Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-03-02
ANARCHY CONTROLS.
United states Marshal Shot Dead i'm
Discharge OF Duty.


Secretary Bliss has received a letter
from Gov. John G. Brady, of Alaska,
descriptive of the lawless condition of
affairs in that territory. The matter
was at once referred to cabinet meet
ing. Following is a copy of the letter:
News from Skaguay by the steam
boat now in port, is serious. The Un-
tied States deputy marshal had been
shot dead in the discharge of his duty.
Another man was killed at the same
time at the same place. Recently the
steamers have been carrying great
lists of passengers; many of these are
gamblers, thugs and lewd women,
from the worst quarters of the cities
from the coast. They have taken in
the situation at Skaguay and Dyea
and appear to have combined to carry
things with a high hand. The best
people at these places are power1ess,
because they have no municipal form
of government. The United States
marshal is powerless, because he can
appoint only few deputies and when
they undertake to act they are singled
out as targets by this ruffiauly e1e-
ment. One of this class was tried in
the United States district court last
December for the killing of United
States deputy marshal Watt, in Janu-
ary 1897, and was acquitted by the
iurv - &I,A faca 0f ~,0S;k;va ka.k:.
In fact, these influences seem to be
joined hand in hand, and will surely
go unpunished unless the government
takes immediate action and provides
the necessary force at Skaguay, Dyea,
and other points. Congress should
grant immediate relief, so both naval
and military officers can act when re-
quested by the civil authorities.
'"The United States marshal should
have a patrol vessel at his command,
with necessary accommodations for
eight of ten deputies aud a proper at
tendant. lido not see how he can per-
form his duties as executive officer of
the court unless he has such means of
locomotive always entirely at his own
command.
"At the present time a large and
important mining property is held by
a number of miners at Berners Bav.
This property was recently placed in
the hands of receiver by the court.
but to date the receiver has not come
into possession. In this instance
there il much to be said in favor of
the miners action and their self con-
troll, but it Is of such a nature that yio-
lence may be the result. The marshal
has no means of reaching that point
with sufficient force to carry out the
instructions of the court. Judge john
son leaves by this boat to settle this
affair amicably, if possible.
Two weeks ago, or a little more a
gang of men commanded Capt. Patter.
son of the steamship Alki to DISCHARGE
the natives who were handling the
freight at the wharf. hey attacked
these natives and beat them crueIIv IN
the face of the deputy marshal. The
captain was obliged to compromise
with them by paving them so cents
per hour for work on the wharf, but
he insisted that the natives should
work on the vessel.
81 am sorry TO report that the court
house at juneau has been burned t,
the ground.
$50 far the winter has been remark.
able for mildness and this tends To
bring the crowd sooner than they were
expected"
The letter was dated February 3.