New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-08-09
NO APOLOGY. NO CLASH.
Japanese Sealers Killed Uvere Tio-
lating the Statutes.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau

tFrom The Tribune E1reauI
Washington. Aug. S.-The killing Of five Isp-
anese pOachers and the taking OF twelve pris-
Oners By Alaskan special policemen under CONF
mand Of Special Agent Lembkey on the island
of St. Paul. PribylOH Islands constituted III,
chief concern Of three executive departments Of
the government to-day
The state Department cabIed the facts as con,
tanned in the report OF Solicitor Sims. TO Anbas-
sadOr Wright Toxic, and also made then,
known to the Japanese charge. Mr.. Nivaoxa-
VINO called at the department for inforuarior,
Ine Department of Commerce and Labor acting
on the suggestion OF Mr. Sims submitted 10 IN,
department of Justice the question whether III,
japanese poachers in the vicinity Of the PribvIor.
AsiahOs could be regarded and treated as pirates.
ana on being informed that they could not de-
termined to take no further steps in the absanc,
Of further information from Alaska br,r dart1ss
IN no way to modify the instructions .unda-
which Special Agent Lembkey and the officers
OF the revenue cutters are acting
Assistant Attorney General Russell searches,
the records. and then gave an opinion that the
poachers could not be treated as pirates The
prisoners taken Will be prosecuted In thu uTnffas
states Court al Valdez. which performs ~.
duties OF both district and circuit courts Th.
prosecution. will charge violation Of rJnita4
States states Revised Statute 1885 rOrbidding thu
kiiilhs OF any fur bearing animal i'm the ALASKAN
Jurisdiction. and prescribing a penaltv- - -
more than $1,000 and not less 4b,, s9oo e.. -
six months imprisonment or bosb to- ,.uor
violation '
The Department of Justice will saa 20 - .z,.
the japanese prisoners have proper counsel =,
ceiehd them. and they will be tried ~ Oh,
earnest feasiDle date. In the Treasury Depart-
ment the revenue cutter service rars,,,a-7 -
SpeOi"I report rrom the commander OF the Nc
CullOch. but that ship will be held in raadinas,
to return to the Pribylof Islands in case ~,
presence is deemed necessary by the Depart-
ment Of Commerce and Labor The Mannqn~
now at Honolulu. seven days distant. viii aIs,
be sent 70 Bering Sea; the Perry. more or Iasz
disabled. is at St. Paul Island and the Fusb =.
In the vicinity. although it is not known ex-
actly where.
Early in the day the Acting Secretary O.,
State prepared his dispatch to AmbaSsador
Wright, which is a close paraphrase Of Solicitor
Sims's dispatch. with the exception Of his sur
gestiOns with regard to piracy
MR. SIMSS DISPATCH.
An official statement Of the Sims's dispatch
was also given out by the State Department az
follows:
Fur seal TOOkeFieS on Saint Paul Island were
raided by the crews OF the Japanese schOOners
on July 10 ana IL About two hundred seals
were killed. but the raiders were eventually re-
pulsed as result of the courageous action OF
Chlef agent Lembkey and Assistant Agent
Judge at the head of a native guard Five
raiders We're killed and twelve captured two
Of the latter being badly wounded Three bOats
and some small arms also were captured Ths
force protecting the rOOkeries suffered no casI1-
alties. The sChOOners were first observed ~,
July 16, and were close to shore easily within
the three mile limit. On this day boat crews
of six men. which had landed at the northeast
point, were surprised and captured by Agent
Lembkey and the native guards without cqs1g--
atty on either side On the morning OF July II
two native watchmen shot and killed two ard
wounded one Of an armed landing party. Crews
OF a schooner under the protection OF a dense
fog. shot seals in water close 70 shore most OF
the day During this time shotgun firing whic,
could easily be heard from shore was frequeus
IL is unknown how many seals were kT1e9 h,
this manner but the number must have been
on evening Of the same day crews OF NJ least
three schOOners made concerted raids on widely
separated rOOkeTies. Raid on Sepandi rOoIxerfe,
was repulSed by native guard after Considerable,
firing Raid on northeast point was DertfaIIx-
!s successIui- . OWNS To dense fog raiders there
were not discovered until nearly two hundred
seals had been killed This raid which vas 80
parenty participated in by an entire shiD's crow
IN hEe boats was repulSed by Agent I.embI-eyr
judge and native force only and three OF raiders
We're killed and five captured Most ~ seaI.
killed ON shore by raiders were pregnant female.
with nursing young. few days old which died Os
starvation. Large proportion Of those killed n,
water also females in search of food for young
Some Of the raiders taken state they are from,
schooner TOyai Maru No. ,. and OF tho
captured boats bore that name other prisoner
states he Is from schooner Mei Nlaru. Uuriu..
he time was on the island SchOOners were fFe-
qtently sighted less than three miles from shore.
1t Is evident that at least eight ten schOOners.
believed to be japanese. sailing in close
proximity To islands The twelve prisoners were
taken On cutter MeCulloeh to Kodiak and after
hearing before commander We're held for jury
and taken in charge by marshal
PECULIAR SITUATION CAUSED.
The delicacy OF the situation is fully ap-
preciated at the state Department 1t is not as
sumed that Japan viii enter any serious pro-
test. In fact. Il is said that she could not wen
do so without taking stand in support os
pOaching. on the other hand. it is appreciated
that American fishermen. from time 10 time
place themselves in the same equivOcaF position
as did the japanese who were killed and can't
ured. and that every argument used 70 justify
che action OF Special Agent Lembkey and hls