IRS-I «
Ist-ob
Eis-U
-
VOL. 4.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, NOV. 1, 1929
No. 1G
Fall Found Guilty
Accepting Bribe
Last Friday eight men anc
lour women sitting as jurors ir
Washington, D. C., in the case o:
U. S. vs. Albert B. Fall, chargee
v. ith accepting $U)0,0u0 bribe
money from E. L. Doheney ir
exchange for an invaluable or
lease on the naval oil reserves
brought in a verdict of guilty
After almost twenty-four
hours of deliberation they broi
in the verdict but with the re
commendation that the court be
lenient. It is doubtful that the
maximum penalty will be assess
ed because of this recommenda
tion.
The ex-cabinet officer faces
a penalty of three years in the
penetentiary and a fine three
times the amount of his bribe or
$300,000.
The loan was considered just
“a loan from one old friend to
another” by Doheney so that
the verdict was a stunning blow
to Fall and to his friend Dohen
ey. Fall took the blow without
expression. He is an old man
rnd having gone through con
siderable sickness along with
his worry over the charges, it is
hardly expected that he will
survive the sentence. Some
thirty exceptions were taken in
the trial by counsel for defense
and it is very probable that a
new trial will be demanded.
Results in Oil Cases
Since 1923 the court of the
District of Columbia has been
expending its energies in an ef
fort to bring to trial and secure
conviction of the ‘oil cases’ to
which attention of the country
was focused by the “radicals” of
the Senate.
The following is the record as
revealed by that court:
1. Harry F. Sinclair convicted
of Senate contempt; served 3
months in jail.
2. Albert B. Fall and E. L. Do
heny acquitted; charged with
conspiracy to defraud the gov
ernment.
3. Fall and Sinclair mistrial;
charged with conspiracy to de
fraud.
4. Sinclair held in contempt of
court and now serving six-month
sentence, and Henry Mason Day,
four-month sentence served, for
having jury shadowed to cause
mistrial) * * no jury.
5. Robert J. Stewart, Standard
Oil of Indiana, ex-chairman, ac
cmitted, charged with Senate
contempt.
6. Stewart acquitted: he had
been tried on charge of bribery.
7. Sinclair acquitted; charged
with conspiracy to defraud the
government.
8. Fall convicted; charged
with receiving a bribe from Do
heny.
In addition, H. M. Blackmer,
associate of Sinclair, has been
fined $160,000 for contempt of
court and refusing to return
from Europe to testify in one of
Sinclair’s trials.
The next move, according tc
the government is preferring of
fhe charge of bribing a federal
official, against Doheney and his
trial on the charge.
Of the whole caboodle Fall
an aged man, is made the goat
Blackmer losing only a part ol
his money while Fall loses hte
honor.
NEW TROLLER OFFICERS
| Magnus J. Nordstrum, wa,
elected president of the Alaska
jTroIiers’ Association at Ketchi
^ Iran for the coming year. Othei
‘officers were: Fred Wolleson
; > secretary-treasurer; Charles S
'Johnson, Gus Westerlund, And\
, Olsen and Mortin Johnson, di
;rectors; Ed Frederickson, Eric K
j Johnson, Pete Kaasen, Carl Lar
sen and Peter Jensen, trustees
All are residents of Ketchikan
save Charles Johnson, who is a
resident of Kake.
Charles Johnson is a graduate
of the Chemawa Indian School
Salem, Oregon and is prominent
in Alaska Native Brotherhood
affairs.
Has Narrow Escape
From Bear
H. C. Hughes, manager of the
mining operations in the Burns
Lake Section, B. C., for the Con
solidated Mining Company, es
caped death when attacked by a
bear by feigning death. It will
be an experience that time will
not erase from his memory.
He was going from one of the
company’s camps to another and
was suddenly encountered by
a bear when he stepped over a
mod. As much surprised as the
man, the bear leaped to his
hind feet and then charged as
he struck. Hughes slipped limp
to the ground and was bit on the
ide of the face by the bear. The
bear next caught him at the
back of the neck but fortunately
did not close his jav/s.
A wound on the thigh was
made by the bears claws, one
finger broken but not bitten off
and marks of fangs on his neck,
but not serious.
For a half hour Hughes lay on
the ground after the bear had
mauled him, but he did not lose
consciousness. He did not even
open his eyes nor move for fear
the bear would again attack him.
Finally he got to his feet and
started for the nearest camp
which he reached after eleven
hours. He was taken to Van
couver in an airplane after re
ceiving first aid at the Burns
Lake Hospital.
ANOTHER DEISEL-PLANE
The Packard people recently
demonstrated the practicability
of a deisel-engined plane and its
cheapness over the gas-engined
plane.
From Cologne, France comes
report of what is thought to be
the first airplane to fry in Eu
rope using an oil-burning en
gine. This plane recently made
a trip from Dessau to Cologne
:n three hours. The plane, a
Junkers, was fitted with a new
.’y designed engine, similar to
the Deisel engines.
