GUARANTEED CIRCULATION
COVERING
SOUTHEAST ALASKA
Tshe Als-Isar
NEWS OF INTEREST
FROM NORTH, EAST & WEST
FOR ALL ALASKANS
VOLUME NO. VI.
NO. 48
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PETERSBURG, ALASKA.
JUNE 17, 1932
Subscription Price $4 per yea*
Detroit Company
Grubstakers
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Five airplanes passed over
Petersburg last Saturday en
route to Juneau from Walkcr
ville, Ont., from which port they
started flight on the 25th of
May. The planes covered a dis
tance of approximately 3,000
miles without any serious mis
hap or trouble. The boats will be
used in prospecting by the Mit
chell Exploration Company for
promising placer gold in regions ',
of the Northwest. Tne company!
plans to put experienced men in)
the field prospecting on a 50-50 j
basis, grubbing them with ne-i
cessary supplies and maintain- \
ing them on the fifty-fifty basis. [
The first objective is said to be,'
the Yukon district where it is
seated that they expect to get
into some rich groungs. They
will base their gas station on
the Tulsequah and reach out
into the interior country for
likely looking diggings.
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Forest Highway Funds
Are Allocated
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Official authorization has been
made for funds for road main
tenance and construction of the
IJ. S. Bureau of Public Roads in
Aiaska for the current season.
The sum involved is $200,000 of
which 50 per cent is for main
tenance work and 50 per cent
for new projects. Bids will be let
on all jobs and contracts award
ed before the work can be in
augurated and the funds do not
become available until the 30th
of June.
Included in the several items
are continuation of the Mitkof
Highway construction, south
Petersburg—$25,000; $35,000 for
Sitka Highway construction a
long the Jamestown road out
side of the Sitka National Monu
ment; $10,000 for the Tongass
Mud Bay-Point Higgins section
of Tongass Highway and main
tenance of all roads on the For
est Highway system in the sum
cl $100,000 was authorized.
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Wedding Bells Ring
For Girl Hi Graduate
On the evening of June 10th,
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C.
O. Parks were married Miss
Doris M. Parks and Everett Pet
ti crew by Reverend David Wag
goner. Mrs. Petticrew is a recent
graduate of the Petersburg High
School and Mr. Petticrew has
been associated in logging oper
ations with his brother Joseph
Petticrew at Totem Bay the past
winter.
Miss Frances Parks was flower
girl and Joe Petticrew was best
man while Mr. Parks gave away
the bride. Only a small group of
intimate friends were present at
the ceremony while a host of
friends give them god-speed
upon life’s matrimonial venture.
The happy couple left on the
Northland for Wrangell where
they plan to remain and from
which point Mr. Petticrew will
base his logging operations this
summer.
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Miss Mildred Keaton .former
nurse in charge at Kake, will dc
cuty on the Yukon River medi
cal ship this summer.
Fishermen Stick
By Company
J. E. Berg, manager of the
Alaska Halibut Fishermen’s Co
Operative company, commenting
on the conditions here, after a
recent visit said:
“I found that the owners of
the halibut boats there are more
determined than ever to make a
success of the co-operative com
pany, regardless of what may
come up.”
Mr. Berg announced that C.
C. Hinde, formerly cashier of the
Bank of Anchorage and later of
the Bank of Seward, a weil
known accountant in Alaska,
has taken the place with the
Marlyn Fish company caused by
the resignation of F. R. Mitsch,
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Committees Working
On July Celebration
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Charles Greenaa, appointed by
the City Council as chairman of
the Fourth of July Celebration
Committee, called a meeting of
citizens in the Fire Hall for the
purpose of organizing the com
mittee efforts for the celebra
tion in Petersburg of Independ
ence Day.
He appointed as advertising
and finance committee: A. 13.
Holt and Paul Vernon. Sports,
Trygve Strom, Heinie Dahl and:
Mr. Warfield. Program^ Rev.;
Maakestad and Mrs. Harold Lee, ,
Dance, Ralph Hall, Chet Pech
ette and George Strom, Decora
tion, Lloyd Swanson, Paul Ver-’
non and Carl Hatlund.
A motion was entered and car- i
tied that the citizens, and City
Council of Wrangell be invited
io enter into a oint celebration
in Petersburg. The invitation
tvas sent in Wednesday night by;
Chairman Greenaa. It was indi-j
cated that many Wrangell citi-!
zens are desirous this year of |
entering into a joint celebra
tion and the invitation was the
outcome of the expressed desire.
There will be no fire works this
year. This is a saving which the
committee felt could well oe
made owing to the present econ
omic times. However a good pro
gram will be arranged so that
Young America may have an
enjoyable day. The speaker of
the day will be chosen by the
Program Committee.
On Saturday the 2nd of July,
the American Legion will have
charge of the dance and on the
night of the Fourth, the program
committee has reserved the Sons
cf Norway Hall for the culminat
ing event of the celebration.
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Roosevelt, 1st Ballot
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Preconvention prognostica
tions by James A. Farley, mana
ger of Governor Franklin D
Roosevelt’s campaign for the
presidential nomination, assert
ed that the nomination of
Roosevelt will be on the first
{ballot. The “stop Roosevelt”
'campaign has collapsed he de
| chared.
