ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1923 69 



the west coast of Prince of Wales Island. Both cases were continued 

 until the next term of court at Ketchikan. 



One piracy case was reported to the g^rand jury at Juneau in 

 November, and a true bill was found a^rainst Frank Harris, W. L. 

 Beach, and Arthur Carter, who were accused of stealin": fish from 

 traps in Chatham Strait. In the course of the trial the defendants 

 testified that they were not at a certain trap on a certain day, as had 

 been shown by Government Avitnesses, but Avere several miles away, 

 a statement known by the district judf^e to be false, he having per- 

 sonal knowledfje of the facts. Taking judicial knowledge of these 

 things. Judge Heed adjudged the defendants in contempt of court 

 and sent them to jail for 00 days. Upon expiration of this jn-ison 

 sentence they will face charges of perjury. Meanwhile the piracy 

 case remains unsettled. 



In central Alaska complaints were filed against 12 individuals, 

 charging them with gill-net and seine fishing in the protected waters 

 of the Copper River Delta, Bering River. Bay of Isles, and other 

 streams of Prince William Sound. Seven pleaded guilty and paid 

 fines and costs amounting to $478.95. Two were not apprehended, 

 and three were discharged, being Indians of the Copper River 

 Valley and unacquainted with the law and regulations. 



Three cases were brought in the United States District Court at 

 Seattle against one packing company and three of its trap watchmen 

 operating in the Alaska Peninsula Fisheries Reservation, charging 

 them with fishing three traps in the weekly close periods of June 17 

 and 25 and July 21. Convictions were secured in all cases and fines 

 of $1,150 and $400 were paid by the company and watchmen, respec- 

 tiA'ely. 



Six violations were reported in the Bristol Bay district of western 

 Alaska, involving two fishermen in each case. Two of them were 

 charged with fishing in Wood River, six in Xushagak River, atid 

 four in Ugashik River, all above the markers indicating the closed 

 areas. Xo service was had against four who fished in Ugashik River 

 and two in Nushagak River. The six men who were apprehended 

 appeared at the fall term of the district court at Valdez, pleaded 

 guilty, and paid fines of $50 each. 



In all, $4,880, exclusive of costs, was paid in 1923 as fines by the 

 violators of the fishery laws and regulations of Alaska. The amounts 

 by districts are as follows: Southeastern Alaska, $2,600: central 

 Alaska, $1,980; and western xVlaska, $300. 



In addition to tlie foregoing record of criminal proceedings the 

 grand jury at Ketchikan returned 55 indictments of packing com- 

 panies and individuals under chapter 95, Session Laws of Alaska, 

 1923, which provides close seasons of 20 days in southeastern Alaska 

 east of the one hundred and thirty-ninth meridian of west lon- 

 gitude. At Juneau, in Xovember, the United States attorney filed 

 information, comprising 217 counts, against 44 packers and fisher- 

 men. Auk Bay Salmon Canning Co., l)eing one of this number, was 

 tried in the district court })efore Judge Thomas M. Reed, who 

 handed down a decision upholding the validity of the Territorial act. 



The cases against the Kenai Packing Co. and the Copi)er River 

 Packing Co., alleging that in 1921 they wantonly wasted considerable 

 quantities of salmon, were finally dismissed in 1923 on account of the 

 death of the Government's material witness. 



