AND ALASKA LABOR NEWS,
V< )L. l. NO. 43.
M
ANCHORAGE. ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26, 1917.
T
PRICE TEN CENTS.
SI
JAMES GAY, TRUSTED EMPLOYE OF THE ALASKAN
ENGINEERING COMMISSION, ARRESTED FOR AID
ING ILLICIT LIQUOR SELLERS, MAKES CONFES
SION, NAMING CONFEDERATES, AMONG WHOM
ARE JOSEPH MORRIS AND WM. “SHORTY” PE
TERSON—ARRESTS FOLLOW SEIZURE OF INTOXI
CANTS RELEASED WITHOUT MARSHAL’S ORDERS
.4
James Gay, employed by the Alas
kan Engineering commission to take
charge of all intoxicating liquor ar
riving here and retain it at the freight
sheds until it should be released by
order of the United States deputy
marshal, was arrested last evening at
his home on the charge of aiding and
abetting the sale of intoxicants here.
Joseph Morris was also arrested.
He is accused of keeping intoxicants
for sale.
Deputy Marshal Clarence W. Moss
man made the arrests as the result
of the seizure from a dray wagon
driven by Charles Watson of thirty
four cases of whisky that had been
released from Gay’s custody without
the deputy marshal’s order.
Gay was arraigned before United
States Commissioner Leopold David
Friday morning and requested further
tf ne to plead. He did not ask for lib
erty on bail and is held in jail.
Morris has not been arraigned yet.
He is in jail.
The arrest of Morris, according to
Deputy Marshal Mossman, was occa
sioned by the statement of Watson
that he had received the liquor from
Gay with instructions to deliver it to
Morris. Watson was not taken into
custody.
Deputy Marshal Mossman stated
that the authorities had suspected for
some time that liquor arriving he re
;.ud been delivered without hu- ‘ ap
proval and that illegal shipments, for
which the owners had never made any
claim, had been secretly taken from
the freight sheds and disposed of il
legally. He said that papers found
on Gay at the time of his arrest tend
ed to connect him with previous ille
gal traffic in liquors which had been
placed in his charge.
The deptuy marshal is pursuing in
vestigations in an effort to ascertain
the identity of persons connected with
any of these alleged previous cases of
illegal liquor dealings.
James Gay, government custodian
of all arriving liquor shipments, plead
ed guilty late Friday afternoon be
fore U. S. Commission Leopold David
to having aided and abetted the ille
gal sale of intoxicants here, and
was sentenced to one year in jail, the
heaviest penalty that could be im
posed under the law.
Joseph Morris, who is accused of
keeping for sale intoxicants obtained
from Gay, was arraigned before the
commissioner and pleaded not guilty.
Morris’ bail was fixed at $2,000. He
furnished it in cash, and was released
pending the setting of a date for his
trial.
Made Full Confession.
According to United States Deputy
Marshal Clarence W. Mossman, a
complete confession was made by
Gay. The prisoner is said to have
related all his illegal liquor transae
> Laborer Shot by Deputy Is Held
on Charge of Attempting to Rob
I
1
Carl Lind, following a hearing late
yesterday afternoon before United
States Commissioner Leopold David,
was held to await the action of the
federal grand jury on the charge of
attempted highway robbery. His bail
was fixed at $5,000. He furnished it
and is at liberty.
Lind is acccsed of having attacked
on C street the night of September 2,
J. J. Sturgis, United States deputy
marshal, with intent to rob him, not
realizing, according to the authorities,
that Sturgis, who was in citizens’
clothes, was an officer of the law.
Statement of Officer.
Deputy Marshal Sturgis testified
that he was attacked by Lind and two
other men and that Lind was armed
with a pocket knife, having a blade
Kibout three inches in length. The
deputy marshal said he protected
himself with his revolver, shooting
Lind in the arm and chest and that
the other two men fled from the scene.
Earlier in the night, in the same
neighborhood Anton Brunston was
robbed of about $15 and badly beaten
by three highwaymen.
Contention of Lind.
Lind has almost completely recov
ered from his wounds. He1 had work
ed on the construction of the govern
ment railroad, and has many
acquaintances among his fellow
| laborers. They believe him innocent,
| and it was through their efforts that
! he was able to furnish his bail bond.
John Bryan, of Juneau, was re
cently arrested on a charge of va
grancy. This is rather a late law, as
the city council issued orders a short
time ago to arrest any one in the city
without visible means of support who
refuses to work. With so many of
the mines in that section calling for
help there is no need of any being
idle. Bryan was the first man arrest
ed under the new ruling.
tions and to have named the persons
associated with him in the various
deals. Facts in corroboration of this
confession are under investigation by
the authorities, who declare other
arrests will soon follow.
The chief method of evading the
law, as related by Gay, was for cer
tain persons, whose identity the au
thorities will not make public now, to
order a number of cases or parcels
of intoxicants under fictitious names.
Bribes Were Given to Gay.
