The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-09-06
JUSTICE DISPENSED
FLOATING COURT
Revenue Cutter Carries Off,
ciaIs to Try Alaskan
Transgressors.

~OMEWHERE off the Alaskan
- coast at this very moment
~ vessel flying the stars and
stripes is working her way from
port to port dealing out justice to
those accused of breaking the laws Of
the United States. This ship is the
United States revenue cutter Thetis,
and her mission Is hers alone. for no.
where else on any Of the seven seas
can her counterpart be found. In her
Uncle Sam possesses the only floating
court in the world.
Less than quarter of century ago
1t was the wild beast of the bold spirits
who tempted fortune in the Alaskan
ice fields, where there's never law
Of God or man runs north to fifty
threew But today the law reaches
that far-and beyond-and spares no
villages or waste places In so doing.
And this is due in general to the
strong arm Of the government and in
particular to this floating court that
recently set out on her unique cruise.
Once every year, though this is only
the second trip made, a ship Of the
revenue cutter service visits the prin-
cipal ports of Alaska, carrying on
board the court officials from Valdez,
who enforce laws and administer JUS
tice over a territory so scattered that,
but for them, lawlessness might reign
as supreme as in the old days. At
the various points touched rude build
ings or schoolhouses are turned into
impromptu courthouses and justice
meted out. Not infrequently the deck
of the vessel becomes the scene of the
trials of the offenders. In many in
stances those to be tried have been
brought more than hundred miles
to answer their accusers.
Territory Covered.
The territory covered by this floating
court Is known as the third district Of
Alaska and embraces the southwestern
portion Of the country and the Aleu-
tian islands. Courts in the other sec
tions are maintained much as they
are in the states. All cases of grave
nature are tried at Valdez, the head
quarters of the district, and there, too,
are the best equipped jail and the wait
ing court officials. And so it was
that from Valdez the Thetis set sail
on her cruise of justice, which will
last nearly two months. According to
orders, Unalaska was the first port,
then Nushagak, Unga and Kodiak
The presiding officer of the court this
year is Judge Thomas r. Lyons, and
the Theds is commanded by Captain S.
o. Cochran. A prosecuting attorney
for the government and counsel for
the defense are also carried. Four of
the junior officers of the vessel are
sworn in as commissioners and four
special United States deputy mar
shals. The former on the current
cruise are Lieutenant Michael Ryan,
Lieutenant Thaddeus G. Crapester,
Lieutenant Archibald II. Seally and
Lieutenant Edward D. Jones, and the
latter Lieutenant William Williams,
Lieutenant Joseph B. Befee, Lieuten-
ant Roy 2. Munio and Lieutenant John
s. Baylis. Trial is by jury chosen at
the places where the court is held.
The Procedure.
The dates of the court sessions are
of necessity published beforehand.
When the boat arrives an entire day
may be spent in arranging a building
wherein the sessions may be held and
nafi fY,
ting Jurors. Finally court convenes,
and the treadmill of the law runs its
slow but certain course. The law it
self naturally is the law of all other
places over which the stars and stripes
wave.
In Unalaska, where the longer ses-
sions are held, there is girl who acts
as court interpreter. She is a half
breed in our reckoning. Though sep
arated by several thousand miles, a
strange similarity of taste in breaking
the law seems to exist between Alas
ka and Kentucky, for the making of
what in the latter is called "moon-
shine" and in the former "hootchna-
hoo" more commonly "hootch'O Is
one of the offenses that consume a
goodly share of the courts time. And
this year, perhaps for the last time,
Japanese seal poachers will have to be
taught the meaning of Uncle Sans
word "obey." So there is a variety
of the unusual to be dealt with by the
court.
When the little revenue cutter starts
on her cruise she must be prepared to
meet almost any exigency. for, aside
from carrying the court, assisting In
court proceedings and several lesser
details, she will have to bring back to
Valdez for trial all japanese seal
poachers and other offenders condemn
ed to spend terms In either a federal
prison in the states or in the one at
Valdez.
Some Experiences
Lieutenant Frank Austin while serv-
ing once as a deputy marshal was