Stikeen River journal., 1898-07-02
REDSKINS ON THE WARPATH
TrcacherOuS Method OF Getting
Vengeance.
AND FIRED UPON
Jack Dalton Narrowly Escapes
Death at the Hands of an Indian

Jack Dalton Narrowly Escapes
Death at the Hands of an Indian
The Juneau Mining Record Says
Jack Dalton, scout, pioneer and pauh.
finder, was shot at from ambush few
days ago by Indians on the Dalton
trail. Dalton was winged and narrow.
ly escaped with his life. A bullet
passed through his coat and waistc0at
on the left side close to his heart and
another carried away with it section
of the skin of the tip of the little finger
on the same side. He WAS unarmed at
the time. The scene of the shooting
was few miles up the Chilkat river.
from tide water. and Dalton was alone.
The Indians for some time have had
various petty grievances against Dali
ton. They accuse him of spelling their
trade by establishing his posl one hun
dred miles inland: with bringing the
hardy white man and klondiker into
the country to their disadvantage. and
with opening up the streams to the
white mans small boats and driving
the salmon and other fish away, so that
the Indians must go hungry for dried
fish next winter or go ii long way to
catch them. These are the reasons
for the shots from the brush. 1t is per-
haps needless to say that the next time
Dalton turns his face toward Fort Sell
kirk on the Dalton trail he will be well
armed and fully prepared to take a few
scalps. He went last Monday.
a complaint was made by Dalton to
United States Commissioner Malcolm
rest of Indian Jim and one other native.
A man with the papers is hot on the
trail
REVISED STATEMENT.
The circumstances connected with
the case show beyond question of doubt
that the Indians had CAREFUL. p,ailnSi
the assassination of the man they blame
for the influx of whites to their hunt
ing grounds. Coming close as it does
on the heels of the murder of William
Meehan on the McClintook river by
Hootalinqua river it is impossible to
overlook the Ominous import
Dalton arrived in Juneau June 10
and the coat he wore told in mute
language of his narrow escape from
death at the hands of the trcacherous
redskins. The story was kept very
quiet owing to the issuance of war
rant for the arrest of Indian Jim. one of
on the charge of attempted murder,
}. ID. Barry. the San Francisco Chroni-
Gle correspondent got an inltling of the
matter on his way down to Seattle and
when the steamer ROsalie touched at
Juneau he Learned Dalton's story.
WALKING ALONG THE RIVER.
Dalton was walking along the bank
of the Chilkat river some distance
ahead of six prospectors. a few miles
from the tow II of Chilkat. suddenly a
rifle shot rang out from the underbrush
one hundred yards distant. Dalton
says a bullet whistled past his left ear.
He came to Il sudden stop and his COM
panions rushed up with drawn pistols.
pnol, cd ~, l,, biu f,;,n5s, dalton H.,
a rush for the place where the smoke
from the wOuld-be assassin's rifle had
pulled up He had taken only three
steps when another shot rang out and
the bullet struck over the famous
pathtindcr's heart. a pocket book in
which were several coins received the
bullet and DETECTED it just enough to
save his life. The pocket and purse.
however. we're cut through and the
coins fell to the ground.
A moment later an Indian with
rifle in hand was seen to break from
the ambush and run rapidly toward
the heavy timber. Dalton and his
men gave chase, but suddenly dis
covered that the woods We're filled with
hostile redskins who showed them.
selves boldly and invited the white
men to ''come on" Realizing that
they were outnumbered three to one
Dalton and his friends withdrew and
made their way back to Chlkat
Dalton took the first steamer to
Juneau and appeared before United
States Commissioner Malcolm and told
his story. He said he was satisfied the
shooting was done by a prominent
Chilkat Indian named "Jim." The
Commissioner Immediately issued a
warrant charging "Jim" with attempt
ed murder. Before Mr.. Barry left
Juneau an officer had been sent out to
make the arrest. His task is cOnsd-
Quad n wow, \ orraro,,S ono tho In