The Van Buren press., 1897-01-09
AN ARCTIC TRAGEDY.
Punishment for Child Murder Melted on'
to n Brutal Esquimau

| II
The whaling steamer Belyidere, whlet
arrived recently from the frozen arc
tic. brought story of tragedy among
the savage Esklmos.
Last winter, while the vessel wac
frozen in the ice near Hcrschel isiana
native who was known to the crew
Of the whaler rs Pier was engaged te
hunt on the mainland of Alaska for deel
for fresh meat for the crew. He wat
q good hunter, but, unlike most OF ths
natives, he had a fierce and fiery TEN
per. Shortly after he had been engaged
ms a hunter for the vessels crew he built
snow hut on the land only about tNe
miles from the vessel. There he moved
his family, and not long after chic
was born to him.
The child was nearly three month";
old when Pier returned, unsuccessful
from a long hunting trip in the interior
| Not a deer had fallen to his rifle, ana
he went home brooding over his ill-luck
| In his savage nature he felt that the
child that had been recently added te
his household had, when 1t came into
| the world, brought with it curse on
his prosperity. To it he laid all the
blame for his having returned from a
chase empty-handed. In his rage he
seized the child by the feet and, swing
Ing it about his head with all the brute
| strength at his command, dashed II
down upon the sharp points of an ice
| Tho Iittla nnp'G hrnI
were dashed over the snow surrounding
his rude home, and, taking the body
he threw it to his pack of fierce slet
dogs. They soon tore it to pieces. Ate
| the act he calmly walked back to thi
vessel and informed the officers tha'
the ill-omen that hung over his heat
had been removed, and that he woult
be more successful in future hunts.
Missionary Whitaker, who wa
aboard the whaler at the time, had thu
man held on board the ship while HI
investigated his story. Piers fellow
natives detested him for his cruelty
| Whitaker, who had devoted his life Il
the welfare of the Eskimos of the NOR
northern region, had been greatly
troubled by his quarrelsome spirit, ant
as an example to the Others of hi
savage flock he felt that the murders
must be punished.
Pier was led to d stake in the center
of the native village, near the whaling
station. His back was barred and HI,
was triced up to the stake. The mis-
sionary took stout '-nine-taili
ard gave the murderer 60 lashes across
the bare back with all the power he
could command. When he had finished
he handed the lash to Mate +. l.. West
of the Belvedere, and the muscular mate
| followed the missionary's example,
while the crew of the whaler and the
natives looked on and counted the
lashes.
| When the mate had finished with his
| so lashes the murderer was bowling pitt
| fully for mercy. He was faint from pain
and loss of blood, and when he was let
loose he staggered about, spurned by
all his fellow villagers. He was or.
dered to leave the neighborhood and
never return. Death would be his lot
| II he was ever seen about the settle,
ment again. He was allowed to take
his rifle and supply of ammunition
as well as a sled load of provisions and
supplies. on which to start life anew
| in the far interior.
| He was given until the following
night to prepare for his journey. As
he left the village for his hut he took
an oath that he would kill the first
| white man he came across after nc
left the village lines as revenge for
the punishment he had received at the
hands of the missionary and the whaler''
tmate.-San Francisco Examiner.