Action of Coroner’s Jury
When the coroner’s jury repaired to
tlie residence of tlie late Charles J.
Smith, last Thursday afternoon. Lieu
tenant Dr. Chase testified as to the
cause of death; Mrs. Smith told of the
knocking at the door, of its being
opened by her husband, and of the
shooting which followed; and W. C.
Brown explained what he knew of the
tragedy. Mr. Brown slept in a back
room. He nearly always heard Smith
come home at night. On the night of
the tragedy he was awakened by Mrs.
Smith opening his door and screaming.
Ho is slightly deaf. He heard Mrs.
Smith say there was shooting in front
of the house. The children were
screaming and he did not catch all
Mrs. Smith said. Dressing quickly, he
went out and found some one lyi.ig in
front of the door. Believing Smith
had not come iconic, he ran to the sa
loon to tell him there was trouble.
Jury In Session on Friday
The coroner’s jury reassembled at
A. B. ball and the taking of evidence
began at 10:30 o’clock Friday forenoon.
W. A. Strangman was present as ste
nographer and took down all the evi
dence in shorthand.
•LIEUTENANT DR. CHASE, of the
Fort Gibbon military post, (recalled)—
Told of the post mortem examination
which he made the previous afternoon.
Other than the gunshot wounds, the
only external mark or bruise found on
Smith’s body, he said, was a slight
abrasion on the bridge of the nose,
■only skin deep, which might have been
caused by falling forward when the
fatal shot was fired, or by a light blow
or scratch. Three gunshot wounds
were in the back of the head—one be
ing three inches toward the medial
line from the left ear and the others
two or three inches nearer the medial
line, on the same side of the head.
The bullet entering nearest the ear
ranged forward and caused death; the
holes nearer the medial line were con
nected, and merely went beneath the
skin—they did not erode the bone and
would hardly have knocked Smith
down but might have dazed him; they
would not have caused him to lose
consciousness or have prevented him
from making an outcry. When
the hair was shaved away grains of
powder were sticking around these
wounds, showing that the weapon was
very near when fired; while the skin
around the fatal wound was clean. The
head was opened at the top. The bullet
which entered nearest the ear was
found just back of the cavity of the left
«ye. The bullet was exhibited to the
jury. It appeared to be a .32-caliber
long. It had been weighed and was
not thought to have lost any apprecia
ble amount by erosion from contact
with the bone. Fragments of bone
were noticeable along the bullet’s
entire course.
R. J. STARK—Was in Smith’s sa
loon the evening of Dec. 15. Smith
was behind the bar. Barney quarreled
with Smith and used threatening lan
guage; said he would put him out of
business and out of commission. Smith
all the time protested that be desired
no trouble and would not quarrel with
Barney. Witness left and went around
town. At 12:30 in company with Tom
O’Leary witness left George Carl’s and
went back to Smith’s saloon. When
they passed Chanquist’s the place was
lighted up, but they did not enter.
They went into the Gibbon bar, where
Proprietor Jack Cavanaugh was in the
act of closing up. They drank and
then went out in order that the place
might be closed. On emerging wit
ness saw Barney come out of Campbell
avenue and cautioned O’Leary. Barney
came up and wanted to make friends
with O'Leary. Witness and O’Leary
entered the Tower house, but soon
went into Smith’s place and began eat
ing dried fish which the barkeeper set
out. Presently W. C. Brown came in
and asked, “Where is Smith?” “Gone
home,” answered Oscar Lundine, the
barkeeper. “He is not there,” said
Brown; “but there is an Indian in
front of the house lying on .the ground
nearly dead.” Then Lundine said,
“There is something wrong up there,
boys; I must close.up.” Then witness
and several others went to the house
and found Smith in his night clothes
lying face down in front of the door.
They chafed bis feet, but he was dead.
’Witness believes Smith was shot pre
vious to the time he and O’Leary saw
Barney at the intersection of Campbell
avenue and Front street.
OSCAR LUNDINE (bartender at
Smith’s saloon)—Smith went home at
10 o’clock. Witness saw Barney in
the saloon at 12:25. Barney asked
where Charley Smith was, and being
told that he bad gone home, Barney
went out and witness heard his foot
steps going east, in the direction of the
N. C. store. About half an hour later
Barney came in again; appeared ner
vous; went out in a moment. As he
was going Charley Kerr said, “Hold
on, Barney.” Barney answered, “No,
l.will go.” Fifteen minutes later W.
€. Brown came in and asked where
Stpitb was: said an Indian was lying in
front of Smith’s residence apparently
■early dead. Witness closed the sa
loon, saying something was wrong.
JOHN J. O’BRIEN—Was in Smith’s
saloon between 7 and 8 o’clock, when
Barney, Buck Taylor and some sol
diers were drinking at the bar. Smith
on taking pay passed 50 cents change
back to Barney. Barney threw it
against the mirror. Smith said, “You’d
better not do that.” Barney was abu
sive to Smith, saying the latter had
told a woman friend of Barney's that
he was a dope fiend, and that he would
get even with Smith, the - — —
-. Smith told Barney to get sober
and he would prove he had not talked
to the woman. Witness went home at
10 o'clock and did not come out again
that night.
ALBERT NOBBS—Was at Smith’s
bar when Barney said that Smith had
told that he was a dope fiend. Left
and heard no more of the talk between
them. Returned and was in the sa
loon from 11 to near 1 o’clock, when a
man came in and said there was trou
ble at Smith’s home. Witness a:>'l
others went to Smith's residence. Was
tn the saloon shortly before 1 o’clock
when Barney came in and asked where
Smith was and went out. Twenty
minutes or half an hour later Brown
came and told of the trouble at the
house.
DANIEL BUCKLEY—Heard Smith
and Barney arguing in the saloon in
the afternoon. Barney said he would
fix him, would put him out of business,
out of commission. It was about 8 or 9
o’clock in the evening. Witness never
lent Barney a gun, Barney never asked
him for a gun, and he never owned a
gun himself. Never heard Barney
make threats while working in res
taurants.
TOM O’LEARY—Knew Smith &
Barney. Had trouble with Barney in
the evening. Witness and his wife
had gone up town and he had gone in
side and left her on the sidewalk.
After they went home his wife told
witness that Barney had approached
her and addressed insulting language
to her on the street. Witness hunted
up Barney and blacked his eye. In
Cavanaugh’s Ed Holden searched Bar
ney; he had no gun. Later witness'
wife told him that Barney had been to
their house and repeated his insults,
saying he would get Mrs. O’Leary that
night or burn the house down. Wit
ness took his wife to Mrs. Gilmore’s
and again hue ted up Barney, who said
positively that he had not been to Mrs.
O'Leary’s—that she must have mis
taken some one else for himself. Wit
ness returned and took Mrs. O’Leary
home from Gilmore’s. Was in Smith’s
saloon when word came that there
was trouble at Smith's house. After
witness and Stark started from Cava
naugh’s to Smith's saloon, between 12
and 1 o’clock, he did not remember
seeing Barney coming out of Campbell
avenue. Stark and witness stopped in
the Tower house a minute or so and
Barney was in there. Asked to try to
remember, witness said he had no
recollection of Stark warning him or
of seeing Barney come out of Campbell
avenue onto Front street; had no re
membrance of himself, Stark and Bar
ney meeting and engaging in conversa
tion there. Witness was not drunk.
Witness was in the saloon eating fish
with others when word came that there
was tiouble at Smith’s houee; did not
see Barney enter just prior to that
time, inquire for Smith and go out.
JOHN J. DONOVAN {deputy mar
shal)—Went to bed at 12 o’clock. Had
just dropped asleep when Brown came
and said he believed there was an In
dian in a dying condition in front of
Smifh’s house. Then J. R. McGovern
[a lodger in the Grand hotel] came
and said Chanquist was shot. Went
and found Chanquist in bed. Then
went to Smith’s. Came back looking
for this man Barney; finally found him
in bed at Black’s hotel. Black said he
had been in 20 minutes. Barney did
not act like a man who had been
asleep. Searched the room; found no
gun or ammunition. Found no masks
or other suspicious articles. Such had
been found seven days ago by another
party. Barney had a black eye, as
Chanquist had described his assailant.
PETE COLOUMBE (barkeeper at
the Tower house)—Barney was in the
Tower house, pretty full, at 8:30. He
said that-squaw Mrs. O’Leary
accused him of insulting her on the
street; said he had not seen herjb two
or three weeks. Threw a copper check
across the bar; broke a glass; poured
water from a kettle over the floor.
Witness threw Barney down; told him
if he did not keep quiet he would
throw him over the bridge. Barney
wanted a drink; was refused. Came
back and said, “You won’t give me a
drink?” “No; I’ll give you nothing.”
“Well, I’ll kill you.” “Go on or 1 will
throw you out.” That was between 8
and 9. He came in later through the
side door; had a black eye. Said there
were lots of rats in his cabin; wanted
to get a gun to shoot them. Witness
said, “Go on; I’ll give you nothing.”
