The Seattle Star Newspaