The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-01
FITCH WANTS
MARCUS ISLAND
Former Salt Laker Involved in
international Affair.
CLAIMS THE OWNERSHIP
STRANGE STORY OF SOME OCEAN
GAMBLERS.
Especial 70 The Herald.O

lawyer, a professional orator, a
politician and a chronic Office
seeker on the mainland, Tom Fitch, the
"siIver-tOngued orator" has become the
part owner Of a Pacific island during
his brief career in Honolulu, and, If the
expectations of the colonel and his as
-sociates are only partially realized, ne
will attain his greatest ambition, that
of becoming a millionaire. 1t is more
than probable, however, that Colonel
Fitch and his company of Honolulu
capitalists will have to ask the aid OF
several American men-Of-War TO put
them in possession of their island, for
the place is now reported to be in the
hands of a number of japanese who
propose 70 resist any encroachments-
Marcus island Is the name of Fitch's
island, and behind his interest in the
place is quite an interesting story.
The island is not more than about
four miles long and two miles wide. Il
is situated about 2.SG0 miles due west
from Honolulu, about 900 miles south
| east of Yokohama. and perhaps the
same distance from the island of Guam.
Marcus island is valuable on account
of the supposed rich deposits of phos-
| pilates ana guanO- which are on the
place. 1t was discovered about 1882 by
the captain Of a missionary packet who
was cruising in those waters, en- route
| to America Although he went within
| four miles of the place, he did not
| bother to land and investigate the ap-
pearance of the island. and it remained
| for Captain A A Rosehill, the master
| of another missionary schooner, to
seize the island in the name of the
| United States. This seizure was made
| about five years after the island was
| first reported. ROsehiil explored the
! island and found it to be rich in de-
posits of phosphates and guano- He
raised the American flag by mailing it
I high and fast to a coco2nut tree, and,
after erecting a hut left a South Sea
/ island couple behind to protect his
/ interests Subsequently. this couple
/ left the island RosehiU reported his
/ seizure of the island to the United
Estates authorities as soon as he ar
rived at San Francisco from his voy-
| age. He laid claim to the title OF the
island. but. although the United States
accepted the sovereignty of what Rose
hill had forced upon them. the state
! department was apparently loath TO
acknowledge his title to the island The
matter hung fire for some years and il
was not is2til- Rosehill had enlisted the
| aid of w C Peacock a local capital
ist. and Tom Fitch, that the title was
! finally secured
Story Captivated Peacock.
| Peacock, who is a very wealthy man
maritime gambler, was fascinated with
/ RosehilPs account of the wealth OF
| guano on Marcus island Before an
! outfit could be sent for the stuff, how
ever. RosehilPs title would first have
| to be secured. Peacock looked about
for some one to assist him in securing
! RosehiIFs right, and he selected Tom
! Fitch, who had been practicing law for
about fifteen months in Honolulu Like
| his patron. Fitch became enthusiastic
! over the prospect Of growing wealthy
| from the unknown riches OF Marcus
I island. and he prosecuted the claim Of
/ Rosehill with unusual vigoF. For some
| months correspondence was kept up be-
/ tween Fitch in Honolulu and the state
I department at Washington The at
I torney presented the claim and proofs
of RosehiIl's seizure of the island. Sec
rotary of State Hay finally sent the pc
| titioner full and complete title to Mar
Gus island so when King Rosehill was
crowned, the attorney, Tom Fitch, be
came the prime minister of the new
kingdom
Once the title had been secured, Pea
cock then came forward with the cash
to outfit the expedition. Just what
proportion Fitch received for his part
in the matter is not positively known.
but it is said that he controls at least
a quarter of the stock of the new Mar
Gus Island GuanO company. ROsehlll
went to San Francisco. purchased a
/ schooner named the Julia Z. Whalen
of about ninety tons burden. and re-
! turned to Honolulu this month to make
final preparations for QUILTING for the
Marcus island voyage. On July 10 the
vessel sailed from Honolulu for Mar
Gus island with thirteen people aboard.
among them being representative Of
the Bishop museum, the local scientific
institution. who was sent to study the
fauna of Marcus island At the time
the vessel departed. it was announced
by Colonel Fitch and Peacock that She
would probably make the round trip OF
$500 miles in four months
Wanted a Cable.
Efforts were also made to induce the
Pacific Commercial Gable company,
which is about to lay a cable from San
Francisco to Manila via Honolulu.
Midway island and Guam, to touch at
Marcus island, the company offering to
take a representative Of the cable com
pany along on the expedition The Of
fer was not ffavorably received, how
ever.
Indeed, had the cable company sent
a special representative along with the
expedition. he would in all probability
| have found his time wasted, for IL IS
believed by Captain Rosehin and many
others that the party VIII not be per-
mitted to land and that before Colonel
Fitch ct al come into possession Of
their island an international cOntrOver-
sy between Japan and the United
States viii ensue-
When RosehiIl was in San Francisco
Quitting his schooner he received the
most diSquieting information rega riding
the island. An officer who had served
on the army transport Sheridan told
Captain ROsehiH that some time about
April OF last year the captain OF the
Sheridan, happening to find his vessel
! in the vicinity Of Marcus island, de-
cided TO stop OF at that island for the
: purpose Of regulating his navigating
: instruments. as the island was fixed
spot in the ocean and the correct lon
: gitude and latitude could De secured
The captain accompanied by a few
men. went ashore in a small boat 10
the establishment OF the crowd, they
} were met on the beach by about
twenty-five japanese, some OF whom
were armed with rifles The japanese
made such a hostile demonstration that
some of the people in the boat sug-
gested returning TO the transport for
more men. The japanese acted as il
they intended using the rifles on the