The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-30
WAS KILLED IN ALASKA
A Butte Man Meets Death in a
Mine in the Gold Fields.
DUNN SERIOUSLY INJURED
He Was an Ex-Resident of Anaconda.
Story of the Smugglers Who Had a
Coffin Full of Whiskey-Their
Trick Didn't Work

The Evening Record, which was the
only newspaper published for some
time in Alaska, has just suspended
publication. 1t has been replaced by
the Daily Alaska Dispatch. This sheet
is very newsy and we'll written. 1t is
published by Ed c. Russell. In its last
issue it contained the news of the death
Of one Montana man, an ex-resident of
Butte, Charles Patterson, and the seri-
Gus accident in which Charles A.
Dunn, an eX-resident of Anaconda, was
the victim. The report of the death
and the accident is as follows:
1.-The dangers of Yukon creek mining
are well illustrated by the death of
Charles Patterson, on claim so below,
on Bonanza creek. He descended into
the shaft early in the morning to in
spect the effects of the nights fire The
fire had thaWed much more than usual,
and the dirt had not frozen solidly. He
was leaning over when the earth caved
in. His skull and many bones were
broken by the gravel
Charles A. Dunn, While at work on
No. 26 above, on Ell Dorado creek, cut
one of his legs to the bone. He was at
the bottom of the prospect shaft, and
displayed his nerve by climbing out.
With blood gushing from the deep
wound at every step, he climbed the
20-foot ladder and fell fainting at the
feet of his partner, who was working
the windlass. He will recover.
Smart smuggers were neatly trap
ped by smarter custom house men last
night and a lot of whiskey bound for
Alaska will never reach its destina-
ton.
THE custom house inspectors not
only captured the whiskey, but, they
came within an ace of taking the whole
jackpot with the smugglers in it.
Under the law of the present day
the man caught attempting to SNUG
gle is open to conviction and heavy
penalty.
The interesting part of the seizure
lies in the fact that the whiskey was
neatly stored and packed in coffin.
The smugglers had a mythical dead
friend away out on Unga island, which
is one of the Aleutian chain that pro-
trudes across nearly to Japan. Unga
is, however. part of Alaska. and when
the lynN-eyed inspectors, Delaney and
Latimer spied the coffin and read
its destination, they did not smell
whiskey, but they thought they did.
THE coffin was on the Commercial
dock and was to go out on the steam
ship Excelsior. which sailed last night
for the Copper river country. From
Copper river it would have been nee
essary to transfer the coffin to one of
the Alaska Commercial companys
steamers to be taken on westward.
Seeing the coffin, the inspectors remov-
ed it to the dock and opened it up.
Ii was nicely stored with many dozen
bottles of case whiskey of a very
choice brand. During the time the
inspectors were at work at this one
of the smugglers was standing guard
not far away. The inspectors were
pretty sure of the man, but had no
conclusive evidence. He vanished just
before the Whiskey came into sight.
The inspectors nailed up the coffin with
the whiskey in it and laid a trap for
the smugglers to fall into. They would
not fall, but they could not stay off
the dock. The one who had been on
guard appeared in a different hat and
otherwise disguised and preached a
question to Inspector Latimer.
" Did you get the whiskey? he in
qulred. very innocently.
What whislSey?' asked Latimer.
"'Oh. the whiskey in the coffin
No; we got no Whiskey.'
THE smugglers left soon and the
inspector seeing the game played as
seized the whiskey. The coffin did not
go and the mythical dead friend on
Unga island will pine many a long
day yet for his coffin"