The Daily Alaska empire. [volume], April 24, 1931, Image 1

About The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964

Image provided by: Alaska State Library Historical Collections

                
THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
_ “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME”
• VOL. XXXVII., NO. 5702.
JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1931.
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
-
FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING ALASKA FISH BUYER
MIDDLE AGED
WOMAN DEAD,
THROAT CUT
Towel Knotted Tightly
Around Neck — Bed
Covered with Blood
JEWELS USUALLY WORN
ARE AMONG MISSING
Apartment Ransacked—
Evidence of Terrific
Struggle Displayed
SAN DIEGO. Cal., April 24.—
The body of Mrs. W. D. Dibbens,
middle aged woman, was found in
her apartment here last night. Her
throat had been cut and a towel
was tightly knotted around her
neck.
The room showed signs of a ter
rific struggle.
The bed on which she lay was
badly stained with blood.
The apartment had been ran
sacked.
Mrs. Dibbens usually wore many
jewels but none was found.
The murder is the third of a
series of mystery killings in this
vicinity.
Little Virginia Brooks, school girl,
was the first. Her body was found
in Camp Kearney Mesa on March
11 a month after she dropped from
sight.
Louise Teuber, young store clerk,
was the next victim. Her body was
found hanging from a tree on
Black Mountain a few days ago.
None of the mysteries has been
solved.
INDIANS®
BODY OF MAN
ALASKA ISLE
Start to Tow It, Then Lose
It; Ketchikan Officer
Investigates
KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 24.
—Reports received by Deputy U.
S. Marshal William H. Caswell
here yesterday that two Metlakat
la Indians found the fully clothed
body of a man on Hotspur Island
recently and started to tow it
and then lost it, is being investi
gated. It might be in connection
with the October plane crash in
which Pat Renahan, Sam Clerf
and Frank Hatcher lost their
lives.
MISSIONARIES
ARE RELEASED
Two Women, Kidnapped
by Chinese Bandits are
Given Freedom
HANKOW, April 24. The Luth
eran Mission headquarters has re
ceived advices from Kingchow say
ing Missionaries Esther Nordlunda,
American, and Augusta Nelson,
Swedish, have been released by
bandits.
The two were kidnapped April
17.
No mention is made of the Rev.
Oscar Anderson, Swedish, kidnap-1
ped at the same time.
BUTLER WILL 1
GO TO OREGON
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 24 —
Gen. Smedley D. Butler will be
given several weeks’ leave of ab
sence to organize the newly created
Oregon State Police. The request
was made by Gov. Meier of Oregon
through United States Senator Mc
Nary.
Approximately 36,300,000 checks
are expected to be issued by the
current fiscal year by the treasury.
The total last year was 33,192,936.
Aids Husband
Associated Press Photi
Lady Cynthia Mosley Is going tc
be hep husband's “right hand man’
in the building of the new British
political party which Sir Oswali
has launched.
FOSTER SEEKS
ALLOTMENT OF
SEAL RECEIPTS
Asks for 50 Per Cent in
Memorial Introduced
in House Yesterday
The House yesterday passed two
House Memorials and one House
bill, and recommitted two other
House measure for amendment.
Two memorials were introduced,
and one withdrawn.
The latter, by Foster, criticised
the log scaling regulations of the
local United States Forest Service,
and asked the Secretary of Agri
culture to set aside restrictions
imposed locally against the expor
tation of raw timber. Mr. Foster
asked permission to withdraw the
memorial which was granted.
Wants Seal Money
A request for 50 per cent of the
funds derived from the Pribolof
Island seal herds is embodied in a
memorial introduced by Mr. Fos
ter. A memorial by Mr. Johnson,
Ketchikan, asked the Territorial
Road Commission to survey the
route of the proposed Kasaan Bay
Klawock automobile road.
Carrying an appropriation or
$25,000, the House passed a meas
ure providing for continued co
operative mining investigations to
be carried on under the direction
of B. D. Stewart, Supervising Min
ing Engineer of Alaska.
The House bill designed to pro
tect the Territory from indigent
contract labor being dumped by
employers and becoming public
charges was held up today in
third reading. H. L. Faulkner
and O. D. Cochran declared the
bill in its present shape, while
undoubtedly for a worthy pur
pose, was a trouble breeder of the
worst sort and would open the
way to all kinds of trouble and
lead to endless litigation. It was
put back into second reading for
purposes of amendment.
Compensation Act Deferred
In a similar manner final dispo
sition of the House bill on the
Workmen’s Compensation Act
was prevented. Mr. Foster de
clared the provision removing the
requirement of dependency from
parents of unmarried employees
was unsound and objectionable,
and he could not support it for
that reason. Mr. Johnston, one of
the measure’s proponents, admit
ted the force of the argument and
asked for the bill to be recommit
ted for an amendment to wipe out
the objectionable paragraph.
Two House memorials were
passed. One asks for the exten
sion of the Smith-Hughes Exten
sion Act to Alaska, providing Fed
eral aid for vocational training,
and the other urges upon the Fed
eral government the importance
of mining investigations in Alaska
and asking for larger funds for
that purpose.
MINER HAS INFLUENZA
Lawrence Blake, a miner, is a
patient in St. Ann’s Hospital. He
is the victim of an influenza at
tack.
Eight major foundations alone in
the United States are expending
approximately $49,000,000 annually
for educational purposes.
REPEAL OF DRY
LAW ATTACKED
AND DEFENDED
Rev. James and Dean Rice
Only Witnesses Ap
pearing at Hearing
Statutory prohibition was de
fended and attacked today in a
public hearing on the Alaska
Bone Dry Law repealer, held by
the Senate Committee on Educa
tion, Chairman Lomen, in the
Senate chambers. The Committee
hearing was brief and the Chair
man intimated the measure would
be reported this afternoon with
amendment.
Only two speakers appeared.
Rev. G. E. James, spokesman for
the Juneau Ministerial Association,
appeared in defense of Prohibition,
and Dean C. E. Rice, criticised it.
Rice Presents Side
After Mr. James had presented
a resolution passed by the local
Association he represented. Dean
Rice, a member of the same body,
asked for a minute’s time. He
wanted, he said, to correct any
impression that he had voted for
or approved the resolution con
demning the repeal of the Alaska
Bone Dry Law, adding he did
neither.
“I did not vote for the resolu
tion or anything connected with
it,” he said. “I have lived in a
Prohibition country most of my
life and it does not promote tem
perance or lessen drunkenness.”
Recently when a Senate hear
ing on the Winn jury bill was in
progress, Dean Rice had been
quoted as voting for a resolution
adopted by the Ministerial Asso
ciation attacking that measure. He
commented on that saying: “I did
not vote for the Jury resolution be
cause I did not know anything
about the matter. But I do know
something about this (Prohibition)
—a .whole lot."
Says “Slipped Through”
Declaring he had been promised
an opportunity to speak against
the repealer in the House, Mr.
James asserted the House had
"slipped it through” without keep
ing its promise to him. For that
reason no protest was made at
that time.
He then presented the Minister
ial Association’s resolution whi-v'
declared enactment of the repeal
er would congest Alaska Jails and
clog the district courts because of
the fact that United States Com
missioners would not be able to try
any liquor cases that arise under
the Volstead Act. The mode of
procedure under the Alaska law
is better and speedier, and the pro
visions of the law itself are more
drastic, he declared.
He was skeptical of the House’s
good faith in proclaiming the re
peal measure was introduced in the
interests of humanity. It’s mo
tive is to "make violations of the
liquor law easier on offenders be
cause the National Prohibition Act
is easier on offenders,” he added.
Dry Law Amendment
He said the Ministerial Associa
tion would not frown on and had
no objection to the Alaska Bone
Dry Law being amended to provide
that doctors could prescribe medi
cinal liquor and hospitals obtain
it for use. He said this is the
method that should be taken if
only humanitarian ends were to be
served.
Mr. James presented the commit
tee with resolutions from the
Wrangell U. C. T. U., Wrangell
Women’s Club, private citizens of
Fairbanks, a protest from the pas
tor of the Fairbanks’ Presbyterian
Church, and others, and said the
Juneau Women’s Club on March
7, last, adopted a motion of pro
test.
TODAY* STOCK
QUOTATIONS
NEW YORK, April 24.—Closing
quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
stock today is 14%, American Can
116, Anaconda Copper 30, Bethle
hem Steel 47%, General Motors
40%, International Harvester 49 %,
Kennecott 21%, Standard Brands
16%, Standard Oil of California
38%, Standard Oil of New Jersey
37%, United Aircraft 27%, U. S.
Steel 126%, Curtiss-Wright 3%,
Hudson Bay 4%, Armour of Illinois
Class A 2%, 2%, 2'M, United Cigar
6, Checker Cab 10, 9%, 10.
V. S. Churches Shoiv Gain
Of 88,350 in Past Year
NEW YORK, April 24—Churches
in the United States showed a
net membership gain in 1930 of
38,350 compared with 242,784 gain
ed in 1929 and more than a mil
lion in 1928, Dr. G. L. Keiffer,
church statistician, notes in his
annual report in the May issue of
Christian Herald.
Dr. Kieffer reported that the
Methodists, who in 1929 showed a
decline for the first time in a
hundred years, suffered a further
net loss of 43,211 in 1930.
The figures showed that the
Baptists and the Lutherans to
gether accounted for more than
the total of all increases, the
Baptists gaining 74,706 and the
Lutherans 56,180.
Dr. Kieffer’s statistics showed
an increase in Catholic communi
cants of 17,526 and a decrease in
Presbyterians of 22,763. An in
crease was shown in the number
of Protestant Episcopalians of
16,532.
G. 0. P. PLANS
CAMPAIGN ON
NEW ISSUES
Economic Instruction to Be
Carried Out; Ban on
Prohibition
WASHINGTON, D. C„ April 24.
—Republican leaders have formu
lated plans for a campaign for
economic Instruction In farm
states which include a vigorous
defense of the Tariff Farm Board.
The ground work was laid ye*
terday at the meeting of party
leaders upon which will be based
the Republican drive in the Mid
dle West.
There appeared a willingness to
center the next Presidential race
on economic issues rather thin
on Prohibition.
LOS ANGELES
GIVEN SHAKE
EARLY TODAY
Guests in Hotels Scamper
to Streets — Show
Windows Cracked
LOS ANGELES, Cal., April 24.—
A fairly strong earthquake was felt
at 1:30 o’clock this morning. No
damage of an extensive nature has
been reported.
Rocking effects were felt for five
seconds.
Dishes and glassware at Redondo
Beach fell to the floor.
Show windows were cracked.
Guests in hotels fled to the
streets.
114 RESCUED;
SHIP WRECKED
Survivors Are Picked Up
—Steamer Runs
Aground
HONGKONG, April 24. — The
British liner Rajputana has arrived
here with 114 survivors of the
wrecked steamer Hwahyaung which
piled on the rocks in a fog at
Wenchow, Chekiang Province, last
Tuesday.
The passengers and crew made
shore in lifeboats before the
steamer sank.
The Rajputana arrived at the
scene Wednesday, picking up the
survivors without mishap.
MILDWEATHER
FOR INTERIOR
Attention Centers in Break
Up of Ice on the
Tanana River
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, April 34.
—Unprecedented mild weather
focuses interest in the break-up
of the ice in Tanana river at Ne
nana.
Rain is reported on the lower
Kuskokwim and in the Yukon
Valley. It rained here yesterday
afternoon.
