Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-31
0UTRAGES IN ALASKA
Due to the Unparalleled Extent Of
Whisky Smuggling There.
SEVENTY THOUSAND GALLONS
Of Liquor Go into the Territory Every
Year, Despite the Fact
IT Is NOW A CONTRABAND ARTICLE

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE prsPArcH.l
SEATTLE, WASH, May 30.-Another
case of violence to an Alaska missionary
has been reported-the tarring and feather
ing of Dr. j. E. Connect, of Douglas Island
and it furnishes additional evidence of the
increasing hostility between the respectable
element in the territory and the whisk =
smugglers.
Under the present law whisky is a con-
traband article, but nevertheless about 70, 900
gallons a year-so the customs authorities
estimate-are smuggled into the territory,
and most of it finds sale among the Indians,
though even to give liquor to an Indian is a
violation of the law. The smuggling has
been steadily increasing during the last few
years, and the result is a trightful demorali-
zation among the natives The government
school teachers, the missionaries and the
better class of settlers have striven to check
the tide of lawlessness, but through lack of
cooperation on the part of the authorities
have accomplished little, besides incurring
the bitter enmity of the smuggler.
The Trouble Comes to a Head.
The friction has been growing of late,
and the trouble came to head on January
ary, Charles H. Edwards Hitherto in
complete and inaccurate accounts of the
affair have been published Edwards had
been for two years an instructor at the
Quaker mission on Douglas Island, but last
fall the Government transferred him to
Kupraniotf Island for a work few had the
courage 20 undertake. The natives of this
island, known as the Kake Indians, are the
most savage in Alaska; and yet Mr.. Ed
wards had not been among them two
months, before he had them, while he could
keep them sober, under almost perfect
control. Those familiar with the facts say
other one man in Alaska to elevate the
natives.
He found that his chief difficulty was that
the smugglers kept supplying the Indians
with liquor. Cargoes of the drink were
brought in with impunity. Or, January II
a sloop manned by two men, Malcolm
Campbell and Emory Elliott, residents of
Douglas, dropped anchor in Hamilton Bay,
about two miles from the Rake village.
Desperate Methods Found Necessary.
Through an interpreter Mr.. Edwards
learned that the sloop was loaded with
whisky, and so the missionary, with more
zeal than discretion, formed the plan of
the men and the vessel, and
taking them as prizes to the Deputy United
States Marshal at Fort Wrangel, a man
named Millmore. The method was not one
suitable for a settled community, but the
case was desperate, and Edwards saw no
other way of stopping the smuggling, for
there was no officer within 40 miles, Ed
wards got 13 natives who were willing to
act with him, and he warned them to carry |
no firearms, but only ropes with which to |
tie the prisoners.
The attacking party set out in big canoe,
and without difficulty boarded the sloop, |
which was a small craft, not more than |
twenty-five feet long. Elliott was easily |
bound, but Campbell, large, powerful man, |
resisted stoutly. Finally Campbell re-
treated to the little end of the cabin, where |
the Indians could not reach his back or
sides; and there he held them at bay.
Only a Temporary Success.
This defense, however, was successful for
,nly short time, for Edwards kicked some
boards off the cabin roof, and thus the In
lians were enabled to get at their man, and
tie him. The vessel was searched for fire.
arms, and then Edwards told eleven of the
natives to return to the shore, while he,
with the two others, should take the prize
to Wrangel.
As the eleven neared the shore, they
heard firing on the sloop, and then they
saw her spread her sails in the direction
opposite Wrangel
At 9 o'clock on the night of January IA
The vessel arrived at Sitka 150 miles from
Bay. Campbell and Elliott were
in charge, the two natives had disappeared,
md Edwards was unconscious and dying
from gunshot wounds. Campbell confessed
hat he had gotten his left hand loose,
md securing a revolver concealed in a
punk, had done the fatal shooting He
claimed that he did the deed in self Defense
md the people of Sitka, of course, knew
nothing about the matter, for Edwards died
without recovering consciousness. The
riends of Edwards claim that he should
lave been carried to Sitka in half the time
hat was consumed by the sail.
A Big Hunt for Evidence.
On January 24'news of the tragedy came
rom Sitka to Dr.J. E Connect, who had sue
eeded Edwards on Douglas Island. He
made arrangements to go to
Xupranioff Island to investigate the case,
,ut he could get no boat until January 90
md be did not reach Hamilton Bay until
February 1. He was accompanied by Harry
3oursin, Deputy United States Marshal,
md one of the few efficient officers in
Alaska.
The two men spent q good deal of time
n hunting up evidence, and such conduct
aroused the smugglers against
hem. Dr. Connect added the last
traw by writing an account of the
fair to a little country weekly published
t his old home at Robinson, Ill, the
National Era This letter came back to
Alaska and fell into the hands of the doc
ors enemies. They took their revenge on
be night Of Sunday, April "a. Sometime 4
fter dark a man came to the doctors door !
nd asked him to visit miner who was |
eriously i'll. DR.. Connect had gone but a {
wv hundred feet from his house when he
as seized, gagged, bound, stripped and
reated to coat of tar and feathers.
hreats were further made against his life t
case he should further interfere with the G
nugglers. Since he is man of great per-
,nal courage, and not likely to stop in his
forts to bring them to justice, more trouble
ay follow. +
Southern Alaska the Worst of All. +
There is more. lawlessness in Southern >
laska than in the other parts. The pres
ice of naval and military authorities at :
itka tends to preserve order there, and
uring the whole summer the Western =
retch is closely watched by the revenue :
ltters and men-ofwar but in Southern b
laska the smugglers are running riot. In
i Alaska there are probably not over !,
ozen officers with authority to arrest
an, but few of these have the inclination
I'd fewer still the means of transportation;
II a steamer is necessary to chase the
nuggling sloops among the islands, and a
D such craft is at the disposal of the Fl
Ulcers.
The whisky is bought at Victoria, where a
,e-third of the purchase price is paid in c
lvance. The cargo is consigned to the
nugglers at Port Simpson, where the pay
ent is completed. The whisky is then
ken to Fort Wrangel, and entered in T.
md for transnortation through to the n