The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1916-01-26
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 session of court.
writes I'll. S. Farris. There are u few
isolated cases of Alaska natives who
have been bluffed into becoming law
abiding persons after the commission
Of a misdemeanOr, when If they had
been tried and given term in 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 a bad man unexpectedly and ac
cidentally. He suddenly pointed
rifle at small group of his fellows
and let out a yell. His 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 his precinct 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 "gubment
had been considering the appointment
of deputy marshal for this section oi
Alaska. but the 'gubment" moves
slowly. and as yet no deputy had been
named.
So every day it was necessary for
this wild native to make II demonstra
ton before one or more members of
the little tribe. 1t amused him. and
besides. it was profitable. He woulG
suddenly appear in the home of one OF
his neighbors. brandish IL knife or
gun, emit one terrifying ''whoopee"
and the field was his. He would then
take any article of furniture or any
thing in the way Of provisions that
suited his fancy or appetite. after
til the next outbreak.
At times they uttered feeble pro
tests II think maybe judge come
back pretty quick: maybe you ketchum
it."
To which the wild one asserted. I'm
jun no 'fraid judge. no fraid marshal
no 'fraid 'skookum house" GALL.
At last the news came to the village
that the commissioner had returned
and was now ut his headquarters
twelve miles down the river. So that
night some Of the braveSt 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 il sleeping bag. truSSed
as he was. and Sledded to the mining
camp where the commissioner was 10
Gated.
A committee of three natives waited
ON the commissioner at his Office that
afternoon and explained the situation
Among other things their spokesman
stated that this Iniun talk. no 'fraid
Judge no 'fraid marshal. no fraid
'skookum house, that's whatsemat
teri"
The commissioner went at once to
the house where the bad Injun had
been taken The native lay on carl
bou skin i'm the middle of the room.
bound hand and foot. while around the
room were squatted some fifty mem
bers of two neighboring 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 had 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 'frafd
skookum house?''
All was perfectly quiet. The eyes of
the natives were centered on the two
men in the middle of the room. For
almost a minute the two men looked
each other in the eve. but at last the
bad man wilted His eyes fell. and he
stood like small boy caught in some
mischief YES me 'fraid" he said
Case and Comment