SPAIN WILL
GO TO POLLS
ON JUNE 21
People Will Determine
Form of Government;
Alfonso Has Chance
MADRID, Spain, April 24.—The
Cabinet last night tentatively set
June 21 as the date when Spain
will determine by a general elec
tion what form of government is
desired.
On that day the people will se
lect a Constitutional Cords or
Parliament which will draft a new
constitution. The Cords will de
termine the type of government.
Success for the Monarchists In the
election would mean the return
of Alfonso, exiled King .
LAYS CLAIM TO THRONE
PARIS, April 24.—Don Jaime
deBourbonaJou, cousin of exiled
King Alfonso, and fifth in the
Carlist line of Pretenders, has laid
claim to the Spanish Throne. He
has published a manifesto saying:
“Remember I always was ready to
help Spain to avoid Anarchy. I
ask the Spanish people to declare
themselves at the approaching
election whether they shall be
ruled by Republicans or Monar
chists. I invite them to favor the
latter.”
Don Jaime said the resulting
Monarchy need have no relations
with the former regime. He said
it is his belief a King shoull head
a Federation of Spain, a King
above parties.
“It is unjust to suppress a Mon
archy because one King does not
know how to make the people
love him,” Don Jaime said.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
MADRID, April 24.—Among the
first high Army and Navy offi
cers to sign the pledge of allegi
ance to the Republic, is former
Premie;4 Berenguer, his brother,
Capt Frederico Berenguer, and
Gen. Valles Espinosa.
The Government decreed all of
ficers must profess allegiance in
four days or be placed on the re
serve list.
MADRID. April 24.—The Span
ish Republican Government is to
participate in the activities of the
League of Nations.
Alejadro Lerrou, Minister of
State, will fill Spain’s seat at the
Council meeting next month.
tenareIlled,
AUTO DISASTERS
CHICAGO, 111., April 24—Five
men were killed at Antioch early
this morning when an automobile
was hit by a freight train. Five
cars of the freight were de
railed.
The death of the five brings the
total to 10 killed in auto crossing
accidents within 24 hours.
senatoThale
COMING NORTH
SEATTLE, April 24. — Senator
Hale, of Maine: Assistant Attorney
Geenral Richardson and Samuel
Stern, of Fargo, North Dakota, a
merchant, sailed today on the cut
ter Shoshone on a hunting trip in
Alaska They are headed for Sew
ard. Senator Hale said there was
nothing official about the trip.
E. G. MORRISSEY,
ALASKA EDITOR,
PASSES AWAY
Chronicle s Able Editor and
Publisher Breathes
Last at Ketchikan
NEWS SHOCKS JUNEAU
AND CAUSES MOURNING
Leading Citizen Was Well
Known Here—Impressed
Self on Life of Territory
KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 21.—
Edward Georgs Morrissey, editor
and publisher of the Dally and
Sunday Chronicle of this city, agsd
43, died here at 11:30 o'clock this
morning after an illness of two
weeks. He had been a resident of
Ketchikan since the establishment
of the Chronicle in July 1919. He
had been secretary to Delegate
Charles A. Sulzer before the lat
ter’s death. He served as United
States Commissioner at Ketchi
kan for several years. He was born
at Florence, Massachusetts, and
leaves surviving relatives there
and at nearby Northampton. His
widow Is In Ketchikan.
IN ALASKA IN 1910
Edward G. Morrissey came to
Alaska as a member of the United
States Signal Corps In 1910 and j
was attached to the Fairbanks
telegraph office as clerk. Before
that he had been a telegraph op- |
erator in Massachusetts and han-!
died press for Boston papers.
After discharge from the Signal
Corps when the term of his enlist
ment expired he worked for a
time for the Alaska Citizen, a week
ly newspaper published by J. Har
mon Caskey. He then became a
reporter on the Fairbanks Dally
Times and later was telegraph
news editor of the Fairbanks News
Miner.
