frOL. i_sKWAlil), ALASK A. TIH liSDAV HVKMXd, OCTOBIOH 12. M»»'>_N<K ff
INSANE PROSPECTOR
KILLS I1IS PARTNER
With the mark of a rifle ball on the
back of the vertebrae the skeleton of
Jim Fisk was found a few days ago at
Halibut bay. In the cabin occupied by
himself and John Murray, his prospect
ing partner, were found a bloody knite j
and razor and other indications of a
sanguine struggle. Murray is missing
but in the cabin was found a package of
letters written by him but not mailed, ,
whose text indicate that he was stark ‘
mad.
Both men were well known on the(
inlet where they had worked for
several years. They left Seldovia last
February with a large outfit to go to j
Halibut bay to work mining property .
there. Neither has since been seen
alive. Fisk's skeleton, destitute, of
flesh, was found by natives a few days
ago. It was recognized by the clothing, j
William Wharf of Seldovia accom-1
panied the natives who found Fisk's
remains to the scene and identified it by j
the clothing and by letters found in the !
cabin. The letters came to Judge
Hildreth on the Portland.
In the letter* written by Murray lie j
states that he anil Kish hail agreed to j
die. To Joseph S. Lewis of Victoria
B. G., he wrote, “Give my best re
gards to wife son a daughter I am
about to die in a few seceonds.** Then
follows a long rambling statement
which is plainly the product of an un
hinged mind. It is socialistic in tone,
critical of religion and kingcraft, show
ing that the writer had brooded over
topics of that nature.
The letter which was most homicidal
in tone was probably the last written,
as it was not enclosed in an envelope.
It read as follows:
“Halibut Gove Alaska lb-2-UH)o
“Dear Brother by a strange mystery
l happen to be stokes in my past life
and my partner Jim Fisk we have allso
found out the purpose of life why there
is such a strife in this world between
races and individuals we allso know
who is and what is god so we have
agreed that my partner tlske should
kill me today at o o clock and he is to
be killed after me by some agency, all
tins is for wrongs comitted in our
past lives and allso for the sake of
humanity me and lisk represent the j
men in all its countries cruel strifes '
against no only men but women we
have agreed to wipe out all tin* scores
of out of our past lives in a sane and
friendlv wav so that in doing this we
forgive one another as well as we for
give all our enemies we allso ask to be
forgiven and forgive to be forgiven
t%kinlv regards to all mankind and to
all its earthly creatures I know that
mv mother is dead she has been here
%
for some time my mother represents
womankind for all the cruelties suf
fered from men”
While the possibility of murder is a
eature of the case, and Judge Wicker- ‘
sham last nijflit instructed Assistant
I’nited States Attorney Clejrtf and Com
missioner Hildreth to make a search
ing in vestijration, it is thought more
probable that Murray, while insane,
killed Fisk and then made away with
himself either by drowning or by going
far into the interior and shooting him-1
The blood-stained knife and razor j
and marks of blood on the eabin furni-1
ture are proof of a struggle there.
Fisk's body was found a few steps
away. It is thought probable that
Murray assaulted him in the cabin
with a knife: that Fisk escaped and
ran and Murray then shot him in the i
back.
Fisk is known to have had $700 when
he left Seldovia. Murray also had
money but none was found in the cabin
or in Fisk's clathing. But for the
crazy letters left by Murray circum
stances would point to murder and
robbery. These letters are addressed
to men and women in various coast
cities, including one to the Portuguese
*4cost counselor **, San Leandro, Cali-1
fty*nia.
Murray's real name was .John M.
Moreira. He signs this to some of the
letters he wrote, and among his other
papers is a certificate of naturalization
which he took out in Oakland, Califor
nia. January 28. 190;>. a few days before .
he came north. All his letters are
dated the second month of 190/5, but :
that is evidently a mistake as in two
of them he speaks of having arrived at
Halibut bay "tin* 24th of Iasi month.**
which would be January. But he was I
naturalized in California four days
later show that and was in Seldovia in
February. The letters were doubtless
written in March.
Murray and Fisk had worked to
gether two or three Years at different
places around the Inlet. Last year
they worked for James O. Buzard at
Hope. They were industrious men and
saved money. Murder and suicide by
an insane man seems to be the only
theory that tits the case.
Think Skagway a Good Place
By Cable to the Gatewey
Hoquiam, Wash., Oct. 12—An invita
tion for the Northwestern Presbyterian
synod, now in session here, to meet in
Skagway next year, was read this
morning before the synod and was i
loudly cheered. It is thought probable
that the synod may go to Skagway
next vear.
Telephone President Dies
By Cable to the Gateway
San Francisco, Cal., Oct. 12 -John 1.
Sabin, president of the Pacific Coast
Telephone Company, died here today.
