The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, February 10, 1937, Page 1

VOL. XLIX., NO. 7404. “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” . * MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE PRICE TEN CENTS 11 CARRIED TO DEATH, PLANE PLUNGE MATTSON CASE SUSPECT GIVEN LONG GRILLING Will Be Confronted in Se- attle Today by Brother, Sister of Slain Boy EX-CONVICT TELLS || CONFLICTING TALES | — | Woman Also Being Sought Who Had Been fieputed Companion of Man | SEATTLE, Feb. 10.—An ex-con-| 1 vict has been questioned for ten hours by City, State and Federal agents in connection with the Matt- son kidnay and slaying case. Today the convict is to be con- fronted by Willlam and Muriel Mattson, aged 16 and 14, brother and sister of the slain boy, who wit- | nessed the abduction. A high police official, clined to be quoted, said Virginia! Chatfield, aged 16, a third witness | of the abduction, will also view him | when the police make a line-up. Dead Ringer The authorities said the suspect‘ gave his name as H. A. Post, aged | 32, when booked after question-“ ing. It is said the man is a ringer” for the kidnaper. The suspect was definitely in Ta- coma December 21 and December 22, but claimed he was in three different places at the time of the| abduction which occurred on the night of Deeember 27 Woman Sought State Patrol Chief Willlam Cole, left his Olympia office this fore-| noon to get a “red haired woman” reputed to have been the compan- ion of the man held here. He is going to Steilacoom for the woman| and will bring her here for ques- tioning. The suspect is also known as James G. McDonald, according to| the police, but this is believed to be only another of his many aliases, FIRE DESTROYS FRANKLIN HOME NEAR Ffl!IIIANI(Sg Registrar of University of Alaska Barely Escapes with His Life g FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Feb. 10.— Fire early yesterday destroyed the residence of Carl L. Franklin, Reg- istrar of the University of Alaska, located on College Hill. Franklin barely escaped with his life and saved nothing. The loss was about| $3,000. ‘ “dead —————————— RO NG i 5 RSP | sTOock QUOTATIONS | ———— NEW YORK, Feb. 10. — Closing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 14%, American Can 108, American Light and Power 11%, Anaconda 57Y%, Bethlehem Steel 88%, Calumet and Hecla 187%, Com- monwealth and Southern 3%, Cur- tiss Wright 7%, General Motors 67'%, International Harvester 100%, Kennecott 62%, New York Central 44%, Southern Pacific 53%, Unit- ed States Steel 105, United Corpora- tion 7%, Cities Service 4%, Pound $4.89 11/16. DOW, JONES AVERAGES The following are today’s Dow, Jones averages: industrials 189.35, rails 57.91, utilities 35.44. ee——— - Briton Refuses to Sleep in Bed WORKSOP, Eng., Feb. 10.—Ar- thur Darby, seventy-year-old bach- elor, has just concluded twenty years of life without sleeping in bed. Darby said he hegan reducing his sleep about thirty years ago, and gradually it became a habit. “For the last twenty years I have not bothered to go to bed, he said. “I just sit in a chair downstairs, LINDBERGH FLIES TO EGYPT This radiophoto from Reading, England, shows Col. Charles A. Lind- bergh beside the new plane in which he and his wife left on “just a little Jaunt” toward Egypt. With him are F. G. Miles, designer of the plane, and Mrs. Miles. (Associated Press Photo) I_l earing on Alaskc; ,;fir Mailfl wo . Service Held; Proposals Are |= s~ mese. Advanced;Juneau to Be Base OUTBURST OVER COURT REFORM MEASURE NOW Representative of Ohio Makes Remonstrances on House Floor WASHINGTON, Feb. 10. — Thc first burst of Democratic oppositior. on the house floor to Presiden! Roosevelt’s court reform program came from Representative Lam- neck, of Ohio, who suggested that it might lead to a “Hitler, Mussolini or Stalin government.” Representative Lamneck further said: “How long will we permit the Executive Branch of our Govern- ment to do our legislating for us? I hope the time has arrived when we will meet this challenge to the usurping of our powers and duties.” The Ohio Congressman spoke as the House took up the bill for re- tirement of Supreme Court Justices at 70 years of age as part of the court reform program. SUMNERS’ BILL PASSES WASHINGTON, Feb. 10. — The House this afternoon, by a vote of 315 to 75 passed the Sumners’ bill to permit Supreme Court Jus- tices with ten years service to re- tire on full pay at the age of 70. The measure went through on a roll call vote, and with not a single amendment. * Several Republicans joined the Democrats in sponsoring the meas- ure. - The measure would extend the Supreme Court the same privilege of retirement now extended to members of other Federal Courts. One amendment which was de- feated, would have raised the re- tirement age to 75 instead of 70. —————— LEON TROTZKY MAKING OFFER T0 SURRENDER Would Go to Executioner If Convicted of Crimes Charged to Him NEW YORK, Feb. 10.