THE DOUGLAS MINER
Volume i {
Number 24 \
DOUGLAS, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1897
$3-oo per year.
10 cents per copy.
“Slim" Birch Captured
WITH HIS COMPANION
SHELL
Fugitives Surprised when Asleep
Prisoners Taken to Sitka hy U. S. S. Pinta
Our last issue stated that Captain Mar
tn had [taken a posse of fo ty picked
men, heavily armed, on board the Rust
ler in search of the fugitives.
We shall continue t!ie narrative by
s'ating that the Rustler having had her
larder replenished and a supply of coal
taken aboard, sufficient to last a week’
cast off from the dock and proceeded on
her return voyage to the vicinity of Bear
creek, Admiralty island.
More nnpropitious weather for such an
expedition could not well be imagined.
A bitter cold wind came raging and
tea ing out of the Takou. From the
snow-capped summit ot the mountains,
whLh inclose Lynn canal, ai d rushing
down their rugged sides, came a bleak,
penetrating, cyclonic gale, and together
they lashed the icy waters of Gastineaux
channel into a fury.
From this it will be evident that the
Rustler and her determined crew were
on no holiday expedition. There is no
doubt that much discomfort must liave^
been experienced by these men, but one
hears no complaints.
I lie Rustler arrived at her destina
tion, Bear creek, early on Tuesday morn
ing. Captain Martin then divided liis
command into two parties. The one was
to proceed up the creek to the place of
the shooting and then, having located
the trail ol the fugitives, follow it to the
end. The other was to remain on board
the Rusilerand steam around Admiralty
island to Green bay 10 intercept the out
laws if they attempted to leave by water
from that side.
The party landed at Bear creek, con
sisting of nine'een men, was placed in
command of Jack Buzv-ell. Without loss
of time this party started for the cabin
where the shooting occurred which they
reached without incident.
Nothing about the cabin appeared to
have'been disturbed since the posse vis
ited it last, but several of the men in
this party spoke of the evidences of the
sanguinary encounter which had so
lately taken place. Some of them vis
ited the scene of Marshal Watt’s death, ,
and noticed a depression in the snow
where he had evidently stopped to rest i
in his intffectual attempt to leave the
scene
From the cabin a tiail was distinguish- :
able leading in a southwesterly direc
tion. This was followed until it split
into two, each taking a different direc
tion. The first one followed proved to
be an old one and led back again to the
cabin, but with the second, however,
the posse was more fortunate. No dif
fi ulty was experienced in follow ing the
last trail taken up. It appeared as if the
outlaws were not familiar with the coun
try, for the route traversed was very cir
cuitous, leading up hill and down dale
until the salt water of Green bay eame
in sight, and there at anchor lay the
Rustler.
Upon reaching the beach the Rustler
sent a boat and took the lard party on
board. The Rustler had made a good
passage, calling at Punter bay to notify
the men theie of the r errand and to be
on the lookout and not permit any boat
to be taken, finally arriving at Green bay
on Trnsday afternoon. The Rustler
party upon arriving at Green bay invited
on board an Indian who was living in a
cabin on the beach, From him they
learned that two men had come to his
but that day and had tried to engage his
services to transfer them across Chat
ham stra ts offering him a rifle and a
watch if he wovld do so, but he refused,
saying it was too rough. He supplied
them with some bread and venison, and
they then left him.
It was decided to make no further
search that night but await the dawn
next day. The Rustler was thereupon
taken around the point outside Green
bay and anchored.
The next morning, Wednesday, the
posse went ashore and approached the
Indian cabin cautiously, but it was
empty and no trail was visible leading
from it. The posse was then divided
into small p:.rties and spread out over
the hill side to institute a general search
for the outlaws who were supposed to be
very near. Two Indians with their dogs
jointd in the hunt and their experienced
eye soon detected a trail leading to the
woods and their keen-scented dogs fol
lowed it closely. In a very few minutes
one of the Indians, by name Moore,
teacher at the Juneau Mission School, a
very intelligent man. educated at Am
herst college, Mass., who had been taken
along as interpreter, discovered the men
they w ere in search of and called the at
tention of the other Indian, who at once
covered them with his rifle. His first ini
pulse was to shoot, but as the men did
not move he calculated they were asleep
undv r their blankets. This proved to be
the case. Moore sent back the other In
dian to inform some of the posse and he
met R. S. Cheney and L. II. Olesen, who
quickly arrived on the scene. With re
markable presence of mind Cheney
jumped right down upon the sleepers,
calling upon them to surrender. Their
only reply was not to shoot. Olesen,
Captain Martin, Scotty and James assist
ed Cheney to disarm and secure the two
men. Slim’s companion being Hiram
Shell, of Douglas. •
The men offt*re<l no resistance what
ever, the only remark Slim made at this
time was “that he knew w hen he w as
taken.” Slim and Shell had a rifle and
two six-shooters.
The outlaws had gone to sleep in a
little depression between several large
logs and had covered themselves with
one blanket and some brush.
Captain Martin served his warrant and
formally arrested his prisoners, and tying
them together, marched them down to
the Rustler which started for Juneau, but
encounteied svcli terrific weather when