When the liquor arrived here, the
persons that had ordered it, knowing
they could not obtain from the
deputy marshal’s office permits to
remove the liquor from the ware
house, would bribe Gay to deliver it
to them. Gay declared that the us
ual bribe given him was $5 on every
case of whisky, and other liquors
brought $5 on quantities equaling in
value a case of whisky.
Gay is confined in jail here. He
will be taken to Valdez to testify be
fore the federal grand jury which has
been called to convene there October
15. After testifying before the grand
jury he will serve the remainder of
his term in the jail at Valdez.
• Gay is married. His wife plans to
remain here.
Deputy Marshals Seize Liquor,
i Five barrels and six cases of beer
rtve/e seized on Saturday by deputy
i marshals in a warehouse here and tak
en to the federal jail building on a
search warrant alleging that the li
quor had been illegally brought into
the community.
The beer, it is declared is a part of
the liquor that James Gay, until re
cently government custodian of liquor
shipments, released to Joseph Morris
without order from the deputy mar
shal’s office.
William E. Peterson, who operates
an automobile for hire and conducts
the Alaska hotel and rooming house,
was arrested Sunday by Unit
ed States deputy marshals, on the
1 charge of having aided and abetted
the illegal sale of liquor here. He is
at liberty on cash bail of $2,000.
According to the deputy marshals,
Peterson transported in his automo
bile liquor that had been illegally ob
tained from James Gay, the govern
ment custodian of liquor shipments,
who last week pleaded guilty to un
lawful traffic in intoxicants,
i When Peterson, after his arrest,
j was taken to the federal jail, $800 was
i found in his possession. He remained
in custody only two hours, by which
time he had furnished the rest of the
bail of $2,000 the amount fixed by
Commissioner David.
Peterson is a pioneer resident of
Anchorage. He came here in the sum
mer of 1915. He has a wife and a
' son, both of whom live here.
House Gives Railway
$4,000,000
WILLIAM C. EDES, CHAIRMAN OF THE ALASKAN EN
GINEERING COMMISSION, DECLARES THAT IN
SUCH MATTERS UPPER BRANCH GF CONGRESS
ALMOST INVARIABLY FOLLOWS ACTION OF'
LOWER.
Approval by the house of representatives of the item in |
t he urgent deficiency bill of $4,000,000 to meet construction ex !
penditures of the government railroad in Alaska until July 1. j
1018, is announced in a telegram message received by the Dail> ;
Times from Charles A. Sulzer, delegate in congress foi i
Alaska. Favorable action by the house of this item for rail |
road construction is regarded as indicating with praeticalh j
absolute certainty that similar action regarding it will be tak j
en by the senate.
TEXT OF MESSAGE FROM SULZER.
The text of the message from Delegate Sulzer read as fol
lows:
“House approves Alaska’s item of $4,000,000 for railroad
work until July 1, 1918 in urgent deficiency bill.”
William C. Edes, chairman of the Alaskan Engineering
commission, said today that he felt confident that the senate
in considering and acting on the urgent deficiency bill would j
not disturb the item of $4,000,000 for the railroad. In sue I
matters, he declared, the upper branch of congress follows tli
action of the lower.
HEARINGS HELD ON VARIOUS ITEMS.
Before the urgent deficiency bill was'reported a few weeks
ago from the ways and means committee to the floor of tin
house hearings had been held on the various items in tin J
measure by the committee.
ft is not likely that the senate* finance committee, when it J
receives the bill from the house, will hold any protracted hear
ings on the measure, and the committee is expected to report
the bill to the senate in practically the same form as it re
ceives it from the house.
10 INFLUENCE CONGRESS
By Anchorage Radio.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.—Count J. II. von Bernstorff. I
while (ierman ambassador to the United States, planned to usej
money to occasion discord in the American congress over the1
policy that this country should pursue in its dealing with Ger
many, accordng to a statement published today by the Amer
ican department of state.
The statement sets forth that the department is in posses
sion of a message Count Von Bernstorff last January sent to
the German foreign office in Berlin requesting authority “to
use $50,000 among certain organizations in this country to
influence congress against voting to declare war.”
The German foreign office made answer authorizing the
count “to spend up to $50,000, in order, as on foreign occa
sions, to influence congress through any organizations you
^now of which can prevent war.”
The count responded with a message saying:
“I am beginning to act along the suggested lines. It is
highly desirable to gain the support of the Irish element with
out exciting comment.”
__ i
MANY INVOLVED IN
GERMAN INTRIGUE
By Anchorage Ilarlio.
WASHINGTON, Sept. *25.—From trustworthy sources, it
>s learned that the American state department lias in its pos
j session documents of a most sensational character establish
ing the details of German intrigue in the United States. These
documents, it is said, may lie published at any time.
The state department has a list of persons who received
German money in connection with passport frauds, conspira
cies to destroy munition shipments and munition plants and
| various other kinds of activities inspired by German agents in
| the United States from the time of the beginning of the Euro
J pean war in 1914 until the entry of America into the conflict
| last spring.
The list contains scores of names, and the money paid by
the German agents runs into large amounts.
The documents and information will be published if neces
sary to combat the influence of certain persons who are en
deavoring to hamper the war policy of the government.
