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M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
3 ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01177 6108
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON
History af Washingam
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CLINTON
CORSALIVE IT. HAVY
HON. ELISHA P. FERRY.
First governor of the State of Washington; was born at Monroe, Mich., August 9, 1825; studied law at Fort Wayne, Ind .; was admitted to the bar in 1845; re- moved to Illinois in 1846, and was a member of Gover- nor Yate's staff during the civil war. In 1869, was appointed surveyor-general of Washington; was gover- nor of the territory from 1872 to 1880; practised law in Seattle, from 1880 to 1887, when he became vice- president of the Puget Sound National Bank. He was elected governor of the State, October 1, 1889.
2
History of Washington
The Rise and Progress of an American State
By CLINTON A. SNOWDEN
Advisory Editors CORNELIUS H. HANFORD, MILES C. MOORE, WILLIAM D. TYLER STEPHEN J. CHADWICK
VOLUME FOUR
TAT
TI
THE SEAL
WASHINGTON
1889
THE CENTURY HISTORY COMPANY NEW YORK
1909
Printed by John C. Rankin Company for The Century History Company
COPYRIGHT 1909 BY THE CENTURY HISTORY COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Publication Office 54 Dey Street, New York, N. Y. U. S. A.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XLIX.
THE WAR ENDS.
Leschi and Quiemuth in Hiding
3
Quiemuth Surrenders. 3
Is Killed in Governor Stevens' Office. 4
Leschi Betrayed.
4
His Indictment and Trial
5
The Jury Disagrees
6
His Second Trial
7
His Case Appealed.
8
His Pardon Asked For
S
His Execution Defeated
9
Public Indignation.
IO
Sentenced a Third Time and Executed.
His Last Speech.
12
Reservations Rearranged
13
Acts of the Legislature
14
Cost of the War
1 5
Stevens Elected to Congress.
18
General Clarke in Command.
19
Failure of Wool's Policy
20
Steptoe Advances Northward
21
His Defeat.
22
The Terrors of the Retreat.
23
Colonel Wright Takes the Field.
24
Battle of Four Lakes.
25
Battle of Spokane Plains
28
Garry a Messenger of Peace 29
A Slaughter of Indian Horses. 30
The Indians Come to Terms. 31
The Murderer of Bolon Hanged 32
Death of Owhi and Results of Wool's Policy 32
CHAPTER L.
1385638
FRASER RIVER AND SAN JUAN.
The Discovery of Gold
37
Newspapers at $5 per Copy 38
The Rush to the Mines. 39
Real Estate Speculations. 40
Governor Douglass Taxes the Miners 41
VI
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
His Rules and Regulations 42
His Plans Disapproved. 34
Governor of British Columbia 44
End of the Gold Excitement. 45
An Indefinite Boundary 46
Colonel Ebey Visits San Juan
47
The Sheep Tax.
47
George Bancroft's Precautions.
4S
Boundary Commissioners Appointed.
49
The Pig Killed. 50
Harney Visits the Island. 5 I
Pickett's Instructions 52
He Takes Possession 53
54
Harney's Letter to Douglass 55
Casey Reinforces Pickett.
56
He Confers with the British Officers
57
Visits Admiral Baynes. 58
Colonel Haller Arrives 59
Harney Suspected.
60
General Scott Sent to the Coast
61
His Instructions. 62
George Bancroft's Usefulness 63
The Controversy Reviewed. 64
Douglass Manages Badly. 66
Difficulty of His Position 67
Public Interest in the Controversy. 68
A Murderer's Plea 69
CHAPTER LI.
EARLY SETTLERS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON.
The Advance Guard. 73
Gold Discovered in Idaho. 74
A Nez Perce Indian's Vision 75
The First Gold Hunters. 76
Walla Walla Founded. 77
The Severe Winter of 1861-62 78
New Mines Discovered
Stage Lines. 79
79
Wheat Growing on the Hills. 80
The Montana Mines 81
First Wheat Down the River 82
The Lawless Element 83
A Delicate Situation.
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
V11
One Ruffian Meets His Fate
84
Another Follows. S5
The Farmers Assemble 86
The Trouble Ended.