BUM FISHING FOR OREGON
Report from Rogue River, Or
egon declares that the 1929 com
mercial fishing has been the
poorest on record.- The summer
run of Chinooks was exceedingly
light. Neither fishermen nor the
^packers made any money. A
' late run was reported but only
with a couple of days till the
season ended so that the run
will not be available for com
mercial purposes.
Salvation Army
Holds Big Congress
>1 ----
About two hundred memoers
of the Salvation Army assem
bled in Petersburg and held a
series of meetings in the Presby
terian Church, Sons of Norway
Hall and Variety Theatre with
Col. and Mrs. Peacock ox Winni
peg, representing the General oi
he Army and its Commissioner,
focal officers from Wrangell,
Ketchikan, Juneau and Peters
burg assisted in the conduct of
rhe congress; along with these
commissioned officers were the
local Native captains, envoys
i c.nd non-commissioned officers.!
Monday afternoon the local j
eamp of the' Alaska Native Sis-,
terhood, assisted by the Brother
good gave a luncheon to the en- j
lire visiting delegations in the|
Presbyterian Church; in the ev- j
jening the Chamber of Commerce ,
j represented by E. N. Ohmer, L. B.
j Cornelius, Trygvie Strom and,
jF. Houseman, were hosts at a!
| lunch for the delegations imme
i diately following the evening
1 service. Tuesday evening, the
newly organized Business Girls’ j
Club were hosts to the visiting '
officers, including the local offic- j
ers at the Devil’s Tnumb. After :
the dinner the company was de- !
lighted by two vocal solos by,
Miss Mary Keep, following which !
Col. and Mrs. Peacock, Staff-1
Captain Acton, Cant. Moore and
.Ensign Bayes. gave snort talk
The talk of Col. Peacock’s being
one especially fitted to an or
ganization such as the Business
Girls’ Club having certain pur
poses in view as their goal for a
| better civic development. He
urged the higher ideal of service
upon the organization.
Mr. F. E. Baker, representing
the Bay Scouts responded to a
call by Miss Lillian Swanson,
toastmistress of the occasion
i
and president of the Club. The
time was all to short for the of
ficers were scheduled to meet in
the Variety Theatre where was
held the biggest meeting and
program of the series.
The Sunday afternoon lecture
hy Col. Peacock was a history oi
the birth and growth of the or
ganization from inception in the
mind and heart of Genera)
i booth to the present day. The
| full purpose of the Army sum
med from the speech by the Col
(onei in two words is—Rehabili
tation and Service. Rehabilita
tion of moral wrecks and service
■ to all mankind.
The Monday evening meeting
in the Presbyterian Church was
a fine program of music from
the three bands, songs by the
mgress, a lantern lecture by
Staff-Captain Acton and Col.
Peacock.
The last meeting of the series
was held in the Variety Theatre
m Monday evening and was the
biggest and best of the congress,
finch band had its- piece, rrsngs
by the Presbyterian Choir, cor
net solos by Alfred Gordon of
Ketchikan and Paul White of
Kake, “The General’s Plan” by
Petersburg children, selections
by each of the three visiting
bands followed by talks from the
Col. and Mrs. Peacock followed
by other officers. The hit of the
evening being two songs in the
Indian language by Capt .and
'rrs. Tobin of Juneau. Following
Ibis long program, the visitors
If It some to go aboard their
boats returning to their sever
a1 homes early on Tuesday mo
al homes early on Wednesday
morning.
Earl Ohmer, mayor of Peters
burg was chairman of the Sun
day and Tuesday meetings. To
him the visiting officers express
ed . their appreciation of the
many courtesies extended the
Army and its officers by local
organizations and individuals.
The visiting delegations all
acclaim this the biggest and
best congress of Army folk ever
held in Alaska and they -were
ioud in their praise of the cour
tesies extended them.
'High Licence Now
Effective
The license fee on non-resi-!
, dent fishermen, passed by the ;
|last legislature, became of effect]
i as of the 1st day of August. The
fishermen who procured their
1929 license before that date are
; protected for the calendar year.
I Any applicant after that date
will have to pay the higher li
lt is being reported that the
i non-resklent fishermen, prob
ably through the Seattle Troll
ers’ Association, will take direct
I opposition to the measure and
1 carry it into court on the ground
, that it is unj ust and discrimina
tory. It is probable that the first
■step to be taken will be the se
I
curing of an injunction to have;
, enforcement of the law restrain- '
edd while its constitutionality is
tested. Those members of the
Association who have given the
law serious study declare that
it can be attacged and is vulner
I
able on a number of points. It
is not improbable that they will
make their attack during the
j winter term of courts.
Lets Prisoners Go No
More
-x
Down in Pocatello, Idaho, Jas.
A. Frederickson, sheriff of Fre
mont County, permitted federal
prisoners in his charge to go
fishing and leave the county jail
at will. He will do so no more
for he has been sentenced to
serve three months in jail and to
pay a fine of $500 for contempt
of court by Federal Judge C. C.
Cavanah.
Frederickson declared he had
continued custums formerly in
vogue in the management of the
jail.
