The Wrangell sentinel., 1935-12-06
T. DOOLITTLE" GIVES
 LIGHT ON THE JURY

LIGHT ON THE JURY
 The Valdez Miner last week printed a Dear Editor" letter upon which the Miner made the follow ing comment:
 Attorney Clyde Ellis will leave on the first boat going to Seward on his way to his headquarters at Anchorage. Mir. Ellis, under hi nom de plume of I. DoOlittle, has 3 fine article on jurors in this is sue of the Miner. which We believe will be enjoyed by all who read it Under his ready wit MT. Ellis has many homely truths, which make the articles apply to almost anyone He is too good a writer 10 waste his time as an attorney
 Excerpts from the letter follow: Dear Editor
 There has been lot of priyi- leges granted me by bein citizen of the |. s. 4. but there are only one that had not enjoyed until 3 recent date, viz bein a juror at the recent term of court at Valdez.
 T was subpeoned along with some others and We not hayin any thing to do anyway did not ast 70 be excused so we came to Valdez.
 Tn due time We was asted fl We had ever been in jail or ever served on any other jury durin the past year. We was also asted If We could read and write and fl We were crazy or not. We was not what you might call a truthful bunch so We all said we could read and write and that We was not crazy.
 Later I found 1 was either crazy or eleven other folks on the jury was, that was later when l got to deHberatin on cases.
 Well one day l was chosen to sit in the jury box to be examined as to my hors d oeyre or Yoir dire or what eyer it is them smart lawyer guys call il. l was ast II l knoWed one of the lawyers and when l says No" 1 was ast if he had ever been or was now my attorney. Alter see in the lawyers perform l thinks 10 myself if 1 ever do hire an attorney 1 will get one that l don't know as l don't want any of them that | do know.
 I was ast if I had read about the case in a newspaper and when l. says yes that l had l was let go for it seems that although you must say you can read and write you should never read, or you are not qualified to sit on a Jury. l was ast if 1 knowed one of the witness es. When I soys no but l usto know a man by the same name l was then bounced upon and ast if that would influence me in rendering my verdict.
 I was also ast if l would believe an indian under oath. Well l be- lieYe what indians say alright pro Vided if l knew what they meant. 1 have asted indians questions on the trail several times about where 1 could get a moose, caribo or other eatable anamils and most of them would say ugh" I always believed AAGu1s 4AOA d6d4A Ll4S5 oAC APS SO say mo" when they mean yes. all you have to do is to find out which they mean.
 I learned at court that an inter porter helps a lot in decidin about indian testimony. In one case l set on there was one and the interper ter was told to ast the witness a question. They, meaning the inter porter and the witness, talked back and forth until the judge, jury, au-I dience and attorneys had gone toI sleep and we was all startled out of our slumbers by the interperterl saying, He say mo-"
 Anyway, I don't see what dif- ference it makes whether you be- lieye them or not. I have always said that an indian has as much right to lie as white man. I also learns that most jurors only believe what they want to anyway it makes 10 difference who says it. As an eX- ample in one case I was on where an indian was shootin at a white man and the white man was killed We decided that the indian did not