The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-06
ALASKAN CUSTOMS TROUBLE
DEPUTY COLLECTOR AND THREE
INSPECTORS. ARRESTED.
Charged With Conspiracy to Defrmud
the United states Governments
Collector ISey Refuses To Dis
charge Them-A Live! Fight.

The developments of the Alaskan Gus
toms shake-up started by the grand jury
in session at Sitka have been the one sub
ject OF couversati ton in the interested cities
OF the north during the past few weeks.
Deputy Collector J. Z. Floyd and In
spectors Thomas Luke and Louis Hart
man. who represent Collector ]. W. Ivey
and the government at Skagway. were ar
rested by Deputy United States Marshal
Taylor shortly before the steamer Hum
boldt sailed last week. The arrest = The
result Of true bills returned against the
trio by the Sitka grand jury, They are
charged with conSpiring 10 deiraud The
United States government.
The arrests were made as / matter Of
course and surprised no one. for the in
dictments had been known of a week pre-
vious. The development that has sur
prised Alaska, however, is the statement
from Collector lyey that he Will no: re-
move the three men from office. IN spite
of the Indictment. Collector Ivey asserts
that the men are victims OF the whisky
ring and that there is absolutely no rea-
son for their indictment.
That Collector lvey was not Indicted hy
the grand jury, although his of .ciai deeds
were subject 10 4 searching inquiry. was
testified 20 yesterday ny his arrival here
en- the steamship humboldt. iVey was
accompanied by his family. and lief, III 80
o'clock over the Northern Pacific TOR
Portland. On the same steamer was eN-
Deputy Collector James A. o'C0nneH. nf
Juneau. who was removed recently by Col
hector fVey along with Inspector -Afiodt
p ;. Smith oConueil WAS ivey's right
hand man In Alaska for 4 long time. but
they differed In opinion on several matters.
ivey. il is alleged, heard that O'Conneli
was trying 10 undermine him ut Wash
ington and be appointed collector fer the
d strict. At any rate. O'Connen was re-
moved last week. ana while Alaskans do
not know the exact reasons. it is said that
some trouble over a whisky seizure Was
the cause of the removal.
Some go gallons Of whisky consigned
by a Portland liquor firm 10 the collector
OF the port at Skagway was seized by
OConneil on the steamers arrival al Ju-
neau. The captain of the steamer claimed
that the stuff was a. the bottom of tho
hold. and said he would unload il after he
got the Sitka freight out. Before Doug
las island was reached the inspector d-s-
covered that the whisky was not at the
bottom of the hold. and made the captain
put il ashore a; the island. Collector
Ivey was appealed 10 by the owners OF
the whisky, who claimed that /; was to go
through into the Northwest territory. He
ordered the whisky released, but 0connell
did not obey as soon as the collector
thought he should. consequently he was
removed. This is the version of his re-
moval that came down from the north yes
terday
1t is said that O'Connell al first refused
TO surrender the official effects in his pos
session, but later changed his mind and
went out without trouble. The three Off
Gals arrested at Skagway were SIN in pos
session of liberty when tho Humboldt left.
although they had put up nothing III the
shape of bonds The Officers Of the
steamer believe that the visit of OCon-
nell and Collector lvey 70 the states az
this time means that fight il to he made
and defended over the collectorshir of the
Alaskan district OConnell will probably
so to Washington City to commence the
fight