Arizona republican., 1910-02-02
| CANADIAN OFFICER
 \ RESIDENT OF PHOENIX
MAJOR WOOD OF THE MOUNTED
 POLICE.
The Emieation of W. F. Semp'e From the Yukon District.

Major z T. Wood, commanding lhe Canadian mounted police for the fu- kon district. who has been spending the winter here with his family, has been so greatly benefited by the climate that he is desirous of remain ing until late in the spring. But he IS engaged in correspondence with the Dominion authorities. Major and Mrs Wood have for some time been occu- pying q house in the northern part of the city.
 Though m officer of inc Canadian government. Major Wood comes of good United States stock. He is a grandson of President Zachary Fay Tor. He has been connected with the mounted police for many years and the police of the Yukon district is regard ed as the most active unit of the mounted police system. And this sys- tenn which the British maintain in all their dependencies is regarded as the most effective police organization in the world
 Major Wood was pleased to meet here an old acquaintance of the Yukon, IT J. Sparks. the inning man. who joined the first gold rush to that coun- try. Speaking of the efficiency of the Yukon mounted police. it is said that only one law breaker has ever escaped it's vigilance and that one is w. F. Semple, who was engaged in lurid jurnalistic endeavor in Douglas and Globe for several years. He is now the automobile editor of the Los An geles Herald With the connivance of Mir. Sparks he escaped from the Yukon in the late '90s. Major Wood, speaking to NIT. Sparks of the aid he had given Semple in his flight to the United States. said that the Dominion govern ment held it against him no longer. He believed that Mir Sparks had con- tributed to an elevation of the average citizenship in the Yukon by facilitating the flight of Semple.
 Semple was conducting a paper called the Dawson News and was backed in the enterprise by MT. Sparks. One day Semple published some char acteristic comments on the judiciary of that district. A little criticism of the courts of Canada goes much farther in that country than in this and Semple was haled for contempt. MT Sparks, aware of the temper of the particular judge and of the sacred ness of all Dominion courts, estimated that the fine of Semple would be in the neighborheod of 5000. He gave Semple that much to meet it. The court. however. decided to keep with in what he surmised was Semple's means and imposed fine of Sl,000. He was plainly amazed when Semple skinned off a thousand dollars from sion on it; he seemed vexed at having made such bad guess.
 Inflamed by strong drink Semple concocted some more comments for the next issue of the News. which was weekly journal. He attacked the en- tire British system from Queen Vic toria down to the janitor of the court house. where he had been fined. and he devoted himself with particular em- phasis to the judge who had so wildly guessed his wealth
 MT. Sparks happened to be out of town when the News appeared. but q messenger took him q copy of the pa per and he hurried back in search of Semple, whom he found at one of the numerous bars with which Dawson abounded, glorying in his assault upon the British empire, and in the way he had made monkey of the immediate representative of its judicial system.
 It was with difficulty that Mir Sparks inspired him with q sense of his danger nf being hanged. drawn and quartered But the impression was finally made and Semple eagerly con sented to return to the United States Mir. Sparks had the best dog team in the Yukon. He turned that over to Semple, who was to leave 1t at the nearest point after crossing the Alas kan line. Mir. Sparks also supplied him with money and Semple started. All dog team records were eclipsed on that journey. He made no stops except to cut the telegraph wire at frequent in- tervals along the trail
 In due time the dog team was re- turned to Dawson. but MT Sparks heard no more of Semple until a half dozen years ago. when mining business brought him to AriZ0na
 A man by the name of Semple was running a paper at Douglas and was engaged in war with the Kellys and their allied corporate interests
 The style of the discussion identified the rooster as the Semple who had evacuated the Yukon. Mir. Sparks and Semple soon after met in Phoenix when Semple dwelt with enthusiasm upon the climate, social and political advantages of Arizona over the Yukon country.