Recent recapitulation of the
pledged delegates showed that
Roosevelt had 690 pledged dele
gates and more recent elections
have added to this score. Seven
hundred and seventy are requir
ed to nominate but only 580 are
necessary to control the con
vention and write the platform.
If nominated, Roosevelt policies
will be sharply indicated in the
platform.
Suspect Held In
Kidnapping Case
I Miss Violet Sharpe, waitress in
the Morrow home committed
j suicide on the 10th of this
month following her statement
tnat she was with one Ernest
Brinkert, taxicab driver the
night of March 1st, when
Charles Lindbergh, Jr., was kid
napped from the home of his
parents. The suicide was affect
ed just before a second question
ing of the girl was to be made by
the Jersey police.
Brinkert voluntarily crossed
the Jersey border line and en
tered police headquarters at
Alpine, N. J., for questioning. He
offered an alibi saying that ne
was with his wife in Bridgeport,
Connecticut “in a very nice
home owned by a negro.”
Col. Schwarzkopf of the Jersey i
police declared that “The man
now at Alpine under the name
of Brinkert is the same man
whose picture we have. This
picture was shown to Violet
Sharpe and she identified it as
being a picture of the man she
was auto riding with on the
night of March 1.”
“Jafsie” who saw him last
night and after talking with
him, told the police he did not
recognize Brinkert, had never
seen him before and could make
no identification of him in any
way.
Miss Sharpe committed suicide
in the pantry of the Morrow
home just after the police arriv
ed to question her further. Word
had been sent her to prepare for
the questioning. The poison she
used was a quick-acting and sold
only on prescription, being so
highly dangerous. Post mortem
determined that the body was
normal in every way being with
out disease or ailment of any
kind.
Brinkert will probably be held
for indictment. Police have not
indicated what evidence, cir
cumstantial or positive that they
have in the case outside of Miss
Sharpe’s story and her suicide.
Following statement by Brink
ert to the police they left im
mediately for an unannounced
destination. Brinkert denied
having been with Miss Sharpe
cn the night of March 1st and
it is presumed that the name he
gave the police was that of the
Negro with whom he claims to
have spent the two days.
Ladder Again in Sight
Claude Moody, real estate man
of Mararoneck, N. J., stated to
the police that the ladder used
in the kidnapping case was
stolen from the Moody estate a:s
there was a distinct resemb
lance.
Immigration records show
that Miss Sharpe had applied
for permission to leave the coun
try the day that the baby was
stolen. Police first suspected
Violet Sharpe had knowledge of
the fate of the baby because she
was “fresh and impertinent from
the start until the baby was
found then she was shivering
and nervous and on the verge of
collapse, and then we went to
work.”
Another Arrest
Robert Burns, aged 20, was
arrested in Detroit by detectives
who asserted that he was want
ed for questioning in connectioxi
with the Lindbergh case. He is
alleged to have been a former
sweetheart of Violet Sharpe.
Jersey officers however, do not
believe that he had any connec
tion with the case.
Mrs. Dwight W. Morrow, grand
mother of the Lindbergh baby
and employer of Violet Sharpe
reiterated her faith in the in
nocence of the woman even af
ter the suicide. Miss Sharpe had
been in the employ of the Mor
rows for two years.
Coolidge Insists World
Debts Be Paid
Calvin Coolidge, former presi
dent of the United States in the
July issue of Hearst’s Interna
tional Cosmopolitan Magazine
stated that the internation war
debts “cannot be canceled.” He
pointed out that the United
States borrowed the money to
lend to European nations and
that money must be paid either
by collections from Europe or
collected from American tax
payers.
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CLEGG CONFIRMED
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Judge Cecil H. Clegg of An
chorage has been confirmed by
the Senate as district judge of
the Third Division with head
quarters at Valdez Judge £.
Coke Hill of Valdez was con
firmed prior to this as judge at
Fairbanks a swap in fact having
been made of districts by the
Department of Justice.
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QUIZ OF JUDGE’S
CONDUCT APPROVED
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The LaGuardia resolution for
an investigation of the official
conduct of Federal Judge Harold
I ouderback of the northern dis
trict of California, was approved
by the House judiciary commit
tee.
Young Alaska Editor
Drowns in River
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William Alfred Moore, aged 13,
recently graduated from the
Chitina grade schools and more
nationally known as Editor-in
Chief of the “Chitina Herald”
was drowned on the 11th of this
month while playing on a log in
the Copper River.
Young Moore was the topic of
stories published in ‘“Time”
Magazine during the past winter
and was the youngest of editors
throughout the world. Besides
being the youngest editor he was
youthfully frank in his style—
which in an adult ■frould have
been classed as fearlessly honest.
Young as he was he filled a
niche in the hearts of all Alas
kans who came in contact with
him or his little journal. Sym
pathies of the newsprint frat
ernity go forth to the stricken
parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. E
Moore.