—An offer by Leon Trotzky to Soviet execu- tioners if an Imperial commission found him guilty of the crimes im- puted to him by Moscow courts, was read at a mass meeting here last night by Max Schachtman, Trotzy's American representative. The large audience waited for more than an hour in a vain at- tempt to establish direct contact! with Mexic City, is now residing. musing and thinking. I have retir- ed from my job, but I cannot give up the habit of going without sleep, I do not feel any worse for it. Otu- | er people are sleeping their lives away in bed.” % The offer was airmailed to New York in advance, Moscow authorities have charged that Trotzky, now in exile in Mex- ico, engineered various plots against hhe Soviet Government. 4 By J. J. ECKLES Secretary to Alaska Delegate WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.— Need for a connected system of mail ser- ‘vice by air, through which the |larger towns and cities in Alaska would have a delivery of mail |on the same day it arrives in Ju- neau and a similar one-day service |south to Juneau, was heard by | the subcommittee of the House | Committee on Appropriations in |charge of the Post Office and Treasury Department Appropria- tion bill January 27. || Waterfront Disputes Being CONCILIATORS AT WORK OVER COAST ISSUES| Ironed Out—Picket- ing Is Delayed SAN FRANCISCO, Cal.,, Feb. 10. —Conciliators today sought to irom out minor Pacific Coast waterfront disputes including the threatened teamsters blockade of Los Angeles harbor, as shipping on the coast gathered momentum. The Teamsters Union of Los An= geles postponed picketing of the Matson Terminals at San Pedro, which had been set for today, after a conference with conciliators Ed= ward Fitzgerald and E. P. Marsh. Five hundred shipyard workers ;at Los Angeles went back to work today accepting a pay increase of six cents an hour. Between 2,000 and 5,000 shipyard machinists are still out on a strike MORE SHIPPING TROUBLE SLATED PACIFIC COAST B. C. Ships, Whose Owners Fight Organization, to Be Tied Up SEATTLE, Feb. 10.—All' British !Columbia ship owners who fight Mountaineer -}what the desired service would mean | Approval of the plan outlined at ' Organization efforts of the Inland he hearing will provide a direct, weekly service of mail by air from Pe Picketed when the arrive Juneau to Fairbanks by way of American ports. Whitehorse in Yukon Territory and! ed on this route but not destined |ion organizer. for Fairbanks or points north would! Fox said that the British freight- be transported by plane from Tan- er Eastholm, bound for Portland, across on a loop route on which and the coastal vessel Rochelle, deliveries would be made at Cor- bound for San Francisco, will be dova, Valdez, Seward, and An- tied up when they reach those chorage. ports. Hearing Well Attended The hearing before the subcom- mittee was attended by a represen- | tative of the Post Office Depart- ! ment speaking for Hon. Harllee Second Assistant Post- Is ENnEn lN —_———————— Branch, master General, who was ill and unable to attend. Delegate Dimond, with the aid of maps and charts presented an accurate picture of in view of the distances and time of deliveries and pick-ups compared with the present service. Boatmens’ Union at Vancouver, will | in| This statement was issued here| Tanacross in Alaska. Mail accept-|this forenoon by John M. Fox, un-, Dr. Ernest Gruening, Director of the Division of Territories and Is iChimes offii St. Louis Catheral Toll as Death | When Eunice Winstead Johns, 9-year-old bride of new doll. The bride’'s mother, Mrs. Lewis Winste. was “real smart about cooki ix-foot Tennessee mount: on her honeymoon she took her doll with her. S8he Is shown here with her husl their honeymoon cabin in the mountains near Sneedville, Tenn. At the right the child-wife clutches her d, who had no objection to the marriage, sald Eunice " (Associated Press Photos) r, Charlie Johns, went d, who Is 22, In front of ELECT] CHANGE KILLED Fuils Attempt IN LOWER HOUSE, at Jail Break ¥ il Hi :Bl" to Move General Elec—‘LifCl’ Fails to Make WOOd- | en Gun Win Way |8 . tion to October Dies for to Freedom | Lack of One Vote | Alaska’s general election will con-, DENVER, Col, Feb. 10. — John tinue to be held in September for Smalley, aged 27, who is facing life the next two years at least as the sentence as a habitual criminal, result of the House killing the Ro-|tried to bluff his way to freedom den bill this morning by a margin € arly today by the use of a wooden land Possessions, also attended the; hearing and urged approval of the Toll Registered |of one vote. Eight votes were mus- gun, but he failed because Deputy tered for the measure but nine are|Sheriff Marvin Greene dared to where Trotzky, appropriation. Maj. Gen. O. West- over, Chief of the Army Air Corps, was also present. Gen. Westover is personally familiar with conditions in the Territory and has shown con- sistent interest in its develoment. 