Delegate's Secretary
After the resignation of E. Ed
ward Hurja as private secretary
for the Delegate to Congress, that
he might enter the army, in 1918.
Mr. Morrissey was appointed to
that position by Mr, Sulzer. He
then worked as a reporter on the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer for a
time.
In July, 1919, In association with
Bernard M, 8tone, now editor and
manager of the Fairbanks News
Miner, he purchased the Ketchi
kan Progressive-Miner and estab
lished the Ketchikan Chronicle. R,
L. Bernard, now Vice-President of
the Empire Printing Company a’
Juneau, purchased the interest of
Mr. Stone shortly after the paper
began publication and was asso
ciated with Mr. Morrissey for sev
eral years. Mr. Morrissey pur
chased Mr. Bernard’s Interest in
the Chronicle, which succeeded as
a newspaper and business enter
prise from the time of Its organi
zation.
U. S. Commissioner
Judge Thomas M. Reed, after he
became District Judge for the First
Division, appointed Mr. Morris
sey United States Commissioner at
Ketchikan and he served in that
capacity for several years, finally
resigning in order to devote all of
his time to his newspaper.
Mr. Morrissey was married in
Baltimore about ten years’’ ago.
Mrs. Morrissey has resided in Ket
chikan since that time and was at
the bedside when the end came.
The Chronicle under Mr. Mor
rissey’s editorial management soon
took a leading place in the first
rank of Alaska newspapers which
it continues to hold. The paper
and its editor have impressed
themselves on the life of the Ter
ritory of which Mr. Morrissey was
one of the leading citizens.
His death is mourned in Ju
neau where he was well-known,
and elsewhere in Alaska as it is in
Ketchikan. News of the death
caused a severe shock and deep
mourning.
ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL
Frank Percich, a miner, suffer
ing from influenza, was admitted
to St. Ann’s hospital this morn
ing.
Telephone calls received at the
White House last year totaled 308 -
220 as compared with 77.055 made.
There are 102 working lines.
To Wed Young Scion
. , ...._S#
Associated I’ress Photo
Faith Adams, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. H. H. Adams of Washington,
D. C., is engaged to marry Philip
Young, son of Owen D. Young, New
York financier.
REORGANIZATION
OF TWO OFFICES
BEFORE SENATE
Sundquist Bill Provides for
Revision of Duties of
Two Officers
A bill relating to the offices and
duties of the Auditor and Treas
urer, entitled a bill for an Act "to
re-organize the Executive Depart
ment of Alaska," was Introduced In
the Senate yesterday afternoon
by Senator Sundquist.
The principal changes proposed
are: extension from two to four
years the term of the Auditor;
strengthening his accounting au
thority; and placing under that
office the duty of collecting Terri
torial taxes which is now per
formed by the Treasurer.
Other Bills Introduced
Three other measures were in
troduced in the Senate. One by
Mr. Lomen is to reimburse the
Alaska Airways, Incorporated, in
the sum of 1.415 for money ex
pended by it in search of Pat
Reid and party. One by Mr. Dl
mond authorizes payment In ad
vance by the Territory of school
refunds for the first quarter of
the school year, limiting the re
fund to 25 per cent of the total
refund received by the applying
school for the previous year. An
other by the same author a ks
for an appropriation of $1 000 to
be used in the clearing rocks from
Egegig River near the outlet of
Becharoff Lake, conditioned on
the United States Bureau of Fish
eries donating a like sum for the
same purpose.
After cutting the appropriation
from $375 to $300. the Senate
passed a House measure for the
relief of Williams Mortuary, In
corporated, for the burial of five
Indigents at Kenai.
Holds Puble Hearing
At 11 a.m. today, the Senate
Committee on Education, Mr. Lo
men. chairman, held a public
hearing on the House measure to
repeal the Alaska Bone Dry Law.
He said he had promised Rev.