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MASSACHUSETTS RUNS
OF HERRING EXCITE
The herring runs present an
nual spring spectacles in severa
Massachusetts communities, a
rnong them Pembroke. Pembroke
and some other communities stil
maintain their fisheries becausv
herring serves as food for edibh
fish and as bait.
Senate Raises Ter.
Road Funds
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The House recently passed the
Alaska road funds in the sum of
$354,310 and passed the bill on
to the Senate. There Delegate
Wickersham appeared before
the Senate Committee and urged
that the appropriation be raised
which the Senate did by $140,
000. The bill now goes back to
the Conference Committee
where it will be worked over and
the committee recommendations
adopted.
A telegram from Delegate
Wickersham stated that “Was
interested in inducing the Se
nate Appropriation Committee
to increase Alaska road appro
priation of $494, 310. Army bill
passed Senate last night with
load appropriation included.
Bill now goes to conference.
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Hoover-Curtis Head
National G. 0. P.
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The Republican National Con
vention in Chicago on Wednes
day spent the day debating the
prohibition laws. By a vote ap
proximately 60-40, the conven
tion adopted a plank which will
re-submit the question to the
several states for their action.
o$ILY pw uay6 .- etaoin etaoih
President Herbert Hoover was
renominated yesterday by the
Republican convention as their
standard bearer for another
four years. Vice-President Chas
Curtis was chosen as his running
mate.
As predicted by political stu
dents, nomination of Mr. Hoover
was but a matter of form—it
was all cut and dried before con
vention.
Alaska’s delegates, Karl Thiele
A1 White, National Committee
man E .A. Rasmuson, were join
ed in Chicago by Delegate Jas.
Wickersham and they adopted a
plank advocating home rule for
Alaska, appointment of officials
from Alaska and greater consid
eration givep the country and its
people.
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To Investigate Postal
Contracts-Leases
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The Sabath resolution author
izing the House postoffice com
mittee to investigate postoffice
I construction and leasing con
tracts was approved by the
1 House rules committee.
Under the resolution the com
mittee would be directed to in
\estigate railroad, airmail and
|ocean mail contracts; prices paid
for postoffice building sites in
the past ten years and all con
tracts for construction of post
' office buildings in excess ol
I $100,000.
The resolution, approved by a
strict party vote of 8 to 4, charg
es “collusion exists between con
tractors and the bonding com
jPanies which makes it virtually
j impossible for independent con
(tractors to obtain bid bonds anc
thereby prevents competitive
bidding.”
Divorce was awarded Mrs. M
Sylvester from her husband Geo
Sylvester, of Wrangell.
-x
( Gaston Means was sentencec
L | to 15 years in prison for swindl
i, ing Mrs. E. B. McLean of $104,00(
: in an alleged plan to return thi
kidnapped baby Lindbergh,
Arrest Chiroprac
Narcotics Charge
G. A. Doelker, chiropractor
who recently opened offices on
Main Street, Juneau, was arrest
ed on a charge of practicing
medicine without a ' Territorial
license and this week re-arrest
ed on a charge of violating the
Harrison anti-Narcotics Act, a
Federal Statute. He was taken to
jail and held pending arraign
ment and bail.
It is alleged that when he was
formerly arrested he had a
quantity of cocaine in his pos
session in two small bottles, one
with an unbroken seal—said to
be pure cocaine, and a third one
which is believed to be a cocaine
[mixture prepared and ready for
[use. It is estimated that there
iwas between 450 and 500 grains
iof the drug seized. He was at
liberty on the former charge
under bail of $1,000 when re
arrested.
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ADMIRAL LINE FAVORS
MINERS
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The Admiral Line has insti
tuted a policy in Seattle favor
able to encouragement of min -
ers entering Alaska. There is a
considerable grubstaking going
on by various companies and in
dividuals to permit men to come
to Alaska to prospect which the
company is encouraging.
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Former Alaskan Is
Suicide In Seattle
BeeVan Presley, General Man
ager of the Alaska Steamship
Company, Seattle was found
dead in a patch of woods in West
i Seattle under circumstances in
dicating suicide. The body was
in a reclining position against
a tree, bullet hole through the
head and an automatic revolver
lying at one side of the body.
Mr. Presley was formerly man
ager of the Kennecott Mines and
was transferred to Seattle to his
late position. Officials of the
company state that he had been
under great mental strain re
cently.
He left the offices on the 9th,
advised his secretary that he
would be back shortly and after
several hours effort was made to
lccate him. His abandoned car
'was found in a thinly settled
'district and he a short distance
off in the woods.
Presley was a former football
star at the University of Wash
I ington. After leaving the Uni
versity he went East and amass
jed a fortune and later lost most
of it in the stock market. Corn
or’s report listed his death as
suicide.
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CHANGE GERMAN
CONSTITUTION
Officials of Germany have an
nounced that under the von Pa
pen government, there will be a
revision of the German Consti
tution but that the revision
would not in any sense rest on
monarchy. Von Papen was the
German minister invited to
leave the United States for his
. espionage activities prior to en
trance of this government into
the World War.
Ray Steele, well-known wrest
1 ler, arrived in town and is trying
> to arrange for a ‘rassling” exhi
i bition. * **