1t is also believed that because of the intimate connection between the proposed air routes and the es- tablishment of Army Air Corps op- erations in Alaska, authorized through enactment of the Wilcox air defense bill in the 74th Con- gress, which directed the establish- ment of an Air Corps base in Alas- ka, the hearing was of particular interest to the General. ‘The proposed airmail service will require an increase of $72,755 in the item of “Star Route Service, Alas- ka,” and a new appropriation of $68,692 under the hearing of “For- eign Airmail Service” to be included in the Post Offire Department ap- propriation bill for the fiscal year 1938. Appropriation Appropriation for the star route service for the fiscal year 1937 was $207,245. This provided for over- land transportation of mail in Al- aska by various methods on 65 routes, 27 of which were by doz team, 17 by horse and motor vehi- cle, and 21 by airplane. It is esti- mated that increasing this item to $280,000 in the Post Office Depart- ment appropriation bill for the fis- cal year 1938 will provide an all- year-round weekly service on the air route from Tanacross, the junc- tion point of the loop route with {the Juneau to Fairbanks route, to |Cordova, Valdez, Seward, and An- chorage, with a consequent im- provement in mail service whicn (will be reflected on all of the star |routes originating at these points jand which now serve areas from as far south as Yakataga Beach to (Continued on Page Six) l | NEW ORLEANS, La. Feb. 10.— required for a majority on final This city counted five dead as resi- | passage of a bill. Six voted against | dents surveyed the littered streets and two were absent. at the end of the gay Mardi Gras.| The measure, which had previous- | The end came at midnight as the|jy passed the Senate and was in-| chimes of the old St. Louis Cathed- | troduced by Senator Roden, would ral tolled. |have advanced the date of the gen- Four persons died in auto acci-|era] election from September to the| dents, a negro woman was fatally| st Tuesday after the first Mon- wounded in the accidental dis-|day in October. The change was charge of a pistol In a barroom, aqvocated on the grounds that cer- and a masker was injured in a fall !from a third story gallery. JOHN BORAK FOUND DEAD, CREEK CABIN Pioneer Prospector and ! Miner Dies Alone on Last Chance FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Feb. 10— John Borak, aged 70, pioneer and miner, was found dead in his cabin on Last Chance Creek where he had lived alone. Apparently he succumbed a fortnight ago. Borak was a native of Poland. |He is survived by a son, Paul, of Coalings, Cal. e — ANCHORAGE GLEE CLUB; ALICE PALMER, DIRECTOR A Glee Club was recently organ- ized by the women of Anchorage and thirty-two members are on the club’s roster. Miss Alice Palmer is director of the organization and Mrs. Marian Murray is accompan- ist. | tain seasonal workers are still away from their voting precincts in the first part of September and as a result do not get to vote. There was no objection to the bill in the Senate, but certain House mem- |bers, particularly some of those in the Second and Third, declared |it would work a hardship in some of the isolated communities be- cause there is how delay some- (times of from a ‘month to two |months in getting returns, | John Lichtenberg of the Second explained that many places in the| |Second have no telegraphic com- munication system and must send in returns by mail which often re-| quires upwards of two months. He pointed out, as did James V. Davis of the First, that in the event of a, |contest it would not be determined |before the time set for the elected person to take his oath of orflce.i Andrew Nerland of the Fourth, who supported the measure, moved |for reconsideration of the bill ‘o- |morrow, but it later developed that he was on the prevailing sile, thus could not so move. — e OPERATED UPON Mrs. Trevor Davis underwent o major operation this morning at St.| Ann's Hospital. —— e ee - - Towa in 1936 had the hottest and dryest summer on record. fight. Smalley said: “If I have had a real gun, I would have made it.” Greene said: “I'll tell the world I thought it was a real gun.” R ALASKA R, R. CE BLOCKED Plane Used to Carry Mail from Seward to Anchor- age, Other Belt Points ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Feb. 10.