Iditarod pioneer., 1915-07-31
ALASKA INDIAN STORY
 BY WAY OF NEW YORK

There are precincts in Alaska With large
 native population where it is a policy to try
 case at times without actually having a
 session of the court, writes H. $. Farrls Tn
 the June Case and Comment. There are d
 few isolated cases of Alaska natives who have been blutfed into becoming law abiding persons after the commission of ml>de- meanor, when if they had been tried and
 given term in jail they would have be-
 come confirmed Jail birds.
 A good illustration of this IS the case ot
 a native in one of the small mterlJr towns. Now most Alaska Indians are tame very 1 tame; and this fellow became bad man, unexpectedly and accidentally. He suddenly polnted a rife at small group ot his tel | lows and let out yell. His act struck ter TOT in the breasts of all the tribe, which was much to his liking. This native knew that the commissioner for his preclnct had
 gone to Seattle, and going to Seattle means to the Alaska native, all or any part of the universe outside the boundaries
 of the territory Also the "gub'ment' had
 been considering the appointment of dep uty marshal for this section of Alaska, but the "guD' ment" moves slowly, and as yet no deputy had been named.
 90 every udS IL w Iho IuHlOAlIaiJ AOl 'h4iH
 wild native to make demonstration before
 one or more members Of the little tribe It
 amused him, and, besides, 1t was profitable.
 He would suddenly appear ln the home ot one of his nelghbOrs, brandlsh knife or
 gun, emit one terrifying 'whoop-ee, and the field was his He would then take any article of furniture or anything Tn the way of provisions that suited his fancy or appe- tite after which the village would be normal
 until the next outbreak.
 At times they uttered feeble protests. Il think maybe judge come back pretty quick i;
 maybe you ketchum he'll
 10 which the wild one asserted, 'lnJun
 no 'fraid judge, no 'fraid marshal, no fraid 'skookum house" GaiD
 At last the news came to the village that the commissioner had returned and was now at his headquarters twelve miles down the river. So that night some of the bravest
 of the brave slipped quietly into his cabin and before the enemy had recovered from his surprise he was tied hand and foot. The following morning he was placed in sleep ing bag, trussed as he was, and sledded to the mining camp, where the commissioner
 was located,
 A committee of three natives waited on the commissioner at his office that after noon and explained the situation. Among other things their spokesman stated that
 ''this Injun talk, no 'fraid judge, no 'fraid marshal, no 'fraid 'skookum house; that's whatsematter.
 The commissioner went at once to the house where the bad Indian had been taken
 The native lay on a caribou skin in the middle of the room, bound hand and foot while around the room were squatted some fifty members of two nelghborlng tribes All awaited the ''trial' with much interest
 and anticipation.
 The commissioner ordered the native re- leased. One fellow produced knife, cut the bonds and assisted the bad one to his feet.
 There were only two ways out. The na- tive must be jailed or bluffed into being good. As the natives family must be pro vided for the latter course was adopted
 The commissioner stepped close to the bad man, looked him in the eye and asked :;
 "You no 'fraid judge, no 'fraid marshal no frad 'skookum house? 2"
 All was perfectly quiet The eyes of the natives were centered on the two men In the middle of the room. For almost mln-
 ute the two men looked each other in the eve, but at last the bad man wilted His eyes fell, and he stood like a small bcy caught in some mischief. "4es, me frald, he said