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USE-( Its-Us
IIOZC III-II
VOL. 4.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, APRIL 25, 1930
No. 44
Native Haines Family Row Ends in
Death Deputy Marshal Sherman
And Suicide Follows Killing
On the afternoon of the 21st
was started a family quarrel be
tween James Watson and his
wife which resulted in the death
of U. S. Deputy Marshal Sher
man, the suicide of Watson and
most likely the death of Mrs.
Watson.
. . .During a family quarrel, Wat
son lost his temper and fought
with his wife, beating her up
severely. His daughter, Mrs.
Shorty ran out to secure the
help of Deputy Marshal Sher
man. Before Sherman’s arrival,
a Mr. Metcaff rescued Mrs. Wat
son, though she was severeil cut
up by her husband. She was re
moved to the U. S. Army Hospit
al at Chilkoot Barracks where
doubt has been expressed as to
her recovery.
Realizing what he had done,
Watson shut himself in his
home and threatened to kill any
cne who tried to take him, and
as some people tried to get near
: his house he scared them away
by show of arms. A tear bomb
was secured and thrown into
the building and Sherman start
ed to approach the residence
when Watson opened fire on him
hitting him three times before
Sherman could reach protecting
shelter.
. .Shortly after this a fire broke
out in the house, the cause of
which had not been ascertained.
Some thinking it was started by
• the bomb and others beleiving
Watson had set the fire himself.
When the people of Haines rush
ed into the building to put out
the fire, they found Watson or
the floor with the top of hi,
head blown off. He preferre<
aeath at his own hand to deatl
from the hangman’s noose. Thi
fire was put out and the bodie;
removed.
Limitation Naval
Pact Signed
—x—
On Tuesday representatives ol
five dominant Powers of the
World affixed their signature::
10 a treaty limiting and reduc
ing the navies of three of the
Powers and restricting the na
vies of the other two.
, American Secretary of State
Stimson, was the first to sign
By terms of the treaty, the
United States .will be on paritj
with Great Britain. The date ol
expiration of the treaty is De
cember 31, 1930
-x
Last reports indicated Mrs
Watson’s condition so precarious
that she was not expected tc
live.
This trouble has been in the
making for some time. Watson
had overlooked the infidelity of
the woman on previous occa
sions and even raised her chil
dren by white men. In the pre
sent trouble, it is said that a
nephew, Mike Watson was the
trouble maker. In his life, James
Watson has always been a meek
and quiet sort of fellow. When
insult was added to injury, he
took matters into his own hands
and it was unfortunate that Mr.
Sherman was careless in permit
ting his body to get within Wat
son’s view after the tear bomb
i was thrown into the house for
3 then Watson realized the hope
I lessness of his case and with the
ispirit of his forefathers alive in
? him, preferred death at his own
3 hands to the disgrace of death
from the hangman’s noose.
Wheeler Wins His j
Land Title Suit
The land title case projected
into the city’s affairs last year
when James H. Wheeler started
to build on property claimed by
him and from which he was
ejected by force by citizens of
the town, occupied attention of
the District Court during the
past week. In a sealed verdict,
returned to the Court on Mon
day, Mr. Wheeler was awarded
a strip of land 24 feet wide by
55 feet deep and punitive dam
ages in the sum of $1. Original
suit claimed property with a
frontage of 100 feet and puni
tive damages in the sum of $26,
000. Exemplary damages which
were claimed were waived to re
cover damages claimed to have
been suffered by being deprived
of the property since last year.
Thus ends a chapter in local
civic affairs that has split the
population into several factions
to the hurt of the entire com
munity.
MONEY TO THROW AWAY
Henry Curran, president of
the Association Against Prohi
bition Amendment before the
Senate Lobby Committee, testi
fied that his organization spent
$407,000 last year advocating
repeal of the Eighteenth Amend
ment.
Thumbs Down On
Judge Parker
.-X
The Senate Judiciary Commit
tee voted an unfavorable report
to the Senate on President
Hoover’s nomination of Judge
John J. Parker, of North Caro
lina, as Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court of the United
States.
Chairman . Norris announced
the unfavorable report will be
laid immediately before the Sen
ate, making up the next Execu
five Session.
