The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-06
HAS A GOOD THING
e. 3. COMMISSIONER AT skaGTaY
CHARGES FAT FEES.
Allegations of FraHd 20 BE Invessf-
gated by a Special Government
aR~nt-one wsy "a Record Town
Iot.-Hi~ Dealings with Fowler.

A special Inspector >rczn THE Department
- justice has besa sent % SkaZuzT &c IL
vssLEats alleged frauds psFpetrstsd there
h Eaissd States Commissioner J. L
szssfh
Tals of.cSas seems 70 CHERISH the i3sa
thsE he has good thing saG = pushing
Il along a. smart pace. AZ illustration
q Ar, snt.nss msshocs Is fo4ae n his
dealing xffn = r Foster. father %
young Dwsgnt Fowler. wao wss drowned
last August a. Skazuay. The effscts q
re deac pFosp4stor were taken Il charge
5T sas eorrnssHisuer. wAo proceeded 20
Bold an luquest and Iassr paid the yaGrg
mans bills. When DWlgAt FoxIers body
as recovered there was 80 70 one CO his
pockets snlth dispensed this with lib
sral hand
IL response to letter OF inquiry from
2 y. Fowler 81 TITS city father % the
young man. Smith cent dosn 11ss3 in
cash ard a statement % bills paid Among
ne items Eas 81 FOR the inquest. SIC % the
amount having been gwen Smith claimed
- tee marshal Tnis marshal II IL claimed
b fnel from Skzguay was = man svhon
TIE people a. meeting had seleeteS and
tad no authority whatever 20 ar on be-
half az the government. Afr. Fowler thinks
tae fee for Al inquest was entirely IN
necessary as the cause o. Dwight Fow-
lers death vas obvious ard required no
o'i'e-al Inquiry. The father has placed tia
cas-. 1tth the department - justice and
u wiA oe investigated along with other
alleged Illegal acts
4 resent article in the Alaska Mining
Record sid
There is. we believe. little question
that the commissioner i. guilty o. some
irregularities. The first Official act after
arriving at skaguay was 10 charge a fee
o. = for recording toHn lot locations
S1llle fhe law places the maximum fee al
lowed tne recorder az si5a Not only is
the charge greater than IL should be but
there are very grave doubts as TO his
hasing authority 70 accept a Zee ard make
any charge whatever The organfe act
provides tbst the United States district
clerk shall Re the recorder for the entire
district % Alaska. II also provides that
we district court may designate the
nited statas commissioners at Tynaiaska
juneau and WrsugeI recorders for ire Sc
u3ns q Alaska convenient TO those places
Suen an order was made by the court
eseral years ago and he districts de-
nned. e juneau district includes all
the country tributary 10 Lynn canal
Skasuay ard Dyea fan within this bound
airy There is no set Of congress setting
apart additional recording districts and II
. fne universal opinion Of TIE lawyers
that no other recording districts can be
created under the law a. il now IS. The
act providing for the appointing Of four
additional commissioners including the one
AZ byea or Skaguay. confers upon such
commissioners the ordinary powers re-
ceived b the commissioners provided gor
under the organic act. This however,
does not confer upon them the authority
20 act as recorders. The commissioners
81 Kadla- and at Sitka attempted or
claimed the right 70 record any instru-
ments Of such a nature as pertains to
lands in their locality. The United States
mining laws. applicable to the sdistrict.
provide THAI miners in remote localities
may organize district and elect their Own
recorder. but this in no way can be APP
piled 10 townsites or town lots.
a man by the name OF Johnston was
found guilty Of assault with a dangerous
weapon by Commissioner Smith. and his
iail commitment shows that the fine was
but 50 while the commissioner fees
were tl0a
1t is said that the only record he has
OF fae town iot locations is a small note
book in which he has the l0cator's name.
the number Of the lot ard his Own name
"a United States commissioner.
II the reports concerning Smith are
found % be true his arrest viii follow
the investigation 81 the special United
States agent. The commissioner Is re-
ported now 90 be operating n Dyea. where
a townsite boom 10 making the recording
business lucrative.