86
Idaho Organized.
87
Gold Found on the Boundary
SS
New Counties Organized.
89
First Settlers in Adams County 90
Early Settlers in Whitman County 91
First Settlers in Lincoln County 92
Yakima and Douglas Counties
93
Old Yakima City 94
Spokane County 95
First Settlers at Spokane Falls 96
Oregon Claims Walla Walla 97
A Second Claim 98
CHAPTER LII
THE CIVIL WAR.
Lack of Interest Among the Settlers IO3
Reasons for It 104
First Efforts at Recruiting 105
Indian Troubles 106
The First Washington Infantry 107
IIO
Alarming Rumors I12
Patriotic Washington Women II3
Sanitary Commission Work. 1 14
115
Lieut. Col. Silas Casey
I16
Lieut. A. V. Kautz.
II7
Lieut. Robt. N. Scott.
IIS
Col. George Wright.
I18
Capt. E. D. Keyes
I18
Capt. J. A. Hardie.
119
Lieut. D. McM. Gregg
II9
Maj. W. N. Grier
119
Capt. F. L. Dent.
II9
Capt. R. W. Kirkham
120
Capt. E. O. C. Ord.
120
Lieut. M. R. Morgan
I20
Lieut. R. O. Tyler.
I2I
Capt. Rufus Ingalls
121
The Revenue Cutter Shubrick.
Harney's Unfortunate Course.
V111
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
Col. Justus Steinberger I2I
Lieut. Chas. P. Eagan 122
Gen. John M. Wilson. 122
Lieut. W. D. Pender 122
Maj. R. S. Garnett.
I23
Capt. Chas. S. Winder
123
Lieut. J. S. Phelps.
123
Capt. Guert Gansevoort
124
Lieut Geo. Upham Morris
I24
Lieut. E. P. Alexander
I24
Maj. Gabriel J. Rains
I25
Capt. Geo. E. Pickett
I26
Capt. C. C. Augur
126
Capt. D. A. Russell
127
Maj. G. O. Haller
I28
Gen. Isaac I. Stevens.
129
CHAPTER LIII.
PROGRESS OF EVENTS.
Gholson Succeeds McMullen 137
His Peculiarities. 139
William Pickering, Governor 140
Home Rulers Asked For 14I
Political Parties. 142
Cole Appointed Governor 144
Succeeded by Alvan Flanders 145
The Steilacoom Insane Asylum 147
Divorces Granted by the Legislature I48
Vetoes.
149
The Early Legislatures 150
Societies Incorporated. 15I
Governor Marshall F. Moore.
I52
The Alaska Purchase.
I53
H. G. Struve's Part in It.
I54
Apportionment of Representatives. 155
The Capital Location Question I57
University and Penitentiary 158
Acting Governor McGill. 162
The Capital Fight in Court 164
The Custom House. 165
Victor Smith, Collector I66
His Troubles Begin 168
Threatens Port Townsend 170
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
ix
Governor Pickering Alarmed. 17I
The Custom House Removed to Port Angeles. 172
Smith Removed from Office 174
Flood at Port Angeles. 175
Death of Smith. 176.
Importation of Marriageable Women 177
A Second Party 178
Chief Justice Hewitt
180
Changes in the Court.
182
Trouble in the Legislature.
183
Wholesale Vetoes. 184
Garfielde Elected Delegate. 185
Attempt to Tax the Hudson's Bay Company 186
A Long Battle. 188
Murder of B. F. Kendall 189
End of the Tax Case. 191
Purchase of Hudson's Bay Interests. 192
Progress of Settlement 194
Early Newspapers. 195
Death of Earliest Settlers 195
CHAPTER LIV.
"THE GOD TERMINUS."
