Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-03

How Two Whisky smugglers Were Arrested
and Family Feud Was Ayeried.


From tie sitka Alaskan.
The Pints arrived in port from her trip to
Cape Fox on Sunday last at noon. On her way
out, leaving here on January n, the gunboas
arrived at wrangell at p. m. Of the Path. and
having taking United States Commissioner W.
A. Kelly on board left that place in the early
morning OF the following day. reaching Wards
Cove at S p. M Of the same day. An early
start made again from the latter anchorage
on Goth ultimo. and Mary Islands reached lev
hours afterward. Commissioner W. A. Kelly
had been appused by Mr.. William duncan, tho
patriarch Of the Metlakahtla settlement on An
nette Island. that a band OF whisky smugglers
had located on Mary Island. in close proximity
to the custom house at that place, and were
freely selling their wares to the Indians in the
vicinity As soon rs the Pinta had cast anchor
in front of the custom house n boat contain ing
United States District Attorney c. 4. johnson
and Deputy Marshal George KostrometinoiT. ac-
companied by some of the ships men. was dis
patched TO the shore.
Upon landing. Mr.. Johnson, in company with
the master-at-arms Of the Pinta. John Blake,
at once proceeded 20 the cabin OF T. Pearson.
while Mr.. Kostrometinoa directed Lis steps 10
the hut of Carl Jansen. Mr.. Kostrometiu on,
who held the search warrants and the warrants
of arrest for tho two men. after having seized
in Janssens place ten-gallon key partly filed
with whisky, one bottle and a gallon demij ohm
of whisky and arrestinc the owner of the house
himself. then came over TO Pearsons hut where
the district attorney and Master-at-Arms Blake
were and the cache in the middle OF the r DOR
was then examined. Pearson. when he saw hat
the cache, which easily clscernible. had
been discovered then volunteered the statement
to Mr.. johnson that he. being sick. took whisky
and oil for medicine. and that the box, standing
in a corner. contained the empty bottles the
,f ,rhfel, IN, ho1 ,,alf
Out of that box, with so-callad empty bottles,
seven were seized filed with whisky. After
couple of sacks Of potatoes had been extracted
from the cache two cases of whisky were found.
which were also taken possession OF by the
officers of the law. and Pearson OF course was
also arrested. All the liquor found was OF Ca
madam manufacture.
A third member of the bard Of smugglers.
who is supposed 10 be the leader, John Nelson
by name, escaped arrest through his absence
with the sloop, probably being away to carry in
a new supply.
After the two prisoners and the seized liouor
had been transferred aboard the gunbOat she
steamed down TO Cape Fox. The westerly
village was found deserted. and then the larger
settlement-three miles further up the inlet
was visited, where all the natives had congre-
gated.
From the investigation nbout the reported
murders at that place il TRANSFERRED that Chief
Gee-yak, Nah-li-av-ta-tin. his brother. and
Enee-wat-ka, accompanied by his brother
Kan-ya a happy family 80 20 say, went over TO
Mary Island about December "a to purchase .
lot of whisky. They met there the three men
aforementioned, Pearson, Jansen and Nelson,
and bought from them eighteen bottles %
whisky at 81 50 bottle. On the return trip
home the natives drank freely from the liquor
purchased and became so intoxicated that they
lost their senses and were for n time even
unable to control their canoe. which driSted
about for & time at the mercy of the wind and
waves. During tina, period Kan-ya and Nah
li-ay-ta-tin. who were seated in the center, COM
menced fighting with each other, and the c"m-
bat fierce that both Of them died from
the effects of knife s;abs. That both were dead
not discovered, however, until Gee-yak
and Enee-wat-ka, after having come TO
their senses. had padded their canoe home
The two dead men were cousins and Gce-.ak,
who Is an intelligent native, upon the matter
being discussed in council stated as his opinion
that as the two men were relatives and both we're
dead that there no cause 20 organize
family feud or for the payment OF damages OF
one family to the other. Gee-yaks counsel
prevailed and the bodies we're quietly buried,
the affair ending with peace dance.
To secure evidence for the prosecution
against Pearson and Jameson, Gee-yGk aad
Enee-wat-ka were retained rs Witnesses, thsy
being landed here, together with the two white
nrisoners. on the Pintas arrival Pearson and
Jansen were bound over by Commissioner
Kelly for the action OF the grand jury In May
next the former under 81 .009 and the la-ter
under $500 bonds. As they have not been able
10 furnish bail they now in confinement in
the United States iail.