Heumrd Baily Entwuan « «
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
. VOLUME XXI, NUMBER 42.
SEWARD, ALASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1926.
PRIC^.TEN CENTS
Jury Retires
In Olmsted
Case
JUDGE NETERER SAYS CASE WILL
BE GREAT TEST TO WIRE
TAPPING EVIDENCE
. PROHIBITION ACT "LOUSY LAW,"
—SO STATES DEFENSE COUNSEL
Venderveer Told the July That Prohi
bition Agent Break Statutes
When Tapping Wires
SEATTLE, Wn„ Feb. 20. (£>)—'The
Olmsted case went to the jury last
night. During the session of court
just before the jury retired, Judge Net
erer’s instructions to the jury were:
‘‘This is one of the bests tests of
conduct of the men regarding what
they said, and what they did.”
The judge explained the conversa
tion about a person who was not a
party to it, so that such a conversa
tion could not be used against such
person, “but if you are satisfied,” the
judge stated, “that a conspiracy ex
ists, then every statement is compe
tent against everyone, and for what
I said applies to the telephone con
versations.”
The judge said the employes, as
well as the actual partners, could be
found guilty of conspiracy provided
they consciously participated in ille
gal acts or in the furtherance of a
conspiracy.
In the closing arguments, Defense
Counsel Vanderveer attacked the
Government’s whispering wire evi
dence, and criticised the National pro
hibition act, terming it, “a lousy law,”
and declared that prohibition agents
were trying to enforce the law by
breaking state statutes against wire
tapping.
LATER—The Olmsted jury has
been out since nine-twenty last night.
Judge Neterer in his charge to the
jury said: “It is my opinion that a
conspiracy has been established be
tween Olmsted and some defendants
on both counts, but you do not have
to take this opinion. My opinion is
that the defendants are guilty on both
counts, or they are guilty on none,
but that need not bind you.”
In one count, the defendants were
charged with importation and the oth
counts charges distribution of liquor
in the United States.
District Attorney Revelle, in clos
ing his address, said:
“If I had all the evidence that we
have now when that grand jury was
in session, they couldn’t ask me why
Policeman Comstock wasn’t indicted.”
Pie said Policeman R. F. Baerman j
was freed because “he was a poor j
uuy, ana was iorceu oy nis superior
officers to turn the liquor back to Olm
sted.”
Baerman was a dry squad officer,
under Comstock.
Olmsted explained to newspaper re
porters that the Seattle Finance com
pany threw up the bonds of the defen
dants because the National Surety
company declined to any longer “ac
cept collateral for bonds.”
ALAMEDA SAILS
FOR HERE WITH
172 PASSENGERS
SEATTLE, Wn., Feb. 20. (JP)—The
steamer Alameda of the Alaska Steam
ship company sailed from this port
this morning at nine o’clock with 172
passengers booked for Alaska ports.
Those booked to Seward are:
J. L. Tobin, May Hadley, A. B. Gray,
Charles Jensen, W. Simon, James Mur
phy, Mike Ercez, Norman Stines, Mrs.
J. L. McAvoy, J. Crossen, Ray C. Lar
son, M. G. Miller, J. A. Rhodes, G. A.
Underwood, Margaret Petrison, Phil
lis Humer, Leo Preg, P. R. Friguson,
M. J. Brown, W. J. Geisse, G. W. Met
calf, W. H. S. McFarlan, J. J. Wilkin
son and wife, John Howe, F. Nelson,
P. Nelson, L. J. Singleton, George Han
son, M. E. Manson, J. Johnson and 9
steerage.
Good program at the Liberty.
WILKINS DENIES
REPORT SMITH
ABANDON TRAIL
__ !
REPORTS SLEDS ARE BREAKING
DOWN—LOADED DOWN TOO
HEAVY
CORDOVA, Feb. 20. (/P)—Captain
Wilkins, who arrived here today on
the steamer Victoria bound for Sew
ard, emphatically denied that Smith,
of the advance party, is likely to aban
don the attempt to haul supplies with
the snow motors to Barrow. He said
he has been in constant touch with
“Sandy” Smith, via radio, and Smith
reported things were progressing sat
isfactorily despite the many difficul
ties. Smith admitted, he said, there
was danger that the motors might
fall through the ice on the Tanana
river.
