Seward daily gateway., 1926-03-03
Communication

Inasmuch the people of Kodiak have been subjected to the scathing criticism in connection with the events centeng about the recent and arrest of one Dr. "McKibben alias Webb feel that it is only just that these circumstances be explained thru the col of the various newspapers which have pubished these articles.
 have been resident of Kodiak during the last two years and of Alaska and Yukon Territory for upward of twenty years and have to say that the people o Kodiak neither criminals fools but community of steady, warm-hearted lawabidng people who more nearly exempfy the time spirit of interior of Alaska than any community have found along the coast The stupidity of the management in the marshas office a Valdez and the criminal obedience of the deputy mar shal here have placed them in false light. To be Kodiak has had slap from the crest of the crime wave which is sweeping the country Is but an unfortunate coincidence that several of laWbreaking occur ed at about this time that this notorious up to center the attention of the entire community upon
 Dr. McKibben came here last fall shortly after theI withdrawal of Dr. Hawk at time when there was con- siderable illness and two three critical requiring the attention of skilled physician He recommend ed by two members of the Alaska Medical Board There why the people of the community shoud| question the authenticity of his credentials That he took charge of the situation and handled the critical cases with considerable efficiency speaks for itself who was of his patients and feel that my approximate recovery if not my actual life to his mstrations do not for minute doubt that he is physician Where he got his medical knowledge, whether he licensed to practice, how many sealed chapters there may be in hs past IS not the present purpose to nqulre He in charge of the situation with several very ill patients when orders from the marshas office in Valdez to place
 
 des explicit that he be sent to Valdez the steamer Watson due in Kodiak about that time Why the deputy in Kodiak did not wire authorities in Valdez expainngI the situation and emphasizing the seriousness of ing him at this time and why he did nobody knows It was that charges held against him nobody knows It was at this uncture that Webb if such be his name took the situation in his hand and after sending note to the marshal notifying him of his intention gave his guards the slip and disappeared until the Watson had pulled out when he reappeared and again took up his practice feel that this act fully justified in the interests of his pa ents in his and that had the Kodiak deputy fully explained matters to the Valdez office Webb would not at this time have been in irons and have been entirely de- nied to his patient
 How fully this drastic order was carried out one in- stance out of many will illustrate An infant few months of age was taken violently ill at night The father fear ing for it's life hurried to the marshas office for relief The doctor neither allowed to attend the child nor was the father allowed to bring the child to the jail or even to interview the physician
 The brutality of this refusal stands out when wei learn that in another and only the deputy mar shal did break his rule This was when the husband of patient threatened him with court proceedings but agreed to release him of said embarrassment if he would allow him to bring the patient to the doctor.
 It was at this crisis that leading citizens wired an ap peal to the office of the Attorney General at Washington D. C. Immediately the Kodiak deputy was instructed to release Webb on bail and olow him to attend to his pa tents. These instructions were entirely ignored
 That the deputy marshal at Kodiak at this time be- eved Webb to be physician proven by the fact that he employed him autopsy during the time that he had him in irons and Webbs statement that death oc cured as result of certain blow of the fist continued to mold certain other prisoner charge of murder Il IS also significant that when said prisoner became te pOray insane under the stress of the situation that he