The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-01-30
Grand Jurors Find Murder,
 First Degree
Second Ch arge in Two Days Brought Against
 Former Road Worker

George Harrison Meeks, former ARC highway worker. already un- der indictment for knife assault upon Kelso B. Hartness here. today was charged by the grand jury with the brutal slash murder of Clarence J. Campbell. Seattle carpenter.
 Todays indictmen; Of Meeks for
 murder in the first degree" cul- minated seven weeks of vigorous in- vestigation in which all law enforce men agencies joined immediately upon finding Campbells hacked body in an ice-covered roadside ditch in the Scatter Tract residen- tial district here at noon December 10.
 The activities of the. Federal Bur eau of Investigation, Marshal's of- flee, City Police and Highway Pa- trol corralled nearly a score of witt nesses who testified before the grand jurors Monday afternoon and all day yesterday. The true bill" returned in the U. S. District Court here this morning accused Meeks of the premeditated murder of Camp Eell. on or about the ninth day of December, lg45. by cutting him with a weapon. the character and des- cription whereof" is unknown to the grand jurors.
 Meeks Arrafgned
 Meeks was arraigned in District Court this forenoon on both charges against him assauit wif1f-n dangtTrs' ous weapon and murder. Meeks was directed by Presiding Judge J. w. Kehoe to enter his plea to both charges on Friday morning at 10 o'clock, along with all other defen- dants already arraigned
 Finding of the murder indictment against Meeks is, apparently, the final action on criminal matters to be taken by the present grand jury. as jury foreman Waino Hendrick- son indicated in report to the court this morning that the jurors expect ed to have completed their duties by this afternoon Public buildings were being inspected by the panel during this forenoon,
 Body Found
 Neck laid open almost to the back bone by one of several vicious knife slashes, the body of the man Mseks is accused of murdering. Clarence Campbell. was discovered just before mid-day in the wintry gloom of December Juneau Monday by Ken yon (Spike) MacLean. local sheet metal contractor, who was leaving work on nearby new residence.
 Testimony of the medical examin- CT at the Coroner's inquest set the time of death between four and eight hours previous. which would have been during the early morn ing hours of that Monday. The seal of murder" was set on the case by the verdict of the Coroners jury death at the hands of person or persons unknown.
 Identification of Campbell as a shingler who had been working for the Alaska Construction Company on the Hoonah housing project and who had been flown into Juneau the Friday previous to work on the Channel Apartments project here. was established later on December 10 by Harold Stjorn. superintendent for the construction company.
 Back-cheek into the activities of the victim disclosed a week end of revelry here during which he had several times Flashed large amount of money--estimated at nearly $2 200 begging robbery as the motive for the murder.
 Meeks Flush With Money
 Meeks was first considered as a likely suspect in the case when he was found in possession of fifteen s1o0 bills. Campbell was known to have been carrying l9 bills of that as well as some of $50. Meeks. though repeatedly sub jected to close questioning. by police. marshals and FBI. remained un- shaken in his declaration that he had won the money gambling in roadhouse near Anchorage. How ever. 1t was established that Meeks had several times appeared in want of funds since his arrival in Juneau the month before. having sought loans and drawn advances on pay checks. It was also established that Meeks had been companion of Campbell, despite his first denials that he knew the murder victim
 Death Cars South
 First efforts to probe the mystery