The Wrangell sentinel., 1938-07-08
GILLNET THEFTS CITED BY ENGDAL
 TO SHOW INADEQUACY DEPT. JUSTICE
TO EVERYONE INTERESTED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT:

TO EVERYONE INTERESTED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT:
 On Sunday night, July 3rd, two gillnets and gillnet skiffs were stolen from the city float. One of them was mine. The theft was dis covered early Monday morning and was immediately reported to the lo- cal United States Deputy Marshal, James Nolan.
 An investigation of the theft was promptly and efficiently gotten un- der way. Several clues were un- earthed during the ensuing hours as to the possible direction the cul- prits had taken in their hurried de- parture. and their destination.
 At this stage of the investigation a plane should have been procured and our chances of apprehending the thieves would have been extremely favorable. A boat towing two heav-| fly laden gillnet skiffs would have gotten not more than forty miles away, in one of three different dir- ections A plane could have covered this vicinity in less than two hours But at this point of the inyestiga tion the Federal Department of Justice red tape began to unwind in great long folds. In other words, the local Deputy Marshal had no authority to charter either a plane or boat with which to begin search.
 Request Refused
 Although he is a Federal Officer of the law, he must first receive permission from headquarters in Ju- neau before he can officially leave the corporate limits of this town on any case whatsoever, so the Deputy Marshal dispatched the following to the United States Mar shal in Juneau: Wm. T. Mahoney r. s. Marshal
 Juneau. Alaska.
 Two gillnets and gillnet skiffs stolen last night from city float here stop Fishermen request search of country in this vicinity especially sockeye streams stop Can I have authority for couple days search to- gether with necessary boat hire stop If nets in this vicinity believe have chance locate same but need auth orization.
 Deputy Nolan.
 TWENTY FOUR hours later this message, brief and to the point, was received here by MT. Nolan: Nolan Deputy Alaska
 Unable to authorize expense TOT Search. Mahoney.
 Evidently that message meant that if I were to recover the stolen I should deputize myself as a policeman, use my own boat, pay my own expenses, locate the thieves and bring them into town so that the proper authorities could place them under arrest.
 Different Slant
 But that message gives me an al- l together different slant on the sub ject. That answer places MT. Ma honey in an extremely precarious situation. He is vested with the authority to allow funds for a search, in case of this kind, There fore, that authority places the res- of experimenting theI criminals in MT Mahoneys hands.
 This being the case, MT. MahoneyI I believe, is guilty of criminal neg ligence. By refusing to cooperate with the local Deputy he has AIDED the thieves in making good their escape.
 This theft represents a combined actual and potential loss to me, of nearly one thousand dollars, which means a charge of grand larceny would be placed against the thieves were they apprehended.
 Perhaps MT Mahoney did not real ize the seriousness of this theft. If so he must admit that the Deputies throughout the territory are noth- ing more than office figureheads, in whom he places no confidence.
 The radiogram MT. Mahoney re- ceived from the Deputy Marshal No Ian was worthy, I believe, of at least an investigation. But the man ner in which it was cast aside by the U. S. Marshal only proves that