The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-15
eesen Mem Kills6 in . Feud On
ReyiIla- Gigedo Island.
1nlsAL JUSTICE IS DENT OUT


nnvske tribes OF Indians have en9aeea "
! hioody fsud. In which seven men have
beAn kIi.sd tn the past Two montns. Ine
fsuxnan Indians and the KcschikAns are
sueu.tes Of long standing- They have uvso
enxeshxr on the island under . sort Of
armed truce for many years. Last tan
IN. h.stortc trouble between the Tribes
men broke out afresh. and u has con-
siuu<d IL intervals until about the nrst
Of the present month, when the Sandman
Indians. after having killed I'VE II the
xstchskans, settled with their enemies
81 the payment Of thousand blankets.
noAs to the chief Of the kstchikans for
- beuett Of the murdered mems families.
W.il d. Jenkins. r., son Of the secretaty
x stsse, writing 10 his father from ketch-
f]xan. xive4 the story OF the b.oody feud
h detail. There Is NC doubt N TO IT.
suthenticity. For years the trtbesmen on
nsvfiIs-Gigedo island have auarreled and
murders have been Of frequent occurrence.
IN many cases tho dead mans relatives
would be szassiied with the payment Of an
indemnify or by having m enemy delivered
up to them Tor slaughter. As the whitssare
few on the island. the authorities Of Alas
- have been unable TO secure convictions
IN many murder cases. for the reason
that the Indian witnesses IN those cases
thsx had been settled would not testify
Against the accused. Thus the indians
have been allowed to continue their
psimtvai practices and 20 pursue the gen.
tie art OF murder at intervals without
much m0iestation.
John Swanson. q SanxmSn. il now In
jan II Juneau charged with the murder
Of . Ketchikan Indian. = son Of chief.
The wsrrsag Tribes.
According te Mr.. Jenkins. who left Be-
attls = month ago In quest OF gold in .
virE.a region lying along the banks OF the
Unik river. the strife between the warning
tribes began wlsen Swanson killed q son Of
ef = Ketchikan chiefsain last fall Swan
sOn Il the maine the Indian was known
BY among tho whites. 1t In related that
after the murder the Sandman paraded np
And down on the beach iE front Of the
village OF the Ketchikans. daring them
70 shoot him In retaliation. They replied
that they would not consider his carcass
m atonement for the murder ct one OF
their head men. They demanded OF the
nanxm1n chisftain two members Of HIS
tribe or the payment TO the murdered
mans family Of large Indemnity In the
form Of blankets. furs and money.
negotiations were entered upon on this
beste. when the white residents OF Ketch-
kan interfered and oiiseers from juneau
arrested the murderous Sandman. Since
then ne has rep0sed In jail.
Matters ran along peaceabiy between the
hostile tribes during the winter Late In
February = Sandman and / Ketchikan.
both probably filled with . native whisky
brewed by the Indiana. quafreled, and
the kttchikan fell dead before the gun
cf the Sandman.
Another bloody war was imminent. The
tr1besmen put on their war paint and
feathers and sharpened their knives for
the fray The murdered mans friends
and relatives clAmored for eanxman blood.
and demanded thai the rivers Of the
Island. shonld be made to run red with
Sandman gore
Cooler heads among the old men OF the
two trihea eounselesi peace. and these
finally prevailed The Sandman chief
raHowtng the time-honored custom. de.
Hvered to the Ke,chikans two men ,o
atone for the murder Of the Ketchlkau.
They Were taken cut into the woods ana
never seea alive afterward Such was
among them.
mug matters were allowed 10 r.,n along
until the middle OF last March The
friends OF the two slaughtered Sandman
lhaians cursed their ehieftain for Weld
ins TO the demands es the Ke,ch,kans
There We're nusterings OF revenge con-
Hned at first 10 the immediate r.isf,yex n.
the twn swarshy victims OF the tribal rus-
toms. The kstehskAns heard Of The sisaf-
lection steadily growing tn the ranks of
tness osa enemies, and when any &C them
Msns CUT after night they were usually
armed 10 the teeth and ready for ali com
srs II was peace that was no ,en.,e
spsvss We're sen, among the Sandman Ia.
mans 10 learn and watch their move-
ntents. and eavesdyorpers az tire risk OF
Their lives. hun. about IA. tents OF their
eneufes 10 osefhesr their whispered con-
fsrencrs
An tmdtan Attack.
oae ntShf. late tn March. small camp
OF ketchikans near the village Of thar
nAme was Invaded nv the sanxusns IN
numbers, Several % IRE invaders were
msskea ard it Is presumed ,ha: they were
relatives az she two victim az the .n.s,.n
soss OF Justice. A. any rate, wne-, .he
battle WAS ended two OF the Ke.,slk.rs
were dead ard two mere Gnorisllv Sount
ed The SanSman usarsusssrs were .rive,
on. hus they had struck a revenses,,l aaa
telling blow at their enemies ara a.
pafentiy had nst suffered.
Immediately tho kesoAiksn trsAssrseo
were called together In council Vt var
War paint and feathers were sa,snsa nv
al the doughty braves while sss OH men
vhsftersnE about the ffres tn the ten...
sparrwa their Sous 30 revenge the ,aul
Marsisr Of fonr % isesr frllnNs ssae the
ketchsksns are a peacefully tasis'ss fsta~
ard whea Sanxman, bearing an emblem
OF rcaee. invited the kesca.ksn ehissx q
genre 10 SANDMAN. the hvzdeGs rsers q,
TIE txttse. ard listen 10 proposals Scr ces
sasior 81 the saugusaary seua, the SIZE.
Was accepted
TIE ceremonies attending he yiSl. - ~.
kesShskans TO Ssaxman we're most ;~ter
essiax and picturesque. The ehtsf .. 81,
ksseaikaas. a magnificent Appearing In
sstaa. led his i~oass 20 Ssnxsnsa al ser
GRATED with asr paint and feathers The,
we're received sith al TIA efrssusus. arr,
AID STATE attending zxSh an snsir exs
t~ssa tire tsc sTshws@ The rsssscssssa ms,
hsse eorse u sAsm :Aas other as,ex fss
sesssfsfres had rrstesiea sAss and hs,. ss
ended the Tow 80 hssspss or SUPPRESSED ~.
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