The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-17
ALASKA AFFAIRS.
A GRAFT OF NEWS FROM OUR
ARCTIC POSSESSION.
Political Excitement over Delegates
to Republican COnventiOn-Trou-
bic Over the Landing of Whisky
disastrous SnOw-SIide.

SEATTLE. Wash. Jan. 1.-THE
steamer Topeka arrived today with
the following news:
Judge W. a. Kelley United States
commissioner at Wrangel came down
on the Topeka from Wrangel to Met
lakatla to try several civil suits
among the Indians. His term expires
in May. but he mentioned during the
voyage that he would resign in
March. This announcement will start
up applicants for the position from
all over the country. There is con-
siderable political excitement in Juneau
and Alaska generally in regard to the
election of delegates to be sent to the
Republican convention. Although so
far ahead. two men are making VigOr-
Gus canvasses and will probably secure
the appointments. They are c. S.
johnson. ex-United States district at
torney of Alaska, and Judge w. A.
Kelly, the present United States COM
missioner. who a few days ago an
nounced his probable resignation of
that office in March. 1t is believed
that his resignation is in view of his
probable election as delegate.
The steamship Wallapa from Seattle
to Alaska on her last trip up carried
a special consignment of one hundred
and fifty gallons of whisky in ten-gal-
Ion kegs. At Juneau she as usual tied
up to the Peoples wharf while within
fifty yards away at the old wharf the
revenue cutter Wolcott was tied up.
The WOlcObt is stationed at Juneau for
the special purpose of preventing the
landing of spurious liquors, the sale
of which in Alaska in specially inter-
mic a
arrived an attempt was made to land
the whisky mentioned. The kegs were
put off the steamer on to a small skiff.
1t was a bitterly cold night and the
wind was very high. The boat had
gone but a short distance when she
was turned over. One Of the two men
in her was a sailor and managed to
swim ashore. The other was Casey
Moran. unknown in this city. He
chung to the boat for an hour before
he was rescued. He was so completely
exhausted that his life was at one
time despaired of. but prompt meas
ureS brought him to- His hands, how
ever, were so badly frozen that he is
scarcely able to use them. The next
day more than the usual number Of
drunken Indians were to be seen
about the streets of Juneau, and it
was found that they had captured
some of the kegs from the overturned
boat. The saloon-keepers and others
made a rush for the surf line, and
eight out of the ten kegs were rolled
in by the tide and confiscated by those
who were lucky enough to catch them
A big slide of snow came down from
the mountains into Silver Bow Basin
January Z, sweeping away the Elmer
Quartz mill. and killing John T. Pearl
of Seattle, Waterman. The avalanche
piled the snow to such a depth over the
site of the mill that it will be impossible
to recover Pearls body before he general
thaW in the spring. The damage is es-
timated at $4,000
A delegation of Killisnoo Indians called
on Governor Shakely and demanded the
immediate execution of Carpenter Mills,
who is now in Jail at Sitka, charged with
numbering one of the tribe on Christmas
eve in a drunken row. Two marines
from the revenue cutter WOlcott are in
Jail. accused of being accessories to the
crime Three Fingered Charley" the
kake Island murderer Gan Indian has
been sentenced to be hanged February
5. Some uneaSineSS is manifested among
the whites, lest the members of his tribe
seek PREPARATION, as they threaten If the
hanging takes place. Many miners pass
Kake Island every spring, and it is
feared the Indians viii murder them in
cold blood. This fear has gained such
tition has been forwarded to President
Cleveland by the miners, asking that the
sentence be committed.
Marshal Williams with seven Indian
prisoners. came down on the Topeka en-
route to San Quentin pententiary.
In a mysterious manner young jap
anese workman at Douglass was assass-
mated at midnight While asleep in his
cabin by being shot through the back
by a Winchester rifle. Several men are
under arrest. The Japanese had won the
affections of white woman of i'll re-
pute. This engendered much jealousy.