Hoping for Railroads. 201
Fathers of the Northern Pacific. 202
A Territorial Charter 203
The Union Pacific 205
The Northern Pacific Begun
206
Jay Cooke & Co. Interested
207
Advertising the Country 208
Building Started. 209
Local Companies Chartered. 210
The Oregon Steam Navigation Company. 211
The Rainbow End of a Railroad 214
Hopeful Towns. 215
The Olympia Branch Company 217
Olympia's Christmas Present
219
Seattle's Hopes. 222
A Committee Visits the Sound. 225
Tacoma the Terminus. 226
How Tacoma was Founded. 22 7
Its Name. 229
Failure of Jay Cooke & Co. 230
x
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
The Fight for Existence. 23I
The Seattle and Walla Walla?Road 232
First Days' Work on the Grade. 234
Waning Interest. 235
Hard Times
236
James M. Colman 237
Olympia Starts a Road. 238
Dr. Baker's "Rawhide Road". 239
Its Value to Eastern Washington. 244
The Plat of Tacoma. 246
The Wilkeson Branch. 247
War on the Northern Pacific. 248
Mount Rainier or Mount Tacoma
249
CHAPTER LV.
CIVIL AFFAIRS.
Elisha P. Ferry, Governor 257
An Echo of San Juan. 258
Financial Affairs. 260
Equalizing Assessments 261
First Board of Immigration
262
First Railroad Law
263
Revision of the Revenue Laws
264
The Railroad Question 265 266
First Penitentiary
Employments of the Prisoners
267
Aspirations for Statehood. 268
The Walla Walla Constitution 269
Loss of the Steamer Pacific. 270
Cause of the Disaster 272
273
The Indian Reservations
274
Women Allowed to Vote.
275
The Law Declared Invalid.
276
A Second Trial.
277
A Reign of Terror in Seattle
277
A Vigilance Committee Organized 278 279
The Murderers Hanged.
A Third Added. 280
Governor Squires Reports 281
A Prosperous Period. 281
Great Fire in Seattle. 282
Governor Miles C. Moore's Short Term 283
Loss of the Great Republic.
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
xi
CHAPTER LVI.
THE RAILROAD COMPLETED.
Troubles of the Early Builders 287
Billings Again to the Rescue 288
Henry Villard Appears. 289
Grading Begun at Wallula. 289
Settlers Encouraged. 290
Shipping Grain by Chute
291
Mushroom Towns 292
Cheney and Spokane. 294
Their Welcome to the Railroad. 295
Spokane's Great Fire 296
The Inland Empire
297
The Cascade Division 298
Villard Captures the N. P
299
Visits the Sound Cities.
300
Buys Coal Mines. 30I
The Northern Pacific Completed 302
Hop Culture 303
Villard in Trouble 304
Tacoma and Seattle.
305
Fight Against the Land Grant.
306
Voorhees Sent to Congress
307
Prosperous Cities 308
The "Orphan Railroad" 309
A Parent Found for It 310
The Stampede Tunnel 31I
Villard Regains Control 312 Increase of Population. 313
Growth of Cities and Towns 314
Railroad Extension 315
The Old Age Passed Away 316
CHAPTER LVII.
THE ANTI-CHINESE MOVEMENT.
Early Hatred of the Chinamen 319
Agitators Begin Work. 320
Hop Pickers Attacked. 320
Raids on the Coal Mines 32I
An "Anti-Chinese Congress' 322
Appeals to the Governor 323
President Cleveland Advised 324
X11
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
The Situation at Tacoma 325
"Peaceable Expulsion" 327
The Situation in Seattle. 329
The "Opera House Party"
330
Judge Burke's Bold Course.
33I
John Leary's Report.
332
A Home Guard Organized.
333
Federal Troops Arrive.
333
The Agitators Resume Work
334
The Chinese Quarter Raided
335 336
The Chinamen in Court.
337 338
A Battle in Main Street.
339 340
The Killing of Stewart
A Charge of Buckshot.
34I
The Rioter's Invoke the Law
342
Martial Law Declared.
343
Federal Troops Return 344
The Agitators Disappear 345
CHAPTER LVIII.
THE LUMBER INDUSTRY.
Early Settlers as Lumbermen 349
The First Saw Mills.
349
The First Cargo of Piles 350
The Early Shingle Market.
35I
Felt's Mill at Appletree Cove.
352
The Port Madison Mill
352
The Puget Mill Company
353
Captain Renton's First Mill
354
J. M. Colman, Mill Builder
355
The Port Blakely Company
356
The Port Ludlow Mill.
