Hauls Down British Flag.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 211, 12 September 1901, Page 1

Hauls Down British Flag.

FEDERAL COMMISSIONER AT UNALASKA.

United States Commissioner Whipple is still carrying matters with a high hand at Unalaska. The Homer brought the news of his having arrested Captain Higgins of the Ruth because he would not pay off two drunken engineers. Homer F'ritch had to put up ,£2O in cash to get Captain Higgins out, and the money is still in possession of Commissioner Whipple. Twenty Italians who came here on the Homer said they were arrested on the slightest pretext and fined. The costs of court went towards paying Whipple’s salary. In his last encounter Whipple ran up against John Bull, and when last heard from he was awaiting with trembling to hear what Washington has to say about the matter.

“It all happened on July 4,” said Captain H. Thwing of the steamship John S. Kimball. “ Commissioner Whipple was full of enthusiasm and didn’t care who knew it. There were a number of vessels in port, among them being the British steamer Glenora and the American gunboat Concord. In honor of Independence day tho Britisher flew the Union Jack and had up some other bunting, while the Concord dressed ship. When Whipple saw the British flag waving in an American port he got very angry, and going aboard the Glenora ordered the captain to haul it down. The captain refused, and then the Commissioner ordered Deputy United States Marshal Sullivan to arrest the audacious Britisher and then haul down the flag himself. “ Rather than go to gaol the captain hauled down the flag, but as soon as Whipple was gone he jumped into the steamer’s dingey and was pulled out to the Concord. I don’t know what captain Harry Knox said when he heard of Whipple’s action, but I do know it did not take him very long to act. The British captain was not five minutes aboard tho gunboat when I saw a boat manned and with an officer in the stern pull away from the gunboat for the Glenora. As soon, as the steamship was reached the offiEer and two of the men went aboard, and in a few minutes the flag hauled down because of AVhipple’s threats was at the masthead again. “By this time everybody in Unalaska was aware of what had happened. Whipple had told all he met that while he was Commissioner no flag but the Stars and Stripes should fly at Unalaska on Independence day and then related how he had made the Britisher haul down the Union Jack. When the Concord’s men went aboard the steamship the Commissioner and everybody else knew something was going to happen. Then the British knew Whipple had blundered. How bad the blunder was everybody euessed when the Concord ran the British

flag up at her fore and began firing a national salute. In this way Captain Knox did everythug in his power to make amends for the blunder and there will be no international difficulties inconsequence, but everybody up north seems to think that Commissioner Whipple has not heard the last of it.

Captain Higgins of the steamer Ruth is "oin<r to lay his ease before the United States courts on his return, and Whipple may have to come here to defend himself. He was appointed to his present position by Judge Noyes of Nome, who is under orders to explain some high-handed acts of his own to the Circuit Court of Appeals. —Correspondent.