GETS A QUEER FISH
-x
At Beach Haven, N. J., fisher
men recently hauled out of the
deep one of the queerest fish
ever caught. It had a mouth 12
inches long, no teeth and very
hard gums; ears in which its
eyes are set at either end of the
mouth. Near the front end of
the body are two feet, each hav
ing two toes. The length of the
fish is said to be 12 feet.
Next!
TAltiFF ON CLAMS
-x
The committee considering
the tariy measure now before
, Congress, has proposed a change
1 in the bill which woukl put the
clams under a duty of 20 per
cent ad valorem in stead of 35
per cent. This was done as a
matter of protection to the
American clam. It is contended
that a 35 per cent duty would
tedn to such an intensive fishing
that the American clam beds
would be soon be destroyed.
Heretofore the clams have
been on the free list which pre
cludes Territorial clams from
becoming an active competitoi
of foreign clams.
“Smallest Pack
Says the Pacific Fisherman
official organ of the salmon
packers of Alaska and Puget
3ound:
“The 1929 pack of Scotch
cured Alaska herring will be the
smallest put up since this meth
od of packing went into vogue
in 1918. This became apparent
with the close of the Southeast
Alaska herring season, Septem
ber 30, when estimates for total
production of the territory put
the figure at less than 26,000
barrels.”
“Brokers who study the situa
j lion carefully declare that to the
middle of September, there had
been no herring of prime quality
shipped out of Alaska.”
* “Southeast Alaska swarm
ed with fish during September,
out they were small, and not of
high curing quality.”
The opinion of Alaska fisher
men and others who study the
fisheries, that lack of the Scotch
cure sized herring is a mark of ’
depletion of that fisheries. The |
report in this same magazine j
positively states that the Prince j
William Sound and Aleutian
areas were the saving spots of j
that fishery. Inasmuch as the
reduction plants have not taken
as heavy a toll in those districts
it would indicate that the theory
of depletion of the herring is
due to the fertilizer plants, is an
incontrovertable fact.
-x
—-A.
FUR PRICES ON TOBOGGAN
The recent heavy declines on
the New York Stock Market has |
depressed conditions generally j
throughout the country, affect-;
mg business conditions from one
! end of the land to the other, j
i Consequently the fur market is1
I very much unsettled at present
! and should anticipate declines
I fully twenty-zve per cent on all
;items according to- the Seattle;
Fur Exchange of Seattle. For-!
: innately this decline is early anc
the markets will probably have
recovered getting prices back to
normal before pelting season
arrives. As soon as the market
again becomes stabilized, it is
| the purpose of the Seattle Fur
Exchange to pass that informa
| tion along to the trade and pro
! ducers.
WAS A GOOD AFFAIR
-o
1 The Commercial Club dance
staged in Sons of Norway Hall
was the biggest success of the
year. It was a financial success
and an enjoyable affair.
James Brennan left for Seat
tle via Wrangell today.
I Boy Scouts Are
Reorganized
During the past summer, the
National Boy Scout Council de
legated the entire Territory of
Alaska to the Seattle Council,
displacing the Tacoma super
vision of the territorial Scout
work.
During the past summer Mr.
Ronald R. Ruddiman while on a
vacation to the territory, passed
through Petersburg and made
arrangements for a trip this fall
to be made by Field Executive
Fred E. Baker who is responsible
for all the troop outside the city
of Seattle including Alaska.
Mr. Baker is now covering the
work in the territory and is
meeting with the men to learn
iccal conditions. Soon he will
local conditions. It is expected
that he will soon place full ex
ecutive time in the territory,
visiting and organizing scout
troops in all communities, in
cluding the outlying native vil
lages.
This program will be financed
locally as much as is possible and
the balance will have to be
raised outside from men inter
ested in this fine work.
A local representative will be
on the Executive Board of the
Council who will vote at the re
gular meetings ither by letter.
Pvoxy or in person to determine
various policies of the council.
Hoquiam Water Battle
The city of Hoquiam is having
i battle royal with the Oregon
Washington Water Service Com
pany. The company has filed
two new appeals in ari effort to
prevent the city from acquiring
the system by condemnation
proceedings.
The actions filed were a
straight appeal asking for a writ
of supersedeas and a petition for
a writ of certiorari
In the appeal for v/rit of cer
tiorari, attorneys for the com
pany contend that the judge
ment of condemnation, appro
priation and award, the decree
of possession W'ere illegal, erron
eous and void. They question
ed the constitutionality of the
laws upon which the decress
were based, insofar as they per
mit condemnation and appropri
ation of a public utility and ac
cord condemnor immediate pos
session.
The petition continued that
tne action was not supported by
the record, nor was there auth
ority for the award of a public
utility until final determina
tion of a just compensation.
They declared that no value had
ibeen placed on certain supplies
and equipment which were to
change hands.
The second action dealt with
the manner of payment and was
supported by seven affidavits,
cense or refrain from operating.
WAS WRECKED
-o
Cecil Allen and a truck of the
Adams’ Transfer parted com
pany rather suddenly this morn
ing down on the Scow Bay Road.
The car is a wreck. Report not
overly full but plenty enough so
that the transfer company now
needs a new car.
Spencer got a prize
dance last night and it
bloomer of a prize.
at the
was a