357
Grennan & Cranney's Flagstaff
358
The Freeport Mill. 359
Roeder and Peabody's Mill
360
Hansen and Ackerson's Mill at Tacoma
360
Logging in Early Days. 36I
The High Stumps Explained 362
Forest Fires.
363
Habeas Corpus.
The Return to the Ship
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
X111
CHAPTER LIX.
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
The Log School Houses
367
School Books. 367
The Early Superintendents 368
The Territorial University 369
Fight for its Location
369
First University Buildings
370
Sale of University Lands.
371
Whitman College Founded.
373
Its Early Struggles.
375
Devotion of Cushing Eells 376
More Prosperous Days. 377
Other Schools of Territorial Times 378
CHAPTER LX.
STATEHOOD.
Further Delay Impossible. 383
Statehood Demanded. 384
Enabling Act Passed. . 385
The Constitutional Convention 385
Its More Prominent Members 385
No Report of its Proceedings. 388
Petitions and Communications 388
The Constitution Completed 389
The State Officers Installed 390
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Governor Elisha P. Ferry Frontispiece Judge O. B. McFadden. Facing page 8
Indian Battlegrounds. Facing page 26
Edward Eldridge. Facing page 40
General George E. Pickett .Facing page 52
Steamer Indianapolis
Facing page 72
Steamer Minnesota
Facing page 92 Fort Boise.
Facing page 110
Elwood Evans Facing page 149
Henry G. Struve Facing page 154
Port Townsend Facing page 173
Selucius Garfielde Facing page 185
First Post Office in Tacoma Facing page 194
Rev. George F. Whitworth, D. D. Facing page 223
General Morton M. McCarver Facing page 227
Judge John J. McGilvra. Facing page 232 James M. Colman, Facing page 237 Facing page 243
Dr. Dorsey S. Baker
Tacoma in 1878
A. M. Cannon.
Facing page 250 Facing page 295 Facing page 332
John Leary.
General William McMicken
Facing page 344
Captain William Renton Facing page 354 Reverend Daniel Bagley Facing page 369
John B. Allen. Facing page 389
CHAPTER XLIX. THE WAR ENDS.
C OLONEL WRIGHT did not deliver Leschi, Quiemuth, Nelson and Kitsap to the governor for trial, although he directed Major Garnett at Fort Simcoe to assure the Indians that it was for their interest that these chiefs should be given up. After the battle at Connell's Prairie, in which they had finally been defeated by the volunteers, under Major Hays, and after finding the country everywhere so thoroughly guarded that their guerilla bands could commit no depreda- tion upon the settlers, these chiefs, with about twenty of their warriors, had fled across the Cascades and taken refuge among their kinsmen, the Yakimas. Here they remained until late in the fall when, finding that the other hostiles were not being molested, they found their way back to the Sound, intending to remain in concealment until they could ascertain whether their lives would be sacrificed by giving themselves up. But living in this way, like wild beasts who did not dare to show themselves by day, soon became tedious and disagreeable, and Quiemuth gave himself up to James Longmire, with the understanding that he would intercede for him with the governor. He was taken at once to Olympia, and arrived at the governor's office some two or three hours after midnight. The governor was awakened and received the party, and left them to spend the remainder of the night in his office. Longmire and Quiemuth lay down on the floor by the fire and, as both were tired, were soon sleeping so soundly that, when Longmire was awakened not very long after, he could not for the moment remem- ber where he was, or realize what had disturbed him. Quie- muth was standing near the door, and a crowd had gathered outside. A shot had been fired, but who had fired it was not then or ever afterward known. Quiemuth soon fell
4
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
to the floor, but it was not the shot that had killed him. He had been hit by it, and wounded in the arm, but while stand- ing at the door was stabbed to the heart by some person standing just outside, unseen from within, but believed to be James Bunton, son-in-law of the murdered McAllister.
The governor was aroused by the disturbance, and began at once to take steps to have the murderer discovered and apprehended. An inquest was held, but no proof sufficiently definite to justify the arrest of Bunton was secured.
