharged Reed daolorad ba -an4arood +1,o ,pa, 4n go days Imprisonment because of their manner of testifying on the stand He cited legal authorities in support of the ruling then that testimony given in an attempt to obstruet justice constituted con tempt. The committee asked Judge Reed why he had not charged the trio with prejury. Do you think you were justified in sending these men to jail?" asked Senator Cum mins of the subcommittee. "I do not answer; that is something am highly ashamed of" said Reed.
 Under cross examination by Dele
 
 he had asked to have the three fish piracy defendants indicted for perjury; that they had been in dicted and had been acquitted prior to their contempt sentences. He added that he had decided ] that their imprisonment was grieyous mistake
 Delegate Sutherland questioned Judge Reed at length on conditions in Juneau and Ketchikan respect ing liquor violations. A special grand jury report was read de- scribing the bootlegging industry as having giant tentacles through out the Territory and being per fectly organized, and that the young men of Alaska are being debauched. At this point Senator Cummins, chairman of the Com mittee said: 'I think that is the seyerest indictment against the grand jury that could be brought Why don't they indict the crim- inals?"
 Judge Reed testified that he had not been active in politics, but conceded that he did send a tele- gram to District Attorney Shoup at San Francisco advising him to go to Cleveland for the 1924 Ma tional Convention to make a fight against the seating of John Frame as Republican National Commit teeman from the , Territory. He insisted that the telegram was sent at the instance of Scott c. Bone, then governor of Alaska. Judge Reed said it was absolutely untrue that he has indicated by his actions and statements off the | bench that he was opposed to the prosecutions of liquor cases and that as a result conviction on such cases could not be had in his judicial division.
 Delegate Sutherland attempted to bring out that a telegram from Judge Rush Hallond, Former As sistant Attorney General, had been sent to Judge Reed on February 6, 1924, stating that he must have a reasonable fee to prepare papers. and that this telegram was sent while Holland was attached to the | Department of Justice. An att tache of Hollands legal office here informed the committee that the telegram in question had been sent February 6, 1926, instead of February 6, 1924, as charged by I Delegate Sutherland.
 Stress was laid by Delegate Sutherland on the activities and light sentences imposed by United States Commissioners appointed by