Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-13
CUTTER IS
VERY UNIQUE COURT
Sturdy Little Ship Leaves Once a
Year for Far North to Hear
Grievances Of People.

Washington, June l3. - Unique
among the chancellories of the earth,
is the cabin'court of the United States
revenue cutter, Thetic. Once a year
this sturdy little ship is sent far into
the frozen north where the Eslimos,
miners, traders, fishermen and others,
may air their grievances before a rep.
resentative of Uncle Sam s judiciary.
Under the northern lights and the
midnight sun, in the cabin of the The.
tic, these people bring their Difficult.
ties and legal tangles to be unraveled.
The Thetic 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
today signed orders which designate
the Thetis to open court for the third
judicial district, embracing the Bering
sea islands and Alaskan ports, Valdez,
July 10. On board will be Judge Peter
D. 0verfield, selected by Attorney
General McReynolds to preside and his
assistants, Lieutenants Frank l.. Aus
tin, Charles F. Setter and Warner X,
Thompson, Of the Revenue Cutter Serv.
ice. During the court g session these
men will be United States commits
sioners. Lieutenants Thomas A. Shan
ley, Clarence II, Dench and Stephen
S. Yeandle will assist in the capacity
of deputy United States marshals.
The difficulties that beset the Off
cials Of the floating court are many
and varied. There are no police in
that country. When an offender hears
that the Thetis has reached port he
generally takes to the hills and the
officers of thecourt generally pursue.
Frequently they are captured and pro.
secuted, but often they are able to
evade the officers by remaining in con-
cealment until word is received that
the court has sailed. Officials of the
Revenue Cutter service in Washington
who have served in judicial capacities
aboard the Thetis say that n general
exodus of natives to the interior com
mences every time the ship touches
at Point Barrow, Port Clarence, or any
other of the principal ports of the far
north.
Under the Eskimo laws It is the Gus.
tom for parents to maintain control
of their children even after they are
married Consequently, the number Of
divorce cases and domestic quarrela
that are heard every year is astound.
ing. Mothers who are dissatisfied with
their daughers' husbands or their
sons brides bring their troubles be.
fore the presiding Judge. OF course
the wives and husbands themselves are
given equal privileges.
Once upon time, it appears in the
Thetis' docket, there lived in a little
village on st. Lawrence Island an Eski.
mo famed for his strength and prowess,
who stole another Eskimo's wife. The
wife stealer had swiped other wives
and had made it hot for the bereaved
husbands who tried to get their mates
back This Eskimo, realizing his ply.
steal weakness, and not wishing to suf.
fer bodily harm through any attempt
to recover mere wife waited until
the Thetis touched port with the court
aboard, and asked justice. Captain
Henderson, at that time in command
Of the ship, put ashore to arrest the
wife stealer, but that worthy had taken
to the hills and could not be found.
But st. Lawrence island has never
again been troubled by his deproda.
tiona.
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