Rev. F. C. Taylor and wife went to
Valdez on the Portland.
fATALLY WOUND j
AND ROB GUESI
♦
Oakland Couple Invite Rich Horse
man to Their House and Knock
Him on the Head.
By Cable to the Gateway
Berkeley, Cal., 12 -S. W. Curtis and j
wife knocked William Kllis on the!
head with a hammer, while he was at 1
lunch in their house yesterday. 1 he
woman then tired two shots into his
bodv, and the couple took $o.Oi)t) from
his pockets and left him for dead.
Kllis recovered consciousness and
crawled to the stable, where he mana
wed to attract the at tent ion of a patrol
man, to whom he told Ids storv. Kllis
is dving and officer* « re searching the
state for the assailants.
Kllis is an Australian horseman.
'The Curtises met him a short time ago
in Sydney and induced him to come to 1
California with them. They first
entertained him at the Oakland hotel, .
then rented a cottajre in the suburbs
and took him there as their jfuest. |
Murderous Mutineers Captured
By Cable to the Gateway
Washington, I). G., Oct. 12 -Oapt.
Kumill and four members of his crow
who stood by him on the schooner
Her wind, en route from Mobile to
Philadelphia, were killed in a mutiny
of the remainder of the crew. Later
the mutineers and the vessel were
captured by the schooner Blanch King,
and are now in jail in Southport. Pa.
Arrest Alleged Train Robber
By Cable to the Gateway
Seattle, Oct. 12 -Pinkerton detec
tives today arrested at Spokane a
brakeman on suspicion of being one of
the bandits who held up the Great
northern train near Ballard last week.
They are holding the prisoner in
some private place oi detention and re
fuse to say where he is or what evi
dence they have against him.
Ember/ler Dodges Officers
By Cable to the Gateway
Pittsburg, Pa., Oct. 12 -Edward Cun
litl'e, the Adams Express clerk who
ran away yesterday with $101,000. lias
so far successively eluded capture. He
is believed to be traveling toward -Si.
Louis and an army of detectives are on
his supposed trail. The express com
pany has paid the amount to the First
National bank of Cincinnati, to which
it was consigned.
former Magnate Now a Pauper
By Cable to the Gateway
New York, Oct. I.'i—Jefferson P.
Rapalles, many years ago a partner of
Jav Gould and Commodore Vanderbilt
%
in railroad ventures, was admitted to
the poorhouse today. He has lately
been ruined by stock speculation and
his health is completely broken down.
Temperature at 4 p. in. today 4<>.
OUTBREAKS IN
RUSSIAN CITIES
Revolutionary Arms Seized in Many
Places and Caucasians Tight
With Cossacks.
By Cable to the Cateway
Moscow, Oct. 12 All llussia is again
in a ferment and men ( very where are
arming for a general insurrection.
Large quantities of arms have been
seized at KietY. Siga, Odessa, Moscow,
St. Petersburg, Sara toff and Tiflis,
which had been privately stored h\
revolut ionistv
At Baku. Batun and other places in
Caucasia the revolutionists have de
clared open war on tin* Cossacks. At
Baku yesterday eleveu bombs were
thrown among the ( ossacks, killing or
wounding several. In retaliation the
troopers charged the crowds in tin*
streets with great slanghter. . Several
women of rank were killed while try
ing to help a wounded girl in the
st reet.
Judge Goes Moose Hunting
Judge Wickersham started out over
the railroad line this morning fora
moose hunt under the escort of F. H.
Stewart, treasurer of the Alaska Cen
tral, and (’ommissioner Hildreth.
Jud^e Wickersham came here on the
special invitation of Mr. Poland and
Mr. Stewart to visit the country hut
Mr. Poland was too busy to go out on
the hunting expedition.
NEARLY LOST HIS SHIP
Excelsior Broke from Seattle Dock
Without Capt. Jordan
When Capt. .Iordan of tin* steamer
Hxcelsior went down to the Robinson
: dock in Seattle after clearing for the
present trip at tin* custom house he
wa> unable to see anything ot his
i steamer, which was supposed to be
waiting for him. As the captain had
, not been drinking lie knew lie was at
j the right dock, and lie hunted up the
wharf master and demanded:
“ Where’s mv ship?’*
*
“You haven’t any ship,'* was the an
swer. “She has gone away without you.
The deckhands are running the boat.
('apt. Jordan was dissatisfied with
j the information and pursued the in
i quiry until the wharfmaster said:
44 Well I guess you can get your tub
if you want to swim for it. There she
•/
is, out in i In* stream.”
About that time the Excelsior ap
proached the wharf and it was learned
that one of the engineers had accident
ally started the propelling machinery
and the steamer had snapped every
fastening and made a running jump
in the direction of West Seattle.
Horace Leach and wife returned on
the Excelsior from a visit to Valdez.
Steamer Excelsior sailed for Seldov
ia last night at 8 o’clock.