Capt. Wilkins said E. P, Walker’s
ultimatum, regarding non-resident
game licenses would not affect his
plans as he did not expect to live off
of game, unless a plane comes down
on the sea or ice, and if this occures,
then he would be out of the jurisdic
tion of the Alaska game laws.
The only permit asked, Wilkins said
was that from the Biological survey
for collecting scientific specimens at
Point Barrow in case the expedition
is delayed there for any length of
time.
The planes which are on the Vic
toria are standing the trip well.
Sleds Crushing Under Loads
NENANA, Feb. 20. (/P)—The Smith
party reached a point ten miles be
yond Campbells roadhouse last night.
The sleds are constantly breaking
down and the ends are torn out of
two of them.
It is predicted the sleds cannot hold
up under the heavy loads much long
er. The weather is clear, but the
temperature was 30 below zero at 7
o’clock this morning.
AGREE REDUCTION
TAX 381 MILLION
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 20. (JP)
—Conferees agreed upon a reduction
of $381,000,000, including the increase
in the reductions of the Surtax rates,
applying on incomes between $25,000
and $100,000.
The Tax Reduction bill is described
as acceptable by the Administration,
and is within the limits that the Unit
ed States Treasury can afford. The
bill will be up before the House for
ratification Monday or Tuesday, and
then it will go to the Senate, from
which place it will then go to Presi
dent Coolidge, whose signature is ex
pected to make the measure a law be
fore March 15.
COOLIDGE REMAINS HOME
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 20. (/P)
—Although his condition is greatly
improved, President Coolidge has can
celled all engagements and remained
in his room.
Ladies Aid To Be
Reorganized Soon
A social gathering of the ladies of
Seward has been planned to be held
next Wednesday afternoon, the 24th
at 2 o’clock at the Methodist parson
age, at which time the Ladies’ Aid
will be reorganized. The Ladies of
Seward generally are cordially invit
ed to attend this affair whether they
expect to become members of the Aid
or not. Come anyway and have a
good time, and help others to enjoy
themselves.
BASKETBALL GAME SUNDAY
The Seward City basketball team,
comprising the Misses Hoffmann, Mc
Intosh, Elsie Leslie, Mrs. Hannon and
Mary McConnel, and the Anchorage
High School team will play a game
tomorrow afternoon beginning at
2:30 o’clock at the S. A. C. gym.
BANK AND POSTOFFICE
BE CLOSED ON MONDAY
As has been the custom in the past,
the Bank of Seward and the postoffice
will both be closed all day Monday,
in honor of George Washington’s birth
day.
** -f,
NEW MANAGER
BIG COMPANY
EN ROUTE NORTH i
SUCCESSOR TO NORMAN STINES
LEAVES SEATTLE TODAY
ON S.S. ALASKA
TO START MAMMOTH DITCH
Total $15,000,000 Authorized By Di
rectors; Includes Ditch Cost
SEATTLE, Wn„ Feb. 20. (JP)—E. W.
Metcalf of Boston, head of the Fair4
banks Exploration Company, and a
party of officials and engineers, sail
ed from Seattle today to resume con
struction of the Tanana Valley Gold
Dredging project, near Fairbanks.
The complete cost of the project is
put at $15,000,000, including a $10,000,
000 ditch, which will be 108 miles
long. The party includes Crosby E.
Keen, construction director.
Norman C. Stines is here, but is not!
expected to return to the north. He
will leave for Boston within a fort-;
night.
G. W. Metcalf was named general'
manager of the Fairbanks Exploration
| company, two weeks ago, succeeding
1 Norman C. Stines, who is detailed to
exploration work in other fields.