Ten were against and six for
the nomination which has met
with the disapproval of the Am
erican Fderofeiotse-o tn9’sHoovt
erican Federation of Labor and
the associated Brotherhood’s of
Engineers, Conductors, etc.
, -x
PETERSBURG ITEM ON RIVER
HARBOR BILL,
-x
The Rivers and Harbor re
ported on the House Calendar
this week, carries an item for
the preliminary examination and
purvey of Petersburg’s harbor.
; Along with the efforts of the lo
cal organizations to put this ov
er, is a strong endorsement from
the Seattle Fishing Vessel Own
ers’ Association.
James Wicker sham States His
Position Leaving No Doubt In
Minds of Voters Any Question
On Wednesday evening at the(
MacGregor Theatre gathered
one of the largest audience in'
Petersburg, to listen to to any
campaigner in Territorial af
fairs. Hardly a seat was empty
and none left during the two
hours and ten minutes taken
to present the issues of this cam
paign. The Judge has lost none
of his skill as a logician or any
of his ability to hold the atten
tion of his audience. And the
general expression was that he
made many friends by his clean
cut, impersonal, non-mudsling
ing disco or je. At the same time,
in a friendly fashion he reduced
all of his opponents charges and
platform to a ridiculous absurd
ity.
, . .Mayor Earl N. Ohmer as mas
ter of ceremonies presented Mr.
Peter Sommer, Petersburg can
didate, Auditor Cash Cole and
William L. Paul as men who
were all so well and favorably
known in Petersburg that they
really needed no introduction.
Turning to Judge Wickersham,
he introduced the Judge to the
' company present as one whose
work and efforts made him
• known to the people of Peters
; burg far better than any intro
. duction.
; Taking the floor in a reminis
l cient mood, the Judge described
f the wilderness of Petersburg
30 years ago when he first came
to the Territory and compared it
, with the “most successful fish
if
town in Alaska today,” with all
its modern homes, shops and
equipment. He followed along
to describe the same develop
ment through the whole Terri
tory.
i Going back twenty years, he
. read his first campaign pledges
to Alaskans and reminded them
that he had kept the faith with
the people of Alaska, in the se
1 j curing of the Organic Act and
-. an elective legislature the latter
| against the oppositio nof Presl
dent Taft; of his securing of the
Alaska Railroad; his fight
against the infamous Alexander
bill which besides giving perpet
ual title to trap sites was intend
ed to negate the autonomous
provisions of the Organic Act.
He told of his fight against the
bill in the face of a unanimous
committee report and how by
parliamentary tactics alone, he
defeated the bill singlehanded.
He described the trapleasing
bill which he proposed in Con
gress in this same battle against
the Alexander bill and stated
that as a lawyer he had been em
ployed to bring peace between
warring factions of trap men;
had drawn up the bill printed
in The Alaska Fisherman in 1928
and had been paid for his servic
es at a time when he was not a
candidate for office. Was con
demned for this while his oppon
ent who also served the canner
ies was not blamed for being so
employed. That Rustgard was
pledged to introduce such a bill
while he, Wickersham would not
introduce the bill and would pro
tect the rights of the resident
fishermen.
. Described the international
highway and pledged it full sup
port and would urge a “free zone
along a specified strip of terri
tory.” _
.. Touching on the political du
ties of every citizen he urged
that everyone get out and vote
regardless of their affiliations.
The kind of men who are elected
are the kind of men we want and
the government they give us is
the kind We want. “Politicians
are what you make them, as are
your administrative and execu
tive and judicial officers.” If you
have the wrong men in office the
I “fault is yours,” he declared.
He urged that it was not prac
tical politics to elect a man on
c certain platform and negate
I his efforts by election of men of
opposite views.
Breuer Offered Debauch His Office
For PauVs Support Is Shown by
Telegraphic Correspondence
^ -i
NEW VESSEL NOW READY
-x
Representing an investment
of $1,500,000, the Alaska Steam
ship Company’s new passenger
liner Aleutian will sail for Alas
ka ports on the third of May.
Her departure will be an out
standing accomplishment in the
development of transportation
facilities in the northern routes.
She will be the finest ship ever
operated between Seattle and
Alaska and one of the finest ves
sels in the coastwise service in
the United States.
