The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-06-24
The Long Arm of
the Law Reaches
Into the Arctic
Because an Eskimo Slew Two, That
He Might Possess An0ther's Wife,
a Sergeant of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police Travelled $500
Miles in Pursuit of the Murderer.

From the Kansas City Star.
The fiction reader has long been
familiar with the reputation Canada's
mounted police has for getting its
man. The best seller and the feature
picture make of it is difficult to forget
the fact. And the deeds that are re-
lated SAVIOR frequently of the impos-
sible; they are too palpably the crea-
ton of the author. Yet the following,
reprinted from the Manitoba Free
Press. tells the story of the hunt for
murderer that testifies to the just
+ ly celebrated reputation of Canada s
long arm of the law.
Here is the strange story Of the
Eskimo of Shi-ko] ig-you-ak- the lake
out of which the ice never goes-the
tale Of Ou-wank-wa-k, who slew Are
cum-eik and Ou-luk-ou-lak, in order
that Cu-neuit, the wife of Ale-cum-elk,
might become the wife of Ou-wang-wa-
k, whose wife was not yet grown, be-
ing only II years old.
The tale of Ou-wang-wa-k Is the tale
OF Sergt. W. O. Douglas of the royal
mounted police, who went last Christ
mas to spend Yuletide at Chesterfield
Inlet, for the factor was the nearest
white neighbor of the police officer.
who for four years had been on duty at
the lonely Fullerton post. The SER
geant found q message awaiting him
on his arrival at Chesterfield, letter
/ from the Hudson Bay Company's
agent at Baker Lake, to whom had
been told strange story of an Eskimo
who had slain two of his fellow ma
tives in settlement several hundred
miles south of Baker Lake.
Could Not Obtain Guides.
Sergeant Douglas set out for Baker
Lake New Years day, covering the
210 miles in eight days. AT Baker
Lake, he sought guides to take him
south to Shi-ko-ligyou-ak, but not a
native would move on such quest
Ou-wang-wa-k, knowing even in the
wilds of the barren lands that sooner
or later the white man would call him
TO account, had threatened the people
Of his tribe with death should any
guide the white man down to the lake
frem which the ice never goes. The
threat was effective, for it took days
before Douglas finally got six natives
to guide him part Of the way south. He
did not need six, but no native would
travel with any less number.
With three dog teams Douglas start
ed out. For four days the dog train
travelled south, until they came to an
Eskimo camp. On approaching the
camp and guides stopped and refused
to 20 farther Finally an Eskimo came
out from the group of igloos and, on
his nearing the group, one of the
guides discovered the native to be his
brother-in-law. Rapid exchanges fol
lowed when the newcomer told Doug
las that Ou-wang-wa-k had threatened
to kill the white man who would take
him. Hearing this repetition of the
threat which had, been borne to them
before. the native guides refused
pointblank to proceed farther.
I For a whole day Douglass argued
with his guides. Ou-wang-wa-k's camp
was four days journey farther south,
but about two days journey further on
there was a camp of an antikoot, a
head man of his tribe. and finally the
guides consented to so. with Douglas
as far as the antikoot's camp. The
train again started south, and the old
antikoots camp was duly reached.
The aged native came out to meet the
party. He told Douglas where Ou-
wangwa-k was, but repeated the lat
ter's threat against the white man and
added that Ou-wang-w wax also threat
ened TO kill the natives who guided
him. This finished the trip so far as
the guides were concerned. Nothing
could induce them to move a step far
Their The chief himself also refused
to take Douglas to Ou-wang- wax s
camp, but after considerable argument
. he consented to carry a message from
Douglas to Ou-wang-wa-k This mes
sage was to the effect that the white
man wanted 10 see Ou-wang-wa-k and
that the white man would not kiln Gu
wang-wa-k If he behaved himself.
The next morning the chief started
off, with the added comment from
Douglas that if he did not return with.
in three days Douglas would start out
alone, and following the chiefs tracks
come to Ou-wang-wa-k's place.
officer Goes on Alone.
The three days passed and the chief
had not returned, so Douglas started
off, alone, and without single guide.
He left camp at dawn and with a
fast team Of dogs travelled hard, SO
t that before dark he saw a camp OF
! igloos. Leaving his, dogs, he entered
the first igloo and found within it the
old antikoot and several natives, one
OF them being the man he had Travelled
4 five hundred miles to find.
Ouwang-wa-k offered no resistance
Douglas told him he would not kill
i him II he behaved himself Ou-wang
walk, however, looked farther ahead
and asked IL the white man would kill
him after he was taken outside. >
| Douglas could not say anything as tc
this, for Ou-wang-wa-k was charged
with murder, but he said that in any
event u-wang-wa-k must come and
see the big white chief Ou-wang-wa-h
came. North to Baker Lake, east tc
Chesterfield Inlet. north to Fullerton
south to Port Nelson, and still further
south to civilization Sergeant Douglas
took his prisoner After Ou-wang
wax had been given his preliminary
hearing at The Pas and after lodged Ia
the jail at Dauphin, Douglas had trav
eled more than twenty-eight hundred
miles. The arm of the royal Canadian
mounted police. which is the arm OF
the law, is long, but its grasp is firm
and sure.
|, IL is unlikely that Ou-wang- /
will die in the hot Manitoba summer
If kept in jail So II is probable he viii
be returned 10 FULLERTON ond ic4o. L .