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Nome Newspaper Data
INVESTIGATING MURDER - Two Men of the Bowhead Killed - St. Michael Jail Filled
St. Michael, Aug. 14 1899 - (Via Seattle, Sept. 1) the investigation of the reported murder of members of the
Jessie expedition by Indians at the mouth of the Kuskowim river last summer has begun. The revenue cutter Corwin,
Captain Herring, left to-day for Nunivak island, where R.C. Marsten, a trader who says the members of the expedition
were massacred, will be taken aboard. The Corwin will then go to the mouth of the Kuskowim and land an investigating
party, which, besides members of the crew, will include U.S. Marshal Shoup, who arrived here several days ago in
company with U.S. District Judge Johnson. It is expected the investigation will last several days. If any evidence
of murder is found the suspected native will be arrested and taken to Sitka for trial on the revenue cutter McCulloch.
An incident occurred several days ago that strengthens the murder theory. The schooner Bowhead, Captain Cook reports
that on July 15 she put into Kuskowim bay with supplies for the Moravian mission at Bethel. A small boat was launched
and put ashore in charge of the first mate and two men to secure help to lighter the supplies ashore. Captain
Cook waited two days for the men to return. On the third day a gale caused him to put to sea. He returned to
the bay two days afterward and waited for his men without success. He then sailed for St. Michael and laid the
matter before the revenue officers.
The small military jail at this fort is almost filled with prisoners on different charges. They have all been
remanded for trial at Sitka this fall.
Among the prisoners are J. Homer Bird of New Orleans, who shot and killed two companions at Anvik last winter;
an Indian named Azzurak who killed Clarence Boyd, a prospector at a village on the Diomede island in 1897; another
Indian named Nubarloo, who killed a prospector named Jenkins on Kotzebue sound last fall, and Sablock alias Captain
Jack, an Indian of the Diomede island, who attempted to kill W. F. Doty, a teacher in the government school at
Port Clarence. Another prisoner is Harry Temple of Olympia, Wash., who attempted to kill a shipmate on the whaler
Mermaid at Port Clarence last July. The Indian prisoners and Temple were gathered together by Captain Jarvis of
the Bear during a recent trip to Port Clarence.
Another murder is reported to have take place early in July, near Hamilton on the Yukon river.
Martin Engbrechstein, a prospector, while sailing down the river from Dawson in a small boat with a companion named
Tokelson, was shot and killed by an Indian in a canoe. The Indian has not been apprehended. The murder was probably
to avenge some fancied wrong inflicted in the past by a white man. Engbrechstein was a sailor 40 years old. He
was possessed of about $500, which is in the custody of U.S. Commissioner Shepard.
A veritable stampede has set in from this place to Cape Nome, no less than 50 employees of the Alaska Commercial
company and North American Transporting and Trading company leaving within the past few days for the new diggings.
These men, many of whom have been working for salaries ranging from $50 to $75 a month, have been crazed by the
reports recently brought over from Anvil City by returning miners, every one of whom is loaded down with beach
gold. Added to this is the demand made upon the trading companies for quicksilver, copper plate cyanide and other
articles using in rocking. Money is no object in the purchase of these materials, and it is not an uncommon occurrence
to see a man offer $3 a pound for quicksilver, and as much for copper plate.
A nugget weighing an ounce was found last week on the beach,and when the news was circulated there was a wilder
rush than ever to secure rockers. Miners working on the creek claims threw down their shovels and asked for their
time that they might share in the good luck of the 500 or more men on the beach. The result was a general advance
in wages.
Noble Wallingford of Seattle and partner, in 20 hours' work one day last week, rocked out $725, and in one pan
last Friday Mr. Wallingford took out $18. This piece of ground is about 10 miles from Anvil City, showing that
gold is to be found along the entire beach as far as Port Clarence.
Equally as much excitement as the finding of the $16 nugget on the beach was the finding of a 20-ounce nugget on
Brynteson's claim No. 1, below Discovery on Anvil last week. This is the largest nugget yet found in the district.
[The Anaconda Standard, 2 Sep 1899 - Transcribed by K. Torp]
James Landers, charged with having broken out of jail at Nome in 1900 was recently
arrested in California. The Daily Alaska Dispatch, 1912-08-29 - submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
The remains of Alfred J. Daly were
taken to Nome from the Tanana for interment. The Daily Alaska Dispatch, 1912-08-29 - submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
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