END
The facts of the
above story were extracted from Valdez court records
The newspaper articles (below) are about the Lake Creek Hanging
SEWARD WEEKLY GATEWAY 9/28/1907
George Purches and wife are well known in Seward. George worked
in railroad commissary for a long time. He went to the Yentna country early
in 1906 and stayed.
When J.E. Kenney was driven away from his roadhouse at Lake Creek by a
mob on a wild guess that he had stolen Cone’s alleged lost $3,000 poke, the
house was placed in charge of Purches. It was arranged that Purches was
to meet Kenney later at Knik and give him his property.
Cone’s poke has not yet turned up. When last heard from, he was taking
life very cheerfully around Susitna Station and some people doubt whether
he ever let his poke behind.
THE ALASKA PROSPECTOR 2/10/1908
The Lake Creek Roadhouse located on the Yentna River at the mouth
of Lake Creek was destroyed by fire last week. None of the stores or furnishings
were saved and the loss to the proprietors was heavy. The origin of the fire
has not been learned here. The house was new, a story and a half log structure
built a year ago and run by him until last fall. Since then, Mr. and Mrs.
George Purches have been conducting it.
THE ALASKA PROSPECTOR 2/27/1908
Because of their participation in a purported attempt to hang J.E. Kenney,
a roadhouse owner on Lake Creek in the Yentna District last September, Frank
Churchill and Frank Dunn were brought to Valdez on the Bertha by Special
Deputy Marshal Fred Slack, who arrested them in Seattle upon warrants under
indictments returned by a recent grand jury for assault with intent to kill.
Both of them gave bond to the sum of $1,000. Both Dunn and Churchill are well
known in the Cook Inlet country. Churchill has conducted a store at Susitna
Station for many years. Dunn, for the past 1 1/2 years has kept a roadhouse
at the same place. Three other men were arrested last fall upon warrants
issued by Commissioner Goodell of Knik, before whom Kenney filed a complaint
charging them with riot.
THE ALASKA PROSPECTOR 2/28/1908
The Lake Creek Roadhouse located on the Yentna River at the mouth of Lake
Creek was destroyed by fire last week. None of the stores or furnishings
were saved and the loss to the proprietors was heavy. The origin of the fire
has not been learned here. The house was a new, story and a half log structure
built by J.E.Kenney a year ago and run by him until last fall. Since then,
Mr. and Mrs. George Purches have been conducting it.
VALDEZ WEEKLY PROSPECTOR 10/29/1908
Five members of the Lake Creek hanging-bee party of which J.E.Kenney is
the victim, arrived on the Portland from the westward for the purpose of
standing trial on a charge of assault with intent to kill. The men are also
defendants in a damage suit brought by Kenney to recover $25,000. Those to
arrive are Frank Dunn, Frank Churchill, Charles Harper, A.R.Young and Sam
Wagner. The hanging took place 9/13/1907. Kenney had homesteaded some land
and the allegations are that the defendants named in the foregoing and 3
others, Ed Cone, McManus and T.I.Ellixson were desirous of running Kenney
out of the country. Accordingly, Cone declared that he had been robbed of
gold dust. The defendants organized themselves into a vigilance committee
and personally charged Kenney with the crime. Kenney made strenuous denial
of any wrongful act and after being threatened, was placed upon a box and
a rope was looped around his neck. The party kicked the box from under the
trussed up man. It so happened that the rope was new and it stretched sufficiently
to permit Kenney's toes to touch the ground, thus preventing his neck from
being broken. Kenney asserted that some of the men were in favor of making
a second attempt and while he was slowly strangling to death, the question
was debated, finally being decided in Kenney's favor, so he was cut
down. Kenney made his way to civilization and made his complaints. Cone is
said to be in the Kuskokwim country and McManus and Ellixson are believed
to be back in Cook Inlet.
A.R. Young and Charles Harper, 2 of those accused of assault with intent
to kill as a result of their connection with the Lake Creek Hanging case,
were placed on trial this morning. It was not until 2 this afternoon that
the jury was obtained. J.E. Kenney, the alleged victim was the 1st witness
called. In his opening statement to the jury, Attorney Fred Brown for the
defense admitted that the defendants had made a bluff at hanging, but Mr.
Brown denied that there was any criminal intent and insisted that the sole
purpose of the affair was to force Kenney into telling the whereabouts of
a poke of gold dust of which he was supposed to possess knowledge.
SEWARD WEEKLY GATEWAY 10/31/1908
Charles Harper and Al Young were acquitted by a jury in district court
today on a charge technically described as "participating in a riot" by attempting
to hang J.E. Kenney a year ago at his roadhouse on Lake Creek.
THE DOUGLAS ISLAND NEWS 12/15/1909
Word came to Seward from Knik by local authorities of the murder of George
Purches on 11/17/1909. Purches and a miner by the name of J.J. Kashevnikov
had trouble over a woman and meeting that day, had hot words which led to
blows, which were followed by the shooting and almost instant killing of
Purches. There being no local peace officer, the miners held a meeting to
consider the case, resulting in a decision to hold the murderer pending
the arrival of officers from Seward.
VALDEZ WEEKLY PROSPECTOR 2/11/1909
Killing is the end of Susitna fight: Ralph Williams, nephew of John
Corson is in a Seward jail on a murder charge. Frank Dunn, a proprietor of
a roadhouse at Susitna Station was shot and instantly killed last month by
R.E.Williams as the result of a quarrel growing out of Williams attempt to
protect Mrs. Dunn from her husband. Williams was brought to Seward last evening,
being in the custody of the Marshal. Early on the morning of January 21,
Dunn and his wife became involved in a quarrel and the woman was being subjected
to abusive treatment. Williams interfered and was badly beaten for his pains.
When he found that he was no match for Dunn, Williams drew a revolver and
shot Dunn. Dunn was well known to the westward and was one of the defendants
in the Lake Creek Hanging case.