Mr. Stines, it is understood, will;
not sever his connection with the U.
S. S. R. & M. company in the Interior
field, but will cont |iue association ;
j under the title of consulting engineer.
It has not been learned definitely
where his pioneering work will next
| take him although rumor has it that
South America will be his next field.
In a wire received at Fairbanks on
Christmas Day from Mr. Stines, who
was then at Havana, he stated that
his entire program had been adopted
by the board of directors sitting in
Boston. This program, it is presum-;
ed, will include construction of dredg
I es for Goldstream and Cleary, ditch
ing, erection of power plants and
i housing facilities.
Mr. Metcalf has been associated
with the parent company for many
1 years, in managerial capacity at Ken
nett, California, and in other fields,
and of late he has been with the
home office in Boston. It had been
supposed for some time that he would
be slated for manager of the operat-:
ing department of the Fairbanks Ex-'
ploration company. |
ENDORSEMENTS
ARE GIVEN FROM
S. E. ALASKA
_ I
JUNEAU, Feb. 20. (JP)—The Citizens
Club, organized last night here, unan
imously requested Thomas A. Mar
quam, former mayor of Fairbanks to
file independently as Delegate to Con
gress from Alaska. The new organi
zation has elected E. J. “Stroller”
White, owner of “Stroller’s” Weekly,
president, and H. R. Shepard, secre
tary.
The following from Ketchikan:
Editor, Gateway:
The Independent Voters’ League,
which was organized in Ketchikan 2
weeks ago, today unanimously endors
ed Charles E. Bunnell, president of the
Alaska Agriculture College and School
of Mines, and requested him to be an
Independent candidate for Delegate
to Congress. Dr. W. E. Peterson, den
tist, is president of the League, and
A. H. Ziegler, secretary.
CHRONICLE.
Gerald FitzGerald,
U. S. Geologist Will Be
Arrival Here On the Vic
Gerald FitzGerald, U. S. Geologist,
who has been making a survey of the
Arctic Naval oil reserve, Cblwell river
basin, during the past two years, ar
rives in Seward today on the S.S. Vic
toria, en route to Fairbanks. A party
of engineers is accompanying him.
It is understood the entire party will
probably be taken into the Arctic re
gion this year by airplane.
Weekly Gateway—$3 per year.
Capt. Wilkins and Major
Lanphier Will Be Here
Tomorrow, A. M.
r
1
Major Lanphier Comes Di
rect from Pursuit
Squadron
WILL ACT AS ADVISOR
If Land Is Found the Major
Will Plant Old Glory On
the Top of the World
The War Department has granted
Major Thomas G. Lanphier, camman
dant of the Selfridge Field, Michigan,
pursuit squadron, who arrives in Sew
ard today, a four months’ leave of ab
sence, for the purpose of unofficially
assisting Capt. Geo. H. Wilkins, in his
attempt to fly across the unexplored
Polar regions. It is understood Pres
ident Coolidge personally approved
Major Lanphier’s application for au
thority to accompany the expedition.
In case Captain Wilkins discovers new'
lands. Major Lanphier will be asked
to claim them for the United States.
He will act as an unofficial observ
er and serve as an advisory expert to
Captain, Wilkins. Because he will
still be an army officer, Major Lan
phier cannot be given a post of com
mand within the expedition. It is ex
pected, how'ever, that he will take the
control of one of the planes for sev
eral flights.
