District Court in Session.
The United Slates district court con
vened on Friday morning. After call
ing the list of petit jurors, they were ex
cused from further duty until Monday.
Following are the names of those who
compose the gr nd jury for the term:
R. M. Adams, Fiank Hrandhan, Win,
Breckenridge, Fred Burns, Edward Car
dinal, E. deGroff, Oliver Fontain, Fred
E. Frobese, John E. Gamble, John Gor
man, Geo. James, Alfred Johansen, Dan
Kennedy, Byron Leigh, Ezra Peters, J.
G. Peterson, E. P. Pond, Geo. Shotter,
t) L. S ! mist one, and J. P. Whitney.
After the grand jury had been sworn by
the clerk, his honor, Judge Delaney, de
livered Ids charge, which, on account of
lack of space, vve omit.
Tlie court’s charge was probably the
most forcible one ever presented to a
grand jury in the district of Alaska. It
called speci d at ention to the daily vio
laton of the liquor laws, and urges the
vigorous enforcement of section 14 of the
Organic act. He says in part:
“It is i npossible to disguise or ignore
the fact that this law is openly and con
tinuously violated. Although the grand
jury at the last term of court manifested
its desire to aid the court in the enforce
ment of tills law, by bringing in fifty-two
indictments, there appears to be no pre
cep'ihle dimhiu ition in the number of
saloons or any abatement in the viola
tions of this law. Intoxica ing liquor is
imported, manufactu ed and sold here,
openly and cons'antly, for other purpos
es than those mentioned in the statute.
We cannot close our eyes to these facts
if we would. The present presiding
judge of the court has not resided among
you for almost a decade of years without
le irumg that this law is intensely obnox
ious to the people here, and that an
overwhelming m joritv are hostile to it.
But that must not deter you and the
comt in the slightest degree from a full
and fearless discharge of the duties the
* law imposes upon us. Nor must we con
sider what we know from long experi
ence 10 be true, that the law defeats the
very purposes of its creation, and in
creases and augments the very evils it
was intended to prohibit. Neither these
nor any opinions we may entertain as
private citizens, concerning this law or
sumptuary legislation in general, should
move us one jot or tittle from the per
formance of our duties as Judge and
g aud jury of this court. The remedy
against the law is with congress and not
in the cou.ts; and we may well remem
ber that there is much of truth in the
saying, that the most effective way to
gain relief against bad or obnoxious laws
is their vigorous enforcement. Un'il
such relief is granted, the responsibility
is with ns to enforce and uphold the law
as we find it, and in so doing “Ilew to
| the line, let the chips fall where they
may.”
Continuing the court called attention
! to the report for 1895 of Joseph Murray
special agent of the trea-ury, wherein
said Murray charges that because of the
: “non enforcement of the law itwaslook
; ed upon as a farce, and that it is iuipos
1 sible to find a jury to convict for smug
ling or violating the revenue law.” That
during his stay in Juneau he had“learned
beyond a doubt that not only were juries
to be had to return verdicts of not guil
ty in behalf of every violator of the rev
enue law, but also for any crime, if one
only knew the particular attorney to
employ.”
His honor in delivering his charge to
tie jury laid special stress on the fact
that it was the duty of the grand jury to
give them an exhaustive investigation,
and to ‘‘bring the offenders to the bar of
the court for punishment, whether they
be attorneys or jurors, public officers or
private citizens,salmon men or liquor
dealers.”
LOCAL NEWS.
Henry States of Juneau, spent several
days in Douglas this week.
A new fire bell and three dozen buck
ets were ordered for Douglas on the last
Topeka.
Charley Long has been doing the
painting on the lie ' cottages owned by
Allen Hunter and Oliver Contain.
Frank Kane took advantage of the
calm, frosty weather of last week to burn
several unsightly stump piles on his lots
i adjoining Thk Mink.r office.
H. L. C de la Pole has disposed of a
one-quarter interest in the Aunt Peggy
and John Brown mine at Sheep creek.
Consideration $1,600.
W. N Kalcomr, who for the past year
has been employed as engineer at the
Ready Bullion mine, left with his wife
on the Al-ki for Walla Walla, Wash.
On Thu’•‘day a box and a half of giant
powder exploded at the Mexican powder
house. Fortunately no one was near the
house at the time of the explosion, and
no cause is known.
Mr. Chisholm, of Juneau, who has
been doing carpenter work in Douglas
for the past few weeks, has decided to
locate here and has moved his family
over. They will occupy the Murray
cottage on Second street
Mr. Coates, who for several months
has been superintending the dry goods;
department of Koehler & James’ store at j
Juneau, removed his family to Douglas
Monday, and will become a permanent
resident.
On Monday morning on the first trip
of the ferry from Douglas to Juneau the
sea was running so high at the latter
place that a landing at the ferry float
could not he effected, and Capt. Tibbitts
laid the boat alongside the Juneau
Wharf Co.’s float.
Mrs. Lillistrand, Mrs. Archer and
Mrs. Nessler will give a douky party at
Oilman’s hall on the evening of the 15th
for the benefit of St. Luke’s church or
gan fund. Refreshments will be served.
Everybody invited, admission 25 cents.
A birthday party in honor of Miss An
nie McCormick’s 13th year was given at
the home of her parents at Treadwell,
yesterday afternoon. A large number
of young friends were present, and an
enjoyable time was the result.
At the Juneau Opera House this week
a very strong bill is holding the boards.
LaRose’s funny comedy “Duffy’sDaugh
ter Kate” is proving a very strong front
piece, while Hoyle’s comedy, “Two Aw
ful Dads” is a fine windup to an excep
tionally good performance. A strong
olio fills in the time between the two
principal acts.
Arthur Redwood opened Jan engage
ment an engagement as stage manager
at the Juneau Opera House this week.
Mr. Redwood’s histronic ability is too
well known to need any comment from
us. The man -gement of this house
is very fortunate in securing the ser
vices of tills talented actor.
On Nov. 25th John Egan was appoint
ed administrator of the estate of John
Kruzner, deceased, and will continue the
business at the old stand. Mr. Egan is
one of the heaviest creditors of the es
tate, which is in a very bad condition,
but he hopes to settle up in full with all
creditors.
The steamer Yukon came in from Far
ragut bay on Thursday last. She started
from the latter point with a boom of
187,000 feet of logs, but was compelled
to leave them at Dry bay on account of
bad weather. Through an accident to
the boom about 15,000 feet of logs were
lost.
The Douglas gospel liall will be opened
to the public Saturday evening, Dec. 5,
at 7:30. Beside Mr. and Mrs. Phillip
Evans, who are in charge of this work,
there will be present as speakers from
this place Charles Replogle, Doctor
Campbell and J. H. Cornlit, of Juneau.
The hall is new neat and coxy, and
will be open on Thursday, Saturday and
Sunday nights at 7:30 Sui day school at 2
o’clock Sunday afternoon.
Jack Kavanaugh, formerly proprietor
of the Blue Front resort on lower Front
stre t, desires to announce to his many
friends that he has now moved into
larger and more handsome quarters in
the building formerly ( ccupied by the
Model restaurant, near the corner of
Franklin and Front streets. t