Seattle No. 3
ALASKAN GOLD ROBBERY (YUKON
RIVER)
Most Alaskan miners were honest about
how they obtained their gold, but a few would stop at nothing in their
lust to acquire the yellow metal. . . Two such men were Frederick Wright
and R.P. Quinn. Both men were disappointed prospectors who in 1907 hatched
a plan to hijack a shipment of 83 ounces of dust from the Steamer SEATTLE
#3. To this end, both men signed on as deck hands before the steamer left
Fort Yukon. The plan was, simply, that they would loot the shipment enroute,
and then dispose of it by throwing it in the river, marked with a buoy,
just upriver from xxxx Landing. Later, when the 'heat' had died down, they
could return and recover the gold at their leisure.
The first flaw in their plan occurred
when xxxx Landing showed up before they were ready. As a result, the bag
of dust was quckly collected, cord wrapped, and then thrown overboard.
. . so quickly in fact, that the cord attaching the heavy bag to the marker
buoy parted even as it was thrown in the river.
The second flaw happened when Wright
panicked and left the steamer at xxxx Landing. This hasty departure aroused
the ships officers suspicions and they quickly discovered the theft of
the gold. Of course, Quinn was also suspect since he had often been seen
in the company of Wright.
With Wright being captured on shore, and Quinn being
held aboard the steamer, it didn't take long for authorities to elicit
a confession. . . At the trial, Quinn received five years and Wright only
one. Wright even helped deputies search the river for the missing bag of
gold. . . but it has never been recovered. DISTANT JUSTICE also SEWARD
WEEKLY GATEWAY newspaper for September 14th, 1907
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