—| An airplane chartered by the Post Office brought maifl from Seward to be distributed to rail belt points north. The mail was delayed at Seward for one week due to ice blocking the Alaska Railroad tracks. It is expected the tracks will be cleared by tomorrow. Canned Salmon Week Designated For Washington OLYMPIA, Wash, Feb. 10. —Gov. Clarence D. Martin to- day designated February 12 to February 20 as “Canned Sal- mon Week” for the state of Washington and urged citizens “not only to use this splendid sea food freely on their menus but also’ familiarize themselves with the magnitude and extent to which progress and prosper- ity have been materially bene- fitted through the salmen in- dustry.” ON DATE!Brave Deputy HOUSE DIVIDES ON SPEEDING UP TRAPMEMORIAL Committee Reports It Out Without Recommendation —Will Be Up Tomorrow Still in its original shape, the Coffey fish trap elimination me- morial came out of the Fisheries committee in the Territorial House this morning without dation and as a result of the House dividing on a move to push it along it is scheduled to come up on the House calendar in second reading tomorrow. Ed Coffey of the Third Division, author of the memorial and only member of the Fisheries committee who did not concur in the “no rec~ ommendation” report, moved to ad- vance the measure to second read- ing today and got a quick second from Victor Ross of the Fourth ‘buc the motion failed to carry as the House divided seven to seven recommen- BIG TRANSPORT DIVES DOWN AT SAN FRANCISCO Craft Crash;sTast Evening —Immediately Sinks Be- neath Bay Waters ALL-NIGHT SEARCH REVEALS NOTHING Eight Passengers, Three Members of Crew Are Caught, Wreckage BULLETIN — San Fran- cisco, Feb. 10.—~The Coast Guard reported at midday that only three bodies have been found in the wreckage of the plane. This was re- ceived by a short wave broad- cast from the scene of the wreckage. The report stated the top of the plane is sheered off, The bodies of eight others in the plane were apparently thrown out when the craft hit with terrifie force. The bodies in the plane are those of the pilot, co-pilot and stewardess. The craft’s left wing is torn off and is a yard from the fuselage. The tail assembly is also sheared off, A later radio from the scene said the plane has been half raised. Pilot Thompson’s head is crushed. The co-pilot’s body was found in the crew’s quarters and that of the stew- ardess at the rear of the plane. Bodies of the passengers are believed to have been car- ried away by the swift tide or buried in the mud. Safety straps on the seats are hanging down indicating they snapped by the impact. It is indicated the pilot struck the water on the right side as that motor is sheared off. TAKES DIVE AT NIGHT SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Feb. 10.—A big United Air Lines’ plane, speeding eight passengers from Southern California to here and with a crew of three aboard, erashed into San Francisco Bay last night and disappeared be- neath the bay’s inky waters. Within an hour, the place where the plane went down was scoured but no trace was found by searchers. The twin-motored air trans- port fell one quarter or half |with two absent on the matter of speeding it along. Chairman H. H. McCutcheon of the Fisheries Committee declared (it was the thought of the majority |of the committee to let the me- morial take its regular course as it was a memorial of importance and should not be rushed. James V. Davis of the First pre- |sented a telegram from fish inter- lests in Ketchikan asking that the ;memorifll be not acted upon until they had a chance to be heard, Mr, McCutcheon reiterated that was all he wanted—for everyone to be heard who desired to. morial to second o (éon;.uri‘ti‘e;ikon Page Fi;e) Hauling Snow 1o " Build Ski Jum { ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Feb. 10— Local’ skilers are hauling snow in sacks to cover the ski jump for the sports tournament next week. a mile off shore from the air- port which was the plane’s destination, according to eye witnesses. Given Instructions United Air Lines officials said the plane, piloted by Tommy Thompson, asked and received landing instructions” by radio at 8:44 o'clock last night. % The ship came in a little too high, the air lines spokes- Voting for advancing the me-|Man said, then circled back to reading today|try it again and fell into the water. Co-pilot Joe De Cassaro and Stewardess Ruth Kimmel were the other members of the crew. The passengers were all residents of California or the east. Shallow Water The water where the plane 1t|fell is comparatively shallow {is expected the job will be complet-| - ed by tonight. (Continued on Page Eight) i % { f