| Show I FOILED THE PLOTTERS T Scheme to Restake Miners Claims In Alaska 4 WHOLESALE ROBBERY PROMPT ACTION BY A MILITARY OFFICER He Saved the Legitimate Owners But Incurred the zymity of the Schemers Sche-mers Who Threatened to Lynch HimYukon River Is Lower Than Ever Before St Michael July 17Vla I San Francisco Fran-cisco July 2ILlcptenant Spauldlns Third artillery D S A and his detail of twentlive men returned on July 13 from Cape Nome havln been relieved by a squad of a like number under command ot Lieutenant Cralsle of the Seventh regiment regi-ment twhlch arrived last week on the St Paul from San Francisco During the two weeks they were at Nome Lieutenant Spaulding and his men were kept busy nearly every hour or the twentyfour Up to the time of dispersing I the miners eWnI Jhr I gth meeting on eO evening of the 10th the Principal portion of their work consisted 111 adjusting cases ot town lots jumpinG Regarding his action In dispersing the miners meeting Lieutenant Sphulding says For several days preceding the meeting meet-Ing I heard that 1l was the Intention or those interested In the meeting to pass a resolution throwing olleiJ the district for relocation Such action as this would no dOUbt have caused bloodshed as men owning the claims would not have permitted per-mitted outsiders to jump them consequently quentl when the meeting was called to order by a man named Clark and the resolution res-olution had been read I addressed the chair slat g that 1 was there to represent repre-sent the United t government and I aouid resolution not that permit if they them persisted to pass I such would a clear the hall I had stationed In the rear I end o1 the room six men and a sergeant withdrawn bayonets 1la when I noticed a disposition on the part of the miners to remaln I ordered my Amen to clear the hall which they did Later several small crowds gathered In the street which I also dispersed The next day I learned on absolutely reliable authority that men were stationed station-ed on the brow ot the hills back ot the town waiting for the signal that the resolution had been adopted when they would rush for the claims and restake them Threatened tb Lynch Him The men at the meeting and especially the ringleaders were very much Incensed at me for upsetting their plans and threats were made to lynch me but here I am Out of the crowd of iOO who attended the meeting I do not believe there were more than 100 bona lade claim owners Many ot them were men who have been run out at other camps In Alaska and would if they dare run things to suit themselves at Nome One or the most rabid agitators at the meeting arrived at amp only fortelght hours before the meeting He was offered a 50 per cent lay which h1 refustd because the ground hail never been prospected and even when offered oj a day to prospect the same before accepting the lay he refused re-fused bi is et1 Y kind of nl hoh would rob the legitimate miners ot their just rights Lieutenant Spaulding Is upheld In his action by the elld element ofthe camp and district Steam vessels and sail crafts which have given the bay a lively appearance since the opening of navigation has considerably con-siderably thinned out and with the exception ex-ception or the steamer Charles Nelson the only ocean craft remaining at St Michael are several sailing vessels a whaler and the revenue cutters Rush and univalt The 1unhak Lieutenant Cambon commanding wilt soob be PlllcOft In commission on the Yukon and owing to the low water In the river It Is a question ques-tion among steamship men and punts whether shwill be useful in that stream The Grant Perry and Thetis have not frg tDlh vet arrived from Dutch harbor and the Bear has not returned from her cruise to Siberia The water in the Yukon Is lower this year than for many seasons and grave fears are expressed of the river steamers being able to get up or down until the melting of the Ice and warm rains increase In-crease the size of the stream The same condition of affairs exist on the upper river which renders trafilc over the lakes and passes even more uncertain than by the lower river |
