Governor McIntire to Mr. Olney.
Executive Office, Denver, January 7, 1896.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your communication of December 27, 1895, with reference to the grand jury for the investigation of the matter of the outrages upon Italian subjects at the Walsenburg mines, and the desire of his excellency the Italian ambassador that that jury be selected from some other county sufficiently remote from the locality where the outrages occurred, so that local prejudice might not interfere with proper consideration of the evidence, etc. I have referred the matter to the judge of the district, who alone has the power to call a grand jury within that territory, for information as to whether or not he has the authority to so call the grand jury for this case, and upon receipt of his reply will be able to answer you more specifically in that regard.
I have no doubt that the honorable judge of the proper district will adopt the suggestion of the Italian ambassador, if he can do so under our constitution and laws, and if in his own judgment the interests of justice will be advanced by that course. I thank you for your assurance that you have confidence in the authorities here that “all lawful effort will be made to ascertain who are the guilty parties and to bring them to justice,” and beg leave to assure you that that confidence is not misplaced.
I have, etc.,