A Captain's Alaska Liquor Case Comes to Port Townsend
A federal warrant for importing liquor into Alaska and selling it to Native people sends Capt. Thomas Butler to Portland to answer the charge.
The U.S. Marshal for Oregon arrived by steamer with a warrant for the arrest of Capt. Thos. Butler, charged in the indictment with importing liquor into Alaska and disposing of the same to Indians. The Captain accordingly took passage on the Annie Stewart this morning for Portland to refute the charge.
“charged in the indictment with importing liquor into Alaska and disposing of the same to Indians.”
Federal liquor restrictions in Alaska were part of a wider colonial effort to control Native communities, and Port Townsend's role as a steamship hub made it a natural stop for the case. The episode echoes modern debates over alcohol regulation, tribal sovereignty and federal authority in Indian Country.
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