SOME HIGH LIGHTS ON
WILKINS PARTY
EXPLORERS
Balto, canine hero of the race to
diptheria-stricken Nome a year ago, is
not alone among Alaskans in being
perpetuated to bronzse. Alexander
Malcolm “Sandy” Smith, leader of the
advance party of the Detroit-Wilkins
Arctic Flight Expedition, sat for the
New York sculptor, Annette Rosen
shine. Smith displayed a photograph
of the bronze while in Seward recent
ly. i
—0—o—
If the members of the Detroit-Wil
kins Expedition decide to fly over the
North Pole on their way to Spitzber
gen, they will shower the “top of the
world” with a handful of Old United
States pennies from the collection of
Jules L. Charbneau, Seattle numismat
ic. The U. S. Army world flyers took
a small collection of his pennies
around the globe with them. The pen
nies are now in the National Museum,
another in the U. of Washington Mu
seum, a third in the Numismatic Soci
ety of New York, while another is
the property of Mr. Charbneau’3 two
daughters, and another is the keep
sake of Mr. and Mrs. Charbneau. Earl
Rossman, photographer and scribe
with the expedition has agreed to re
turn several of the coins to Mr. Charb
neau.
—0—o—
Most of the recent Arctic maps
show that although land may exist in
the unexplored wastes which Capt.
Wilkins, the commander of the expedi
tion is planning to explore by air
plane, its existence there has not been
proved.
—0—o—
Robert E. Peary, thought he saw
land in 1906, which was named Crock
er Land. Keenan’s Land is mythical,
thought to be off the coast of Alaska.
Bradley Land, was reported by Dr.
Frederick A. Cook. Glacial Land is
another island Dr. Cook thought he
saw.
—0—0—
It is estimated that the unexplored
land in question contains nearly 500,
000 square miles of surface.
—o—0—
Lieutenant Carl B. Eileson, while
in Seward last week, stated that 45
minutes after the take-off at Barrow,
they will be flying over unexplored
regions.
A small phonograph with a couple
of dozen of records is included in the
He Will “Cover”
the Big Story
for Detroit News
s Palmer Hutchinson of the De
i troit News has the enviable as
J signment of “covering” the expe
J dition for the North American
i Newspaper Alliance, which is one
| of the principal backers. He ar
J rives in Seward today and is on
i his way to fame and glory Mon
i day morning at which time the
J party will embark for Fairbanks,
J in the “Golden Heart of Alaska.”
a
expedition’s equipment.
—o—o—
Golf may be introduced to Point
Barrow by Smith. He is a Scotchman
and golf is his favorite outdoor sport.
—o—o—
Capt. Wilkins is the only member
of the party who has or had a beard.
That is he had one before he left Seat
tle. In any event he says he will be
smooth-shaven when he reaches the
frigid weather of Barrow.
—o—o—
Smith is the founder of the town
of Ruby. Once he hauled his sled 2,
000 miles from Dawson to Nome in one
of the gold rushes. He also has been
to Siberia on two different occasions.
—o—o—
Man has never been more than 150
miles north of Point Barrow, but his
| handiwork has. The Explorer Nan
1 sen’s ship, the Fram, caught in the
| ice, drifted across the Polar Basin,
j but like a phontom craft, it didn’t
i have a soul aboard.
—o—o—
Providing a flight is made across
the Pole, a representative of Great
Britain has invited the entire party
as guests of Royalties of Europe. Al
ready a representative of King George
has invited the party to breakfast in
Buckingham Palace.
—o—o—
The party may stay in the north
two years if new lands are discover
ed, most of them hope to be back
home for Christmas.
—o—o—
Lieut. H. A. Bezwick, U. S. N. R. ex
ecutive officer of the Navy forces at
Sand Point, Seattle, has promised the
party aid on any call.
•—o—o—
It is predicted that the islands north
of the Arctic Circle will some day be
come coaling stations and bases of
great commercial value for future
transportation systems of the world,
over the top of the world.
—o—o—
Capt. Wilkins announces the Polar
flight will follow the sun across the
Pole.
—o—o—
From New York to Pekin it is about
10,000 miles by the routes now follow
ed, but it will be only about 6,800
miles if flown by way of Montreal and
Hudson Bay across the Arctic.
—o—o—
Oil has been found on Melville Is
land, 600 miles inside the Arctic Cir
cle.
The Canadian Arctic Expedition of
1913-18, of which Capt. Wilkins was
a member, established the fact con
siderable animal life, including fish,
abound in the Arctic wastes.
