The Washington times., 1904-06-26
Only Representative Of
United States on 1900
Miles of Coast.
ESkimoS Give Officers of
Cutter Almost I'M
pIicit Obedience.

many problems which tho Government
at Washington has to face, in connec-
ton with the administration of affairs
in its colonial dependencies. There is
a sea-coast up there, nearly three thou
sand miles in extent, TO patrol; there
is small group OF industries which yet
represents the only means OF livelihood |
10 a great number Of people. to pro- |
tect from pfratical encroachments; there |
is this number Of people, whose lives !
are made up OF interests foreign TO our
understanding, over whom the United
States pretends TO stretch the strong
arm of government and spread the bless
ings Of civilization and refinement.
Tucked away in a small corner of the
Treasury Department is a division called
the Bureau of the United States Reve-
nun Cutter Service. In view of the task
that is involved in policing the
enormous coast of this country. the re-
suits Of the work of that division are
almost marvellous. To inquire what is
expected Of a single cutter along a
coast like that Of Alaska brings out a
list OF duties TO perform and RESPONSE
bilities 10 incur that makes one wonder
how the department can induce men to
become officers in the service.
There has recently returned from ac-
tice service on the Fear the only cut
ter detailed TO the Alaskan division.
Lieut.. a. c. Norman. Years spent in
that frozen country give Lieutenant Nor
man the ability as well as the authority
TO speak of the conditions that prevail
up there. Here are some stories he tells
of the country far beyond Nome and
Dawson. and Forty Mile:
A Trial by Proxy.
1T was in TIE winter Of 'Oi-'O2 that
the revenue cutter Bear began its an
nual cruise off the coast of Alaska:
Captain futile was commanding. Lieu
tenant Bertholf was the navigating Of
fcer, and l was member Of the ward
room mess. We cruised UP and down
the coast that season and at last an
chored off Cape Blossom. in Kotzbue
Sound. There Captain Tuttle had been
instructed to land and secure the arrest
Of an Eskimo who was accused of the
murder Of two white men. The latter,
John Richards and Clay Stevenson, in
company with a companion whose name
was Treveiyan. had left Cape Blossom
q year before and had not been seen
since But the rumor had been insist
ent and il had declared that Richards
and Stevenson had met their deaths at
the hands of an Eskimo named Slzoloff.
They had heard it the year before.
when the Bear was in this region, but
81 Skoloff had not appeared. This year
he did. surrendered himself and declar-
ed that he desired a trial.
Captain Tuttle. commanding the
Bear. had been appointed United States
Commissioner for a somewhat indetcrmi-
nate territory. At this point 1t REQUIRED
about ten miles Of arduous travel
through the surf to reach the land; it
was necessary. on account of the Pc
culiaritles OF the coast, for the vessel
to anchor at that distance from shore
Captain Tuttle did not care TO leave
his ship at this distance from land and
he directed Lieutenant Bertholf to make
the Investigations into the homicide that
the circumstances required
Bertholf Was the Deputy.
''Bertholf. who may be remembered
as the hero OF an expedition to save
stranded whalers. which brought him a
medal Of honor and a vote % thanks by
Congress. was quite content with the
task TO which he had been assigned. He
made the trip through the surf, landed.
and seated himself upon a log, with all
the dignity he could summon 20 invest
the occasion. The accused vas brought
before him, and around him were gath
cred some hundreds Of the natives OF
the Cape.
IAN immensely tall Eskimo was sum
moned 10 act a. interpreter. and Skolon
was called upon to tell his story. lie
said that he had seen the two men. he
was accused Of killing, murder their
comrade. Treyelyan. Trevelyan had
been attacked as he slept and shot to
death without a moments opportunity
OF making defense. The murder was
witnessed by Skoloff and his son, a
twelve-year-old boy. who CHANGED TO be
passing at the time.
''Skolon declared that Richards and
Stevenson had been bitterly antagnnistic
20 him from that time on. and had lost
no opportunity Of making his life miser-
able. He said he had passed their shack
with his boy and that the arrival had
been the signal OF an armed attack.
made upon him by both men. they
shot at him. he declared, with rifles and
revolvers. and he returned the fire.. us
ing a Winchester rife. which he CHANGED
70 be carrying at the time"
q" I no killee them said Skolon. they
killee me 1 shoot: I kill
Verdict of Not Guilty.
'It took Lieutenant Bertholf an hour
OF more 20 wiring the truth from the
Eskimos who knew the facts. hut he
SSA~A~N~A a. Ae1N SAAsll DhoAolA lHQ acted
entirely IN self-defense. He had not a
single attribute of authority, nor a
single strand OF law on his side, but
that did not WORRY him. He knew that
he represented authority and law TO the
Eskimos and he was determined TO play
the part. Don't you do this thing aeain,
Skolon,' he said. Tn going 10 let you
loose this time, because think you act
ed in self-defense, but IL / ever hear OF
you shooting any white men again ;Acre
Is going 70 be trouble. II anybody shoots
your boy, you tell about II 10 the cap
tain Of the Bear. He'll fix II. We win
look after these little matters ourselves
That's the way things were done out
in Alaska" said Norman.
AT Point Barrow, the northernmOst
part Of Alaska, he continued, Il ran
across another story OF the crude AMI
casual fashion In which la Is adufufs-