The new Aleutian will meet
the ever-increasing demand for
superior service and accommo
dations from both the regular
cravel to and from the North and
the tourist movement to Alaska
that comes from every part of
the United States. The new ship
will replace the vessel of the
same name, lost in Uyak Bay,
Kodiak Island, Alaska.
The new Aleutian, formerly
the Ward liner Mexico was built
in 1929, is 41G feet long over-all
and 50 foot beam. She original
ly was built at a cost of $500,000.
She was completely rebuilt in
Seattle, at a cost of approximate
ly $1,000,000. Her aceommoda
•it-iis arc of the finest and will
provide every convenience for
he travelling public.
The ports of call for this ves
sel will be Ketchikan, Wrangell,
Juneau, Cordova, Valdez,, La
ouche and Seward. She will
ail alternately for these ports
Saturdays with the Yukon. Cap
ain C. A. Glasscock, popular
master of the Yukon will be in
command of the new vessel.
x
Appropriations For
Harbor Surveys
-x
An appropriation of $800 for a
flood control survey of Salmon
Uver to determine the advis
ibility of constructing an $80,
)00 floodway clearance to pro
ject the town of Hyder, was re
commended in the army engin
rer’s report submitted to the na
tional House of Representatives
oy Acting Secretary of War Da
vidson.
-x
, “OLD (TIMER” RETURNING
| ' -x
The Coast Guard CutterMan
ning, popular gunboat in the
’90’s is due to arrive in Seattle
early in June enroute to Alas
ka to replace the coast guard
cutter Unalga. The Manning
| will be under command of Capt.
K. W. Perry, who did valuable
work during the Mt. Katmai vol
cano eruption in 1912,
The Manning was one of the
crack American gunboats dur^
ing the Spanish-American War
and left Seattle in 1916 for the
Atlantic Coast and during the
World War did valuable convoy
duty in European waters.
Turning to is present platform
and pledges he reminded the
audience that he had never
broken a pledge and promised
a constructive diplomatic effort
!-Continued on page Five....
Leo W. Breuer on anotner
column is recipient of the com
pliments of the editor of this
publication. The following tele
graphic inquiry from Anchorage
and reply to it, is self-explana
tory and worthy the attention
of every voting citizen.
Anchorage, April 23, via
Ketchikan, April 24, ’30
William Paul,
Petersburg, Alaska
Reported here that Steel went
to Breuer and asked for position
under latter and when Breuer
refused then went to you and
nduced you to withdraw your
support from Breuer stop is it
true answer immemdiately.
J. N. McCain,
The Reply is Clear
APRil 24, 1930
Petersburg, Alaska
T. N. McCain,
Anchorage
[ never agreed to support Breuer
altho he solicited same period
When I refused account his ap
parent coi nee Henderson’s
policies he offered discharge
Mrs. Drake March first and en
gage somebody temporarily
while seeking final selection now
rumored to be some Cordova
teacher period When Breuer ar
rived in Juneau he continued
discussion with Steel who was
then ignorant Breuer’s proposal
to me and offered to appoint
j Steel temporarily who then
wired me whereupon I objected
on ground such move tanta
mount to throwing schools into
politics with resultant injury to
our party period Everybody here
! agrees that office Commissioner
Education should be nonpolitic
al period My opinion Breuer
putting bad face on situation
wherein he himself virtually of
ered debauch school system for
personal advantage.
(Signed) William L. Paul.
It would appear that this inci
dent is closed and when the
voters have done making the lit
tle “x’s” opposite the names of
the various candidates, Mr
Breuer will be remembered as a
former Commissioner of Educa
tion.
x
Sees Cold Storage
Bear Floating
R. O. Parks, returning from a
rip to Thomas Bay, encountered
a field of icebergs near Soukhoi
Islands among which he was able
*o navigate with considerable
difficulty. He declares that in
cne of the big bergs, a perfectly
: clear blue one, the carcass of an
exceptionally large black bear
I was embedded in the ice. The
| melting of the ice had exposed
oart of the bear so that the fur
was waving in the salt water.
From the position of the bear he
| surmised that it had slipped into
i a glacial crevice from which it
had been unable to extricate it
self and had been frozen in.
Why do the banks support
Smith? He dishes out Territor
ial deposits which they lend to
a gullible public at 12 per cent.
They pay little interest to the
Territory.. Esau sold his birth
I right for a mess of pottage.