The governor was much disturbed by this incident. Three or four other Indians had been killed at Olympia during the year, and other murders, like that of the Indian at Fort Nisqually, had given General Wool and his adherents occa- sion to arraign the governor for failing to protect the lives of the innocent and of prisoners. In April, an Indian, who is said to have been the one who threw Mrs. Brannan and her babe into the well, at the White River massacre, was surrendered at Seattle and sent to Olympia in irons, on the John Hancock. There he was shot dead in the street by a brother-in-law of the murdered woman. Another Indian named Mowitch had also been shot near the town, while getting into his canoe. These murders were a natural consequence of the disturbed condition of things, and no police power that the governor could have been justified in attempting to maintain, would have prevented them.
A reward of fifty blankets was offered for the apprehension of Leschi and it proved effective. He was surrendered by one of his own relatives on November 13th. A special term of court was at once convened at Steilacoom by Judge Cheno- weth, with a grand and petit jury, and Leschi was indicted and almost immediately brought to trial. Public interest in the trial was very great, and the excitement of the settlers
5
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
was increased by the knowledge that Colonel Wright had refused to give him up for trial, and that Colonel Casey and the regulars at Fort Steilacoom felt kindly toward the pris- oner, and would protect him from violence, and perhaps assist him in his defense. He had earlier offered to surrender to Casey; "but that officer had considered it more prudent that Leschi should, for a time, remain in the woods, as prej- udice ran high against him," says Dr. Tolmie. It was of course assumed that the Hudson's Bay people would befriend him, so far as they could, and this helped to intensify the public feeling.
The indictment charged the prisoner with murder, in having killed, or been accessory to the death, of A. Benton Moses, who, with Joseph Miles, was shot only a few days more than a year before, near the spot where McAllister and Connell had been ambushed only two days earlier. He pleaded not guilty, and a jury was impaneled. Among the jurymen were: Sherwood Bonney, Albert Balch, J. H. Wright, Ezra Meeker and William M. Kincaid. Frank Clark appeared for the defense. Various witnesses were sworn and gave their testimony, among them being Captain A. B. Rabbeson, who had been with the express party returning from Captain Maloney's camp east of the moun- tains, of which Moses and Miles had been members. It was shown that this party saw Leschi near his camp as they passed it, and that only a few minutes later they were fired upon, and Miles was instantly killed and Moses mortally wounded. No one had seen the Indians who actually fired these two deadly shots, but they were fired from an ambush near Leschi's camp, and probably from the same ambush from which McAllister and Connell had been killed.
6
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
This evidence was not shaken by the defense, which relied upon its claims that a state of war between the whites and Indians had existed at the time all these men had met their deaths, and that the prisoner could not be held for lives sacrificed in war.
The court charged the jury that if a state of war really existed at the time, and the deceased and the defendant were engaged on opposing sides, then the killing was not murder, and the defendant could not be held guilty. It was also pointed out that in Indian wars no formal declaration was usually made, but some act of war on one part or the other marked its beginning. It was for the jury, therefore, to determine whether an act of war, sufficient to be regarded as notice that war had actually begun, had been committed, and whether the prisoner, and the man killed, had been engaged in it, before the killing.
The jury retired for deliberation, and it was soon found that they stood eight for conviction and four for acquittal. Many ballots were taken with this result. Finally, after several hours spent in arguing and balloting, the jurors returned into court, and asked to be discharged. But the judge would not discharge them, and sent them back for further deliberation. Several other ballots were taken. At length ten voted for conviction, but Meeker and Kincaid still held out, and declared they would never vote to con- vict. They again returned into court. It was then near midnight, and the small courtroom, but dimly lighted with candles, was crowded with the expectant settlers who had remained to learn the result of the trial. There was almost breathless silence when the foreman announced that there was no hope of agreement, and the jury were dis- charged.
. 7
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
The excitement, which had been intense while the trial was proceeding, was now at fever heat. The jurors who had refused to convict, anticipated that perhaps some vio- lence, or indignity, might be offered them, but nothing of the kind happened. The settlers were disappointed, but they dispersed peaceably and went to their homes.