In addition to the names of persons who received money
from German agents, the documents mention persons who are
guiltless of having received any payments but who have con
tinually opposed the government and to whom German agents
were directed to give every encouragement and support possi
ble without arousing any suspicion on the part of these per
sons of the source of such encouragement and support.
ANCHORAGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILL BRING
TO IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF FEDERAL AU
THORITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OF CASE AND WIUL
ALSO ASK FOR HOLDING OF TRIAL TERM OF
COURT IN THIS CITY.
Immediate action will be taken by the Anchorage Cham
ber of Commerce to bring to the attention of the federal au
thorities the necessity of holding here this fall a grand jury
term, as well as a trial term of the United States district
court for the Third division.
At the present time in jail here, there are about thirty
prisoners, nearly all of them accused of having failed to reg
is tor under the selective conscription law. They are in cus
tody awaiting investigation by the grand jury. All these
cases arose either in Anchorage or its immediate neighbor
hood. The witnesses against the prisoners live here or near
here and the registration books and other documentary evi
dence are in this citv and in charge of local officials.
WOULD ENTAIL HEAVY EXPENSE.
To transport these prisoners to Valdez, the seat of the
court, for the purpose of extending to them the privilege or
appearing before the grand jury, if they should make such a
request, and to take there also the witnesses for the govern
ment would entail heavy expense, not only to the public treas
ury but to those residents here that would be cited to appear
before the grand jurors. The greater share of this expense
would be unnecessary because a grand jury could be convened
here and. in a brief session, could dispose of all the cases aris
ing in the Anchorage district.
MAY APPEAL TO ATT JRNEY-GENERAL.
Representations regarding the advisability of holding a
grand jury session here probably will be made by the Cham
ber of Commerce to Thomas \V. Gregory, attorney-general of
the United States, as well as to F. M. Brown, the judge of the
United States district court for the Third division.
No official order has yet been issued for the holding here
this fall of a trial term of the district court, and this matter
will also receive the immediate attention of the Chamber of
Commerce.
Formal notice has been given to the
agents here of the Pacific and Alas
ka Steamship companies by the Alas
kan Engineering commission that by
November 1 it plans to have in winter
quarters its lighters, steam tugs and
other harbor equipment and that as
a consequence, after that date, it will
not be able to handle the cargoes of
incoming ships. Passengers, how
ever, the commission declares, prob
ably can be handled until November
15. However, it is expected that water
transportation between here and the
states will cease November 1, as
steamships will not come here for pas
sengers only. The text of the commis
sion’s notice follows:
Text of Notice.
“The Alaskan Engineering com
mission is desirous of putting its
lighters, steam tugs and other har
bor equipment in winter quarters on
or before November 1, and for that
purpose notice is hereby served on
your company that the schedule of
steamships should be so arranged and
to avoid discharge of any cargo after
November 1.
“Passengers could probably be
handled as late as November 15.
“Will you kindly notify your Seat
tle offices, as well as various mer
chants in Anchorage and vicinity in
terested in this matter, so that full
opportunity will be accorded every
one to place their orders for winter
supplies.”
Leaves for Army Service.
William Murphy, son of C. M. Mur
phy, the contractor, will leave on the
Transport Crook for Seattle where he
will enter the United States army in
the engineering corps.
Mrs. A. W. Newhall, wife of the
doctor at tht Jesse Lee home at «_n
alasa, died there recently from the
effects of ptomaine poisoning. She
had just returned from a visit to the
east.
Anchorage Daily Times, “The
Newspaper of Alaska.”
BEL.
FORCES TOBE
KEPTUP HERE
Shop and yard forces of the Alas
kan Engineering Commission here
will not be materally reduced this
fall or winter according to Captain
Frederick Mears, commissioner in
charge of this district.
Harbor improvement work will be
started in earnest in the near future.
In connection with this task, the com
pletion of the branch railroad line to
Chickaloon is a necessary incident.
This branch, which will be ready for
operation very shortly, will be used
throughout the fall and winter to haul
rock from the quarry near Castle
mountain to the marine ways on the
beach here. The rock will be needed
in the harbor improvement work.
PROGRESS PLEASES
FAMOUS VISITOR
J. l. McPherson is gratified
AT DEVELOPMENT IN NEIGH
BORING DISTRICTS.
Gratified beyond measure at the
progress of work on the government
railroad and at the development of
the neighboring mineral and agricul
tural districts, J. L. McPherson, sec
| retary of the Alaska bureau of the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce and
Commercial club, returned here yes
terday from a week’s trip toward the
interior as far as Indian river.
On the railroad, Secretary McPher
son went to Mile 181. In the course
of his trip he visited the Matanuska
coal fields and the Talkeetna metal
region. He likewise went to several
of the homesteads under cultivation.
Today he left here for Seward.
Mr. McPherson last evening was
the guest at a dinner given at the
Frisco cafe by fifteen of his An
chorage friends.
An oil painting of Major General
Hugh L. Scott has been recently com
pleted by J. A. McCarran of Seward.
The painting is taken from a fine
photograph of the general sent to the
artist by the chief of staff.