Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-08-09
JAP SEAL RAIDERS
CAPTURED AND SHOT
Five Japanese Killed on Island
of st. Paul.
WERE CAUGHT WHILE AT WORK

Raid in Sealing Waters One of the
Most Serious Since Fishing Laws
Became Effectlve-Raiders Were
Shot Dead.
New York, Aug. 8,-Further details
OF the killing Of five Japanes raiders
in the Pribiloff island Is contained in
dispatch to morning. paper dated
Dutch Harbor, Alaska, July 26, via
Seward, Alaska, Aug. Z, which says;
Five Japanese were shot and killed
on the island of ST. Paul of the Pri-
biloff group by order Of the agent of
the department of commerce and la
bor on July II. as the result of a
raid by four Japanese schooners on
the seal rookeries.
The revenue cutter Mccullough
reached here Tuesday from ST Paul
with II prisoners, two seriously in
jured, who were turned over to Dep
uty Marshal Harmon.
Traders were discovered lying near
Northeast Point, st. Paul, by native
lookouts of the North American Com
mercial company, which leases the
seal privileges from the government.
Word was telephoned from the patrol
station near the rookery for which
the raiders were aiming, and special
Officer Lempke, of the department of
commerce, on duty in the Pribiloff
islands, arrived on the spot as the
Japanese reached shore. He ordered
the boat crew to surrender, which they
did. On climbing the promontory
at the end of the cape overlooking
one of the larger rookeries a schon-
er was seen close inshore. Looking
straight down over the cliff, patrols
saw dozen or more Japs skinning
a number of seal which had been
slaughtered.
The raiders refused to surrender
when ~Lempke reached the scene, and
tried to make off with their booty in
small boats, several of which were
drawn up on shore. The agent then
ordered his guard of natives to open
fire. The Japanese offered no re-
sistance being without firearms
Three of the raiders fell dead on
the beach, a fourth was seen to be
thrown overheard from one of the YES
sells that escaped and a fifth body
drifted ashore later in another boat.
The Japs had killed over 200 seals,
many of them cows. Those who es-
capped carried away about 100 skins
The raid is believed to have been
concerted effort by the Japanese who
have been hanging around the island
for months and giving the revenue
cutter much trouble.
The Tokwa Maru, a schooner, was
Overhauled by the cutter Perry on
July 5, off the New Volcanic island,
which rose near Bogosloff, 40 miles
from here, last March She was
crowded with Japanese, but no seal
skins were found aboard
Suspicious of Captain Dunwoodie,
of the Perry were aroused, and he
preceded to the Probiloffs at once.
The Mccullough reached the islands,
on July 20, and took charge of the
prisoners.
Besides the Tokwa Maru, the schoo-
ner Bosso Maru is known to have
been in the raid last autumn. Japa-
nese were found fishing and trading
with the natives on the island of At
tu and were routed by the Perry.
The raid is the most serious that
has occurred in the troubled history
Of the rookeries. The last attempt to
rifle the island was made about ten
years ago by a schooner flying the
Mexican flag. She was Interested
by a cutter before carrying out her
purpose.
The raid was supposed to have been
planned by Alec Mclean.
The prisoners left on July 25 on
the monthly mail steamer for Valdez,
where the court Of the second judi
ciaI district in which the seal island
lies, sitting in August. The charge
will probably be piracy The depart
ment officials are very reticent about
fhn affair