The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-19

giving hs,s a much better position than
anybody Rad asked sor him. He had net
bSea ia Office . week before ne oeczrrs
the boon companion ard tool Of the Snug
gsers VITO male him believe tina, he coGlc
b. made collector Of customs in ray place.
When appointed Mr.. 0'CouneI' I in
ssruefed HIN 90 xefzs al liquors consigned
TO the SoFthwes. territory which were ne.
manifested, bxIs 20 allow az liquors that
were manifested 20 proceed 70 the port OF
catry 10 be conveyed 10 the Northwest
territory according 10 instructions from
Washington. Some weeks ago Mr.. Ocon-
neiI seszed sixty-hve ffve-gaIIon kegs %
whisky a. Juneau. sad whisky being
manifested as required by Law. In 50 Do
Ing. b. either maiic!ousiy or unintertional-
ly 5l9nderes. for the seizure was abso-
Iate.y contrary 10 instruction and without.
my knowledge or consent. AS soon as
discovered IL I ordered him 20 release the
whisky and le, 1t be taken or It's way. He
refused 10 do go, and mad the Alaska pa
pers write re Up as though ! were at
tempting TO snluggle whisky Into Alaska
and praising Mr.. O'conneiI sor his biun6er,
int!mating that be had caugh; his fellow
officials In the act Of violating their oaths
and ,he Aw. On account of this ard other
d!sgracesui conduct, / Immediately re-
moved him from Office.
Space is too limited to relate al my ex-
per.ences with this desperate gang. few
weeks age al Wraage- about $50 armed
thugs and robbers practically had posses
zion Of the toGa. threatening murder and
arson In case the citizens resisted their
robber.eS.
"ODc Cochran. acting as deputy dis
trict attorney, and the court commissioner,
one Jackson. were standing In with these
muTderers and thugs, and IL was a matter
OF common notorle'y tina. these officials
were sharing In the profits Of their crimes.
II al this time that ] brought a gov-
eminent case before the commissioner. The
deputy district attorney arose when the
evidence was In and made ii speech for the
defense. I brushed him aside and made
the argument FOR the government myself
and had to threaten the commissioner that
| would file charges against him at Wash
ington unless he held the defendant on
the evidence. which was Of the strongest
nature. After the case was over. about
eighty Of these thugs stoned the govern
ment witnesses. took them prisoners and
attempted TO put them aboard a boa; about
TO start for Seattle, swearing that they
would kill them that night unless they left
the town and country. I was compelled 10
go down. get the two Witnesses and send
them TO the custom house for protection.
After which I went back and rotifed these
thugs that II they assaulted these govern
ment witnesses again or attempted 70 car
~ out their threats OF murder. that I
would load the double-barTeied shotgun
with s.ugshots ard go down on the street
and begin shooting and that those of them
/ didn't shoot ! would run into the bay
and drown. In the course of a week or
two many OF these thugs left Wrangei and
order was restored. ! have recently been
informed from Washington that an honest
man VIII soon be appointed as commissioner
for Wrangel In place Of Jackson. who will
be dismissed from the service. What Alas
ka needs now more than anything else, and
what she viii. soon have, Is an honest Judge
and district attorney who vii. see to il
that life and property are secure.
while the liquor laws OF Alaska are
obnoxious and unpopular 20 a majority of
the people. and practically impossible to
enforce with the limited means at my COM
mand. Il IS my duty to enforce them. and
/ will endeavor to do so TO the utmost Of
my ability"