The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-08-24
THAT cRcoKEDNESS.
mrxxErlx0 IxrKEvIEv WIFE nAE
SEAL ATKINS OF ALAsKA-
=. rx,is why the Sale Of the Con-
s~-ned sealskins Was Held 1t
s,sn. Instead Of ON Psget Sound
- yfndicates Himself.


stated, / received telegram from the
aenartrnent at Washington to post
,one the sale, at the request of the
p,;,;sb minister, who denied the legal
=. N the seizure The department
sf'o Instructed me TO release the YES
- nroyided suitable bonds were
,aered | also received a telegram
srnu, the department 70 consult with
ITn;ted states Attorney White.
ENC here to-day and laid the whole
s~stter before Mr. White. lie declined
- Five me any advice until he him
Iii receives further adyices from the
Ser.rtment. left the whole matter
n hi hands TO conduct the future pro-
ssediugs. Captain Warren, OF Veto
- the owner OF the Grace, Dolphin
and Anna Beck. is now here and pro-
,.cses 10 give bonds and release the
fkrr. Beck. He will let the two 9th
a. he sold, as he considers the APP
nraissment of them excessive. The
beck Is appraised at 5000, while the
i,oInhin il placed at $3.50 and
ne Grace at $i0,i0 They would
rather let the two last men
toned be cold than so bond them at
such figures and think things will be
6red up and the sale win go ahead in
two or three weeks. wrote the at
tornay general this afternoon that
having practical knowledge OF such
matter. | concur with the owners that
inc valuation j. excessive. By the
vay. the schooner Ada is a japanese
craft and don't see what the inter
ference OF the British minister has 10
do with her. don't believe the de-
partment understood that when the
order 10 postpone the sale Of all four
vessels was issued.
"How are prospects in Alaska. mar
shal7r
"The country is going ahead very
rapidly and the mining industry Is
developing daily. II j. wonderful
what an immensely wealthy country
that Is turning out In the way Of min
eral. There has not been any rain
since about May -. and when left
the Greek church was praying for
rain"
ne vfSpIcATEs HIMSELF.
what IL true about a published
statement evidently intended to re-
eest On Sour official integrity. mar
shal7" Il
"The first heard of it was when |
was coming down on the steamer. |
was shown an item in Portland
paper stating that il was asserted that
had been mixed up in a crooked
scheme to sell the seized skins at Sitka
to beneiitthe Victoria dealers. Now,
I don't believe that any man ever as
serted anything of the kind. 1t i well
known that was always opposed 10
the scheme and fought IL to the bitter
end. In the first place was instructed
10 investigate and determine upon the
best market. ! reported that II they
we're sold at Sitka there would prob
ably be very few bidders and that
those who might come would combine
and fix prices among Themselves. each
taking certain amount OF skins.
stated further that II the sale were on
Puget Sound the Victoria and San
Francisco buyers woald meet here,
eau ing competition and insuring
better prices. In accordance with my
recommendation ! got instructions
early in December to hold the sale on
the Sound. Accordingly ] advertised
the sale OF the skins and the two
vessels that would be required to
bring them down. 10 be held Mt Ta-
coma, February 9th. | got oil ready,
llNN IAlG NEF7fiN ftStt7A AfN AAN ttft
crewa engaged. On the 30th of De.
ccmher gave orders 20 have the YES
sells along .ide the dock the following
morning TO take ON the skins.
JUDGE DAWSON INTERVIEWS.
THAT night Judge Dawson, who
has since been removed, came into
my office and said he had decided 10
open court in the morning and rescind
the order for the sale TO he held GA
Puget Sound. | replied that II was
surprising news 20 me. and asked his
reasons. lie replied; Well, those
2esky San Francisco lawyers would
come UP 10 the Sound and repievln
the skins and get the matter In the
courts where Il would probably re-
main two OF three years. The skins
might better be sold here, even il they
won't bring rs much. | immedi-
ately called his attention to
the Washington Territory revised
statutes stating that property con-
demned tO the government and IN the
hands OF the United states marshal
under order OF sale Is irrepleyinable,
lie studied this over in silence for a
few minutes and then said. We'll,
there's another thing. When You get
down into the Straits OF fuca with
your vessels and cargoes Of sealskins
one OF these British cruisers might
come ont and capture the whole out
fit. aud take it into Victoria. | then
said in disgust. Judge. that settles IT,
I will discharge tho crews and lay the
vessels 80 again No. he said, the
or,ier viii not apply to the vessels.
Send them down and sell them, WHY,
4 lao as
the hIiti,hcrs would capture them p
80. we'll, there is not so much danger
If YOU haven't the skins aboard. aud il
wont make so much difference Il they
do get the schooners, he replied. The
next morning he opened court ami
made the order, as iniinatcd. The
vessels we're sent down and sold and
no one Attempted to capture them,
wHFEE riiE cRooKEpREss WAS
shortly afterMard the Victoria
people applied IA have about hall 81
The skins appraised, aud released on
bonds. The court made au or,ied to
that effect and the appraisers went TO
work. By the method they adopted
saw that they were going IL damage
the skins. I askcd il they proposed
~ go ahead in that way and they said
they dill. | then positively ordered
them 90 suspend operations until |
could bc released from the responsi-
hililv OF the custody Of the property.
For that was lined $50 by the court,
and the appraiser was pat m charge.
For iB DAYS / was excluded from the
building and the apprai-er was in
posse sion and the Key IN bis pocket,
lie was not required 20 give a cent 81
secuilty and was under so oot OF
tcial bonds. Not only that hut the
appraiser wa. Deputy Collector n uehn,
federal official, who could not, unaer
the law, acccpt such a commission.
In .sct. hc was n the bottom 81 tire
whole scheme changing the Place oi
sal, Ia ~iika. lie made i proposition
t. the Vi toTia parties th8t lie could
have the sale changed - SltSa, "a
they wogia have no opposition ia the
market The prupositen ~as acccrt-
cd. aud h 90, the ur3er issue max
ing the sale % Sltkat and he got hts
paw for 10. it made a difference OF
$1,000 or $i20C0to the government, "
which kuehn unls received about
ssoo The Nicto Ia people gave him
Acheck, which in the hand % the
government special government
agent has just becu up there for the
purpa e, | understand OF Investigate
ing The matter, and the result will lie
termine where the crookrdneS> Is.
That accusation against me Wa