THE GRAND JURY REPORT OF JUNEAU.
“Juneau Empire", “Ketchikan Chronicle”, “Gorelova Times",
“Valdez Miner" and “Seattle Alaska Weekly” please Copy.
Below you will find the grand
jury report of the Juneau court
dated January 27th, l‘J2G, the last
word on vice conditions in certain
well known spots in Alaska. The
report has not "been printed to
date by any of the above men
tioned papers^ although it is now a
pu'hjlic record it Ibeing in the
hands of the Senate Judkiiry
Committee.
Let John W. Troy in his sober
moments divert his attention from
Dan Sutherland and deal with
this grand jury.
Let Harry Steel, editor of the
Cordova Times, if he has finished
serving his third sentence for drunk
ness and disorderly conduct, cast
his editorial mind over the re
port.
Let Charlie Wilcox, who edits
Judge Ritchie’s paper, the Valdez
Miner^ cease for a moment his
libelling of John Frame and per
use the Report.
Let the Seattle Alaska Weekly
stop counting the checks that have
come to it from cannery and Fish
trap sources and friends and thus
averted its bankruptcy, read the
report and see if it can still
withhold its support from Dan
Sutherland because of his alleged
“libelling” of Alaska.
The conditions at Juneau are
duplicated with a slight variations
at Ketchikan, and so let Rev. Van
Marter look into his barrel of
sermons and see if he can find
in full his sermon delivered on
March 11th, 1923, and deliver that
again.
The letter by Delegate Suther
land transmitting the grand jury
report to the Senate Committee
of Judiciary and the report follows.
Is there any decent citizen who
would refuse to support Suther
land for reelection after reading
his letter and plan to support the
unspeakable Tom Marquam?
THE LETTER
March 1, 1926
Dear Sir:—
I call your attention to the
following report of the Grand
Jury at Juneau, Alaska 'dated
January 27, 1926. This report
was suppressed by the court as
it contained reference to an in
dividual charged with violation of
the law, and it was quite proper
to suppress the report until action
could be taken in the case. That
portion of the report that refers
to the individual has been deleted:
“UNITED STATES DISTRICT
COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF
ALASKA, DIVISION NUMBER
ONE, AT JUNEAU. SPECIAL
NOVEMBER 1925 TERM.”
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.
“To the Hon. Thomas M. Reed,
“Judge of the above entitled
Court:”
“We, the Grand Jury, duly em
panneled for the special November
Term of Court, 1925, in the above
entitled Court, held at Juneau,
Territory of Alaska, Division Num
ber One, composed of twelve women
and seven men, beg to submit the
following report:
“While we find much to com
mend we also find much to con
demn. We find that the prohib
ition law has been throttled by
politics, greed and graft. That
the bootlegging industry has be
come a giant octopus whose
tentacles are about the whole of
Alaska. It is generated by greed,
fostered by protection, is perfect
ly organized from importer to
consumer, and has become deeply
entrenched throug-h the criminal
indifference of our people, lack of
public spirit and good citizenship on
the part of our petit jurors, who
time after time, refuse to convict
on good and sufficient evidence^ per
sistent criminals whom they know
to be guilty; “lenience of justices
in pronouncing sentence when such
criminals are found guilty,” and
officers in executing such sentences
as are imposed- A prisoner ser
ing a jail sentence has been allow
ed to cross the Channel, practi
cably unattended and upon the
flimsiest pretext. Our young people
are being debauched and made
to swear lies in defense of these
miscreants.
“We find that the City Police
Department, so far as any law
enforcement is concerned, espe
cially the Alaska Bone Dry Law,
Section 27, which makes obliga
tory its enforcement upon every
officer^ both City and Federal, is
practically non-existent. We have
interviewed the Police Committee,
City Clerk and Night Patrolman,
and find them unanimous in their
“hands off” and ‘pass the buck’
policy. They do not even lock
the stable after the horse is out,
but leave the stable wide open
and let the horse roam at will,
so long as he does not get too
frisky and neigh too loudly, thus
interfering with the practically un
disturbed slumber of these officials.
Minors are allowed to enter pool
halls, although we are told there
is a City Ordinance against the
same. There ia supposed to he
a restricted district in Juneau,
limited by the City Dock, yet we
are told that at 'least four of these
women are living this side of the
deadline, two of them in the
Alaska Hotel. The people’s money
is paying the salaries of these
officials and we think they have
the right to ask some co-operation
in law enforcement or a re-organi
zation of this department.
4
We stand for a stricter en
forcement of all laws, and have
confidence in our country’s ability
to enforce any and all parts of
her Constitution.”
“Respectfully submitted.”
Wm. Bosch, Foreman.”
Dated at Juneau^
“January 27, 1926.”
“(signed) “J. T. Petrich.”
Secretary
This Grand Jury Report is
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