The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-09-24
TANNING A BAD MAN
With a Passing Glimpse of Native
Life In Alaska.
AN INDIAN WHO WENT WRONG

In the Absence of Uncle Sans Com
missioner He Cut Loose and Terror
lied His Tribe, and Then the Judge
Returned-The Meeting and Result
There are precincts in Alaska with Il
large native population where 1t is
policy to try case at times without
actually having a session of court.
writes II. S. Farris There are a few
isolated cases of Alaska natives who
have been buffed into becoming law
abiding persons after the commission
of a misdemeanor, when If they had
been tried and given term III jail
they would have become confirmed jail
birds.
A good illustration of this is the case
of native in one of the small interior
towns. Now, most Alaska Indians are
tame-very tame-and this fellow be-
came bad man unexpectedly and ac'
cidentally. He suddenly pointed a
rifle at a small group of his fellows
and let out yell Els act struck ter
ror in the breasts of all the tribe, which
was much TO his liking.
This native knew that the commits
sioner for bis precinct had gone to
Seattle. and 'going, to Seattle" means.
to the Alaska native. rll' or any part
of the universe outside the boundaries
of the territory. Also the "gubment"
had been considering the appointment
OF deputy marshal for this section OF
Alaska, hut the "gubment'' moves
slowly and as yet no deputy had been
named.
SO every GHy it was necessary for
this wild native TO make Il demonstra-
ton before one or more members of
the little tribe. 1t amused him. and
besides, It was profitable. He would
suddenly appear in the home of one of
his ncighhors. brandish n knife or
gun, emit one terrifying "whoopee"
and the Geld was his, He would then
take any article of furniture or any
thing in the way of provisions that
, suited ibis fancy or appetite, after
which the village would be normal un-
til the next OH threak..
At, times they uttered feeble pro
! texts. II think maybe judge come
back pretty, quick; maybe you ketchum
'ft" iAlAsA Ssgi
10, which the Wild one asserted. In
Jun no lfraid judge, no 'fraid marshal.
no 'fraid 'skookum house" daiD.
v AT last the news eaaic to the village
that the commissioner had returned
and .was now at his headquarters,
twelve miles down the river. So that
night of the brayest Of the braves
slipped quietly into the bad mans cab
In, and before the enemy had recovered
from his Surprise he was tied hand
and foot. The following morning he
was placed in sleeping bag, trussed
as he was. and sedded to the mining
camp where the commissioner was To-
Gated.
n a committee of three natives waited
on the commissioner at his office that
Afternoon and explained the situation.
aniohg OTTER things their spokesman
HlotGu Nll4H tdlh' iiO iAd4h
judge, no 'fraid marshal, no 'fraid
'skookum house, that's whatsemat-
teri"
The commissioner went ut once to
the house where the bad lnjun had
been taken. The native lay on a carl
bou skin in the middle of the room.
bound hand ana foot, while around the
room were squatted some fifty mem
bers of two ncighboring tribes. All
awaited the trial" with much interest
and anticipation.
The commissioner ordered the native
released. One fellow produced knife.
cut the bonds and assisted the bad one
to his feet.
There were only two ways out. The
native must be jailed or bluffed into
being good AS the natives family
must be provided for, the latter course
was adopted. The commissioner step
ped close to the bad man, looked him
in the eye and asked, You no 'fraid
judge, no 'fraid marshal, no 'fraid
skoolum house? Fl
All was perfectly quiet. The eyes of
the natives were centered on the two
men in the middle of the room. For
almost minute the two men looked
each other in the eye. but at last the
bad man wited. His eyes fell, ifid he
stood like a small boy caught in some
mischief. Yes, me 'fraid," he said
Case and Comment.