Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-06-14
UNITED STATES
FLOATING COURT
COURT WHERE THE JUDGES SAIL
ON THEIR ANNUAL CIRCUITS.
AND DECIDE CASES By LIGHT
OF MIDNIGHT Sun.
DEALS WITH OFFFNSES AGAINST
SEALING AND FISHING LAWS
in WATERS OF ALASKA AND
ARCTIC OCEAN.


Washington, June II. Unique
among the chanccllorics of the earth il
the cabin court of the United States
revenue cutter Thctis Once year this
sturdy little ship is sent far into the
frozen north where the Eskimos. miners.
traders. fishermen and others. may air
their grievances before representative
Of Unc.c Sans judiciary.
Under the northern lights and the
midnight sun. in the cabin % the ThctiS,
these people bring their difficulties and
legal tanelcs to DC unravclcd. The The
It's has gained the title of the Floating
court Of the rough Alaskan seas" and
among the outlaws it is known as the
Terror,
Secretary of the Treasury McAdOO to-
day signed orders which designate the
Thetis 10 open court for the third judi
cial district. embracing the Bcring sea
islands and Alaskan ports, at Valdez.
July Is. On board will be Judge Peter
d. Ovcrficld selected by Attorney Gen
eral McRcynolds to preside and his as
sistants. Licuts Frank L. Austin. Chas.
+. Setter and Warner X. Thompson.
Of the revenue cutter service During
the courts session these men Will be
United States commissioners. LicutS
ThOS. A. Shan'ey. Clarence ii. Dench
and stephen :. Yeandle will assist i'll
the capacity of Deputy United States
MarShalS
The difficulties that bcSct the officials
of the floating court are many and varied.
There are no police in that country.
When an offender hears that the Thctis
has reached pert he generally takes to
the hills and the officers Of the court
generally pursue. Frequently they are
captured and prosecuted but often they
are able to cvadc the officers by remain
ing in c0nccalmcnt until word is rccciv-
ed that the court has sailed. Officials
of the Revenue Cutter service in Wash
ington who have served in judicial cap
acitieS aboard the ThetS say that a
etlltTdl cAOuu> ~ natives ~ tnc lHttTlbT
commences every time the ship touches
at Point Barrow. Poin Clarence or any
other of the principal ports Of the far
north.
Under the Eskimo laws il is the Gus
tom for parents To maintain control of
their children even after they are mar
ried. Consequently. the number Of Iii
vorcc eases and domestic quarrelS that
are heard every year is astounding. Mo
theirs who are dissatisfied with their
daughters husbands or their sons. brides
bring their troubles before the residing
Judge Of Course the wives and husbands
are given equal privileges.
Once upon i time, is appears in the
ThctiS' docket. there lived in Il little vii
age on st. Lawrence Island and Eskimo
fomcd for his strength and prowcSS who
stole another Eskimo'S wife The wife
Stcalcr had Swipcd other wifcS and had
made il hot for the bercavcd husbands
who tried to get their mates back. This
Eskimo, realizing his physical weakness.
and not wishing To suffer bodily harm
through and attempt to recover mere
wife waited until the ThctiS touched port
with the court aboard. and asked puS-
ticc. Captain Henderson. 1T that time in
command of the ship. put ashore to ar
rest the wife Stcalcr but that worthy had
taken tO the hills and could not be found.
But st. Lawrence Island has never again
been troubled by his dcprcdationS.
COMMITTED CAIODADIC