The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 24, 1931, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. XXXVIL, 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. Kiiatted Tightly Around Neck — Bed Covered with Blood JEWELS USUALLY WORN ARE AMONG MISSING Apartment B sakal 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. ’Ihc bed on which she lay was stained with blood. apartment had been ran- be The sacked. Mrs. Dibbens usually wore many Jjewels but none was found. The murder is the third of a series of mystery Kkillings 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 FIND BODY OF MAN ALASKA ISLE Start to Tov:Ttt Then Lose 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 Wom; 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- ped at the same ume. BUTLER WILL 60 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. MRS RS 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. Associated Press Photc Lady Cynthia Mosley Is going tc be her husband’s “right hand man’ in the building of the new Britist political party which Sir Oswalc has launched. FOSTER SEEKS ALLOTMENT OF SEAL REGEIPTS 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 of $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 ~ Compepsation Act was prevented. Mr. Foster de- ciared 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-|e sion Act to Alaska, providing Fed- eral aid for vocational training, and the other urges upon the Fed- sral 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. e Fight major foundations alone in the United States are expending approximately $49,000,000 annually for educational purposes. s | [fended and attacked today §|man intimated the measure would REPEAL OF DRY LAW ATTACKED AND DEFENDED Rev. James and Dean Rice Only Witnesses Ap- pearing at Hearing de- in a Alaska Statutory prohibition was public Bene hearing on the Dry Law repealer, held by th2 Senate Committee on Educa- tion, Chairman Lomen, in the Senate chambers. The Committee hearing was brief and the Chair- 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 Ascociation 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 whio» declared enactment of the repeai- 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- ptal 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 Olub on March 17, last, adopted a motion of pro- test. ——————— g . 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 497%, Kennecott 21%, Standard Brands 16%, Standard Oil of California 38%, Standard Oil of New Jersey 37%, United Aircraft 27%, U. 8. Steel 126%, Curtiss-Wright 3%, Hudson Bay 47%, Armour of Illinois Class A 2%, 2%, 2%, United Cigar 6, Checker Cab 10, 9%, 10. i U. S. Churches Show 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 ]oss of 43211 in 1930. ‘The figures showed that Baptists and the Lutherans gether accounted for more lham the total of all increases, the| Baptists galning 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 | 16532, | the 6. 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 yes~ 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 than 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 Sutvivers’ Are Picked Up —Steamer Runs Aground HONGKONG, April 24. — The - |first high Army and Navy offi- SPAIN WILL 60 TO POLLS ON JUNE 21 People Wil Détermine 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- tlon 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 1s unjust to suppress a Mon- archy because one King does not know how to make the people love him,” Don Jaime sald. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE MADRID, April 24—Among the cers to sign the pledge of allegi- ance to the Republic, is former Premiey 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 Lo 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. 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|men were killed at Antioch early survivors without mishap. MILD WEATHER accidents within 24 S e Attention Centers in Break Up of Ice on the Tanana River FAIRBANKS, Alaska, —Unprecedented mild April 34 weather focuses interest in the break-up|Geenral of the ice in Tanana river at Ne-|Stern, of Fargo, North Dakota, a nana. Rain is reported on the lower|ter Shoshone on a hunting trip in Yukon | Alaska. They are headed for Sew- It rained here yesterday|ard. Senator Hale said there was Kuskckwim and Valley. afternoon. in the TEN ARE KILLED, AUTO DISASTERS CHICAGO, Ill April 24—Five 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 hours. SENATOR HALE COMING NORTH SEATTLE, April 24. — Senator Hale, of Maine; Assistant Attorney Richardson and Samuel merchant, sailed today on the cut- nothing official about the trip. [NEWS SHOCKS JUNEAU |AND CAUSES MOURNING E. G. MORRISSEY, ALASKA EDITOR, PASSES AWAY Chronicie’s Able Editor and Publisher Breathes Last at Ketchikan Leading Citi;; Was Well Known Here—Impressed Self on Life of Territory KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 24— Edward George Morrissey, editor and publisher of the Daily and Sunday Chronicle of this city, aged 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 ]at-[ 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. widow s In Ketchikan. I IN ALASKA IN 1910 Edward G. Morrissey came to Alaska as a member of the United States Signal Corps in 1910 and | was attached to the Falrbanks telegraph office as clerk. - Before that he had been a tclegraph op- erator in Massachusetts and han- dled 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 Daily 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 secrctary 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 assoclation with Bernard M. Stone, 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- clated with Mr. Morrissey for sev- eral years. Mr. Morrisey 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. 8. 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. R g T 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.- His | ociated Press Photo Faith Adams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Adams of Washington, D. C, is engaged to marry Philip Vounu. 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- | rer, 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 s to reimburse the Alaska Airways, Incorporated, in the sum of 1415 for money ex- pended by it in search of Pat Reid and party. One by Mr. Di- 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 recelved 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 Wiiliams Mortuary, In- corporated, for the burial of five indigents at Kenai. Holds Publc Hearing At 11 am. 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 D 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 220 as compared with 77,055 made “Ihexe are 102 working lines. 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, ICAPITAL PUNISHMENT Defense Will Probably Move for New Trial or Take Appeal KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 24— Bert McDenald 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 pure chased fish for many years. He was found dead on October 22, last, hands bound behind his back and feet tled together. His skull had been fractured by a blow from some kind of instrument. | Robbery was the apparent motive ‘as a small safe which he carried aboard his boat, Phoenix VI, and 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% 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 Ward Cove. During the conversation, Govro testified, McDonald gave him explantion of his actions to if questioned in connection with Marshall’s death. b McDonald took the stand and testified in his own defense. ! ———————— SHOWER BATH ON TRAIN LONDON — The first hot cold shower bath to be installed a rallway train in Great B has been fitted experimentally 2 sleeping car on an E express.