—o—o—
Pennzoil, eighty cases of it, a special
airplane gasoline, was shipped thru
Seward to Nenana a week ago.
* —o—o—
The personnel of the present Polar
expedition numbers about twenty men.
While in New York, just prior to
leaving for Seward, Lieutenant Eile
son’s room was entered and a watch
and chain was stolen that Fairbanks
citizens presented him. The inscrip
tion on the back of the watch said:
“Citizens of Fairbanks to Ben Eile
son, Alaska Air Mail Trail Blazer.”
The following afternoon the thieves
returned the watch to him by special
delivery.
Will Be Lightest Equipped
Expedition Entering
Polar Regions
WILL LIVE OFF THE ICE
Entertains Hopes Finding
Unexplored Lands In
Far North
Captain George Hubert Wilkins,
commander of the Detroit Arctic Ex
pedition, which is sponsored by the
Detroit Aviation Society, the Ameri
can Geographic Society, and the North
American Newspaper Alliance, arriv
es in Seward today en route to Fair
banks. Accompanying Capt. Wilkins
are Major Thomas G. Lanphier, com
mander of the Selfridge Field, Michi
gan, and one of the foremost aviators
in the United States Army; Palmer
Hutchinson, special feature writer for
the Detroit News; Technical Sergt. C.
N. Wisely of Cleveland, who has been
released temporarily from Army duty,
is an engine expert, Aviator Howard
and a number of mechanics.
The contention of Captain Donald
MacMillan that the dog still is king
of the Arctic,” is one of the things
Captain George Wilkins, aviator, ex
plorer and photographer, expects to
disprove when he takes off in March
from Point Barrow, Alaska, on an aeri
al dash into the unexplored regions
of the Arctic Basin.
Confidence in his ability to “live off
the ice” is responsible for Captain Wil
kins’ decision to make the expedition
the lightest equipped that ever essay
ed a journey into the Arctic Basin.
Where others have taken sledges, dogs,
huge food supplies and other parapher
nalia, the Wilkins party will carry
gasoline, the latest navigation instru
ments, sun compass, rifles, ammuni
tion, a supply of food and a “nigsik.”
The last named instrument is close
ly related to the food supply, for it is
the means of retrieving seal shot to
replenish the Polar larder. Literally,
it is a set of hooks at the end of a
rope. “Living off the ice,” in Captain
Wilkins’ estimation is a simple proce
dure, so simple, that his supply of
concentrated food will be sufficient
for less than a week.
What he hopes to prove is the exist
ence of land in the vast unexplored
area from Siberia and Alaska toward
the “top of the world.”
A point 800 miles distant in a
straight line will be the first objective
of th'e expedition when the members
of two Fokker monoplanes hop off
from Point Barrow. It is here, at S3.
50 North and 160 degrees west, that
j scientists has established the location
of the so-called Ice Pole, or Pole of
Relative Inaccessibility.
The second objective point in the
flight will be the landing, homeward
bound, at Spitzbergen, 2,100 miles from
the take-off at Point Barrow. This
will take the expedition as its flight
has been mapped, across the Geogra
phical Pole.
Should land be sighted on the dash
from Point Barrow to the Ice Pole,
Captain Wilkins proposes not to land,
but to turn about and return to his
Alaskan base, there report his discov
ery and with a second plane go back
to the discovered land. Claiming it
for the United States, Captain Wil
kins and his party will explore and
chart the new land and then proceed
to Spitzbergen.
Failing to sight land on the initial
dash, Captain Wilkins will essay a
2,100 mile non-stop flight over the
Geographical Pole to Spitzbergen.
Since leaving Alaska, just about two
years ago, Lieut. Eileson has piloted
fifteen different types of planes, from
the smallest to the largest, and cover
ed approximately 30,000 miles. Among
the planes he drove Outside was a
seven-ton Martin bomber.
Alaskan Eskimos have been em
ployed to instruct native of Green
land in the care of reindeer, which
suggests that our correspondence
schools are overlooking something.