George E. James, pastor of the
local Methodist Episcopal Church,
to give him an opportunity to be
heard before reporting it back to
the Senate.
A suggestion from Anchorage
attorneys has been received by
the Third Division delegation in
the Senate that the repeal act
should be written to include ail
of Title LI, of the Volstead Act
designating it as the Territorial
enforcement law. This, it was
said, would empower United
States Commissioners to try mis
demeanor cases arising out of in
fraction of the law. A measure
similar to this was introduced in
1925 by Representative N. O. Hardy
and was defeated by a single vote
FOX SKINS AT AUCTION
LONDON — More than 50,000
silver fox skins, valued at around
$25,000,000. have been sold at the'
winter fur auctions in England.
In European international chess
tournement games 30 moves must
be made by each player within the
first two hours.
BERT M’DONALD
IS CONVICTED
AT KETCHIKAN
Jury Returns Verdict at
4:20 o’Clock This Morn
ing in Marshall Case
NO RECOMMENDATION,
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Defense Will Probably
Move for New Trial
or Take Appeal
KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 24.—
Bert McDonald has been convicted
by a jury of eight men and four
women. The verdict, without capi
tal punishment recommendation,
was returned at 4:20 o'clock this
morning.
McDonald was accused of first
degree murder for the slaying of
George Marshall last October.
It Is expected the defense will
ask for a new trial or appeal.
Found Slain
Marshall, who was an oldtimer
of the Interior, but who had few
Intimate friends, was well liked by
trollers from whom he had pur
chased fish for many years.
He was found dead on October
22, last, hands bound behind his
back and feet tied together. His
skull had been fractured by a blow
from some kind of instrument,
j Robbery was the apparent motive
j as a small safe which he carried
j aboard his boat, Phoenix VI., and
J In which he customarily had from
$800 to $1,500, had been sawed free
from its fastenings and was miss
ing from the vessel. The ship was
anchored in a small cove near
Point Higgins, about 10'a miles
northwest of Ketchikan.
Was Apparently Alone
Marshall is known to have left
Ketchikan, apparently alone, short
ly after the noon hour on October
20. An anonymous tip to the United
States Coast Guard cutter Cygan,
to the effect that the Phoenix was
in distress near Point Higgins sent
the ship out on a search resulting
in the discovery of the crime. The
absence of the safe was at once
noted. It had been firmly anchor
ed to the cabin floor with a heavy
iron bolt which was found to have
been sawed through with a hack
saw later discovered in the pilot
house.
United States District Attorney
Stabler at once asked the Depart
ment of Justice for assistance, and
Mr. Henry was sent from Tacoma,
his headquatrers.
Many Suspects Questioned
In the dragnet which was at
once thrown out by Federal
authorities many were rounded up
and questioned. Most of the sus
pects were eliminated after their
examination by Mr. Henry and Mr.
Stabler, the latter handling the
case personally from its inception.
Eventually all except McDonald
and Lloyd Close were given clean
bills of health. Close was later
arrested and then McDonald was
arrested in Portland, Oregon, and
brought back here by officers of
the United States Marshal’s office.
Close was the star witness against
McDonald. The two had met when
in the Washington State Peniten
tiary at Walla Walla.
Key Witness
Another key witness was Kenneth
Govro. He was brought here from
Rawlings. Wyoming. He said he
was living with McDonald part of
the time last fall and was staying
with him on the day of the Mar
shall murder.
Govro said McDonald came to
the place where they were living,
late that day saying he was tired
and hungry after walking from
Ward Cove.
During the conversation. Govro
testified, McDonald gave him an
explantion of his actions to tell
if questioned in connection with
Marshall's death.
McDonald took the sSand and
testified in his own defense.
SHOW'ER BATH ON TRAIN
LONDON — The first hot and
cold shower bath to be installed on
a railway train in Great Britain
has been fitted experimentally in
a sleeping car on an Edinburgh