The judicial districts of the territory had now been rear- ranged, and Congress, in its wisdom, had provided that court should be held in only one place in each district. The next trial was accordingly held at Olympia, and began on March 18, 1857, Judge Lander presiding. About the same evidence was presented as at the former trial, and similar defense made. Public excitement was general and as keen as before, and the interest of the regular army officers, and Hudson's Bay people in the defendant even more apparent. The jury found the defendant "guilty as charged in the indict- ment, and that he suffer death."
Application for a new trial was made March 20th, but it was overruled. Lieutenant Kautz had by this time made a map of the ground on which the murder occurred, which showed, if it could be depended upon, that the defendant would have had to travel nearly twice as far as his victims had done after they had seen him, to reach the place where the tragedy occurred, and the defense asked for opportunity to present this to a jury, and show by it that it would not have been possible for Leschi to be present when the shooting occurred, but the motion was overruled. Leschi was then sentenced to be hanged on June 10th, following.
The case was now carried to the supreme court by writ of error, and the execution was accordingly stayed for the time being. The case was argued at the December term, before Justices McFadden and Chenoweth, the chief justice
8
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
being at the time out of the territory. The decision of the court was unanimous. The opinion, written by Justice McFadden, reviewed the errors assigned, at length, and overruled them, and Leschi was ordered to be again sentenced. This time the date of execution was fixed for January 22d, between the hours of 10 and 2 o'clock.
Soon after the sentence was pronounced a second time Leschi was sent to Fort Steilacoom for safe-keeping, and the army officers, Dr. Tolmie, and others of the Hudson's Bay people at Fort Nisqually, together with the prisoner's attor- ney, began to take active steps to secure a pardon. Governor Stevens, who had now been elected delegate to Congress, had resigned a month later, and Fayette McMullen of Virginia had been appointed, and installed as his successor. He gave a patient hearing to all the arguments made in the prisoner's behalf, by his attorney, and by Dr. Tolmie, who told at length the story of his acquaintance with him cover- ing a period of more than twenty years. Affidavits had been prepared by some of the army officers, in which it was represented that from an examination of the ground where the murder was committed it did not appear to be possible that the prisoner could have been present, if the party, with whom the murdered men were, had seen Leschi at the time and place it was claimed they had, by the witnesses for the prosecution. The pardon asked for was refused, and then other efforts were made for a respite. Among others, Colonel Casey himself wrote to the governor urging that it be granted, but it also was refused, and the death-warrant was finally issued, being addressed to the sheriff of Pierce County, within the jurisdiction of which the prisoner was, he being at the time in the custody of Colonel Casey at Fort Steila- coom.
JUDGE O. B. McFADDEN.
Was a justice of the supreme court of the territory from 1853 to 1858, and chief justice from 1858 to 1861. He then practised law until 1872, when he was elected delegate in Congress.
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9
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
But the execution did not occur on the day fixed. When it arrived his attorney had prepared a surprise for all con- cerned, except those who were to help him to set the law at defiance by a mere trick.
Just before the hour fixed for the execution the sheriff was arrested by Lieutenant Mckibben, from Fort Steila- coom, who had been appointed a special deputy United States marshal for the purpose, on a warrant issued by J. M. Batchelder, United States commissioner, who was a sutler stationed at the fort, on a charge of having sold whiskey to Indians. The sheriff's deputy was also included in the charge and he, too, was taken into custody. They were held under guard until after 2 o'clock, when they were set at liberty, the time having passed within which the execution had been ordered to take place.
It appeared to those on the ground, both officers and citizens, that the sheriff and deputy were willing prisoners, and that they and the officers at the fort, and the prisoner's counsel had arranged the matter between them, for the pur- pose of delaying the execution until they could appeal to the president for a pardon, or commutation of sentence. Secretary Mason, who had gone to Steilacoom to see that the sentence was duly executed, was met by a messenger before he arrived there, who informed him that the sheriff had been arrested by order of Colonel Casey, and taken to the fort. He hurried thither and asked the colonel if this was true, and was informed that it was not. To further inquiries he replied that he had not refused a guard to be present at the hanging, but had ordered twenty men to be in readiness to attend if called for, and he stood ready to surrender the prisoner, who was in his custody, "upon demand of the prop- er officer, with a legal warrant from the court." He also
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