Barney came in off and on—always
through the side door, which he had
never done before that night. Asked
for a gun a second time. At 10:30 he
came in bedraggled with snow. Later
when witness was alone Barney came
in and spoke of haying trouble with
Ed Holden and Tom O’Leary. About
12 o'clock he came in and witness no
ticed he looked wild eyed. Witness
said he was going to close up. Barney
said, “Don’t close so early; may be a
live one will come in.” At 12:30
O’Leary and Barney talked over their
trouble and shook hands. They left
and went into Smith's. After witness
put out the lights he heard some one
running go into Smith's, then come
out and try the Campbell avenue door
of the Tower house. In talking of his
grievances during the night Barney
mentioned both Smith and Chanquist.
In the later hours of the night Barney
refused to drink and was comparatively
sober, but looked bad in the eyes; the
witness said “He didn’t look good to
me.”
WALTER JOHNSON (former bar
tend* r at the Tower)—Heard Barney
ask to borrow a gun twice. Barney
lived with witness awhile. Never saw
him have a gun. Had heard Barney
say he would get even with four saloon
men; he was a good barkeeper and
could get no work, while woedchoppers
were tending bar; but he would put
them all out of business yet. Had
heard Barney say Chanquist had told
his intended wife, the dressmaker, he
was a dope fiend, and she had refused
to marry him. Witness had no idea
where Barney might have got a gun.
Saw him later in the night, sober;
looked bad out of the eyes. Cabined
with Barney six weeks some time ago.
Never saw any dope or indications of
drugs; sometimes the cabin smelt like
he used awful funny tobacco. Would
lie and sleep 18 or 20 hours, grunt and
groan; not like the effects of drink.
Jury Reports and is Discharged
No more witnesses were called. It
being past 1 o’clock the jury adjourned
for luncheon. Shortly after reassem
bling the following report was made
and the jury was discharged:
“In the commissioner and coroner’s
court for Fort Gibbon precinct,
Fourth division, Territory of Alaska,
in the matter of the inquest held on
the body of Charles J. Smith, de
ceased:
“We, the undersigned jury, being
duly sworn in the above named case,
do find as follows:
“1. That the deceased, Charles J.
Smith, was about 3'J years of age and a
resident of the town of Tanana, Alaska.
“2. That the said deceased came to
his death at his residence on the morn
ing of the 16th day of December, 1909,
between the hours of 12 and 1 a. m.,
by gunshot wounds caused by a weapon
in the hands of an assassin.
“3. We believe the assassin to be
one Arthur E. Barney, now confined in
the Tanana federal jail.
“Dated this 17th.day of December,
1909.
“Jas. P. Mulligan, Foreman.
“A. G. VACHON.
“George Vautier.
“J. C. Dehn.
“H. L. Hedrick.
“Theo. Diedreick.”
RESOLUTIONS
Adopted By Camp Cibbon No. 25,
Arctic Brotherhood
Whereas, It has pleased our Heaven
ly Father to remove from the ranks of
Camp. Gibbon No. 25, Arctic Brother
hood, our late brother, Charles J.
Smith; and
Whereas, Our late brother was found
to be a good, tried and true Arctic who
possessed good qualities of mind and
heart, quiet and unassuming in manner,
generous and unselfish in his conduct
toward others, and faithful, loyal and
true to every obligation of the Brother
hood; and
Whereas, We keenly feel the loss of
our late brother as a man and citizen,
friend and neighbor; therefore, be it
Resolved, That in the untimely death
of Brother Smith, Camp Gibbon No. 25,
Arctic Brotherhood, gives expression
of its sincere and heartfelt sorrow;
that we tender to the bereft wife and
children and other relatives our deep
sympathy in their loss, and bow with
them in submission to the will of Him
who doeth all things well; and be it
further
Resolved, That a copy of these reso
lutions be sent to the bereaved family,
and that bur charter be draped in
mourning for thirty days; also, that
these resolutions be published in The
Tanana Leader.
G. M. Arbuckle.
G. H. Tiffany,
Frank C. Smith,
Committee.
Rain and Sleet
Quite a heavy shower of rain,
accompanied by sleet, fell in this
city on last Saturday night about
10 o’clock. Such an event is
certainly an unusual demonstra
tion on the part of the elements
within a week of Christmas.
The Leader is on sale at the Xanana
postofHce lobby,
There’ll Be
Mushers
Galore
On the trails'this winter looking for good places to stop—
more than ever^before known in the history of Interior
Alaska—and the roadhouse and hotel keepers who introduce
their places of business and their accommodations to the
man along the route is the fellow who’ll get the trade. The
Tauana Leader makes a specialty of printing large and small
CLOTH
On Heavy Muslin, designed especially for out-of-door adver
tising—they will endure for years, and will [withstand the
rigors of the Northland elements.
Send in your order at once for the “business
promoters” and be prepared to do business when
winter travel starts in
THE LEADER
Tanana, Alaska ,
On One of the Last Steamers We Received Our Yearly
Supply of Paper for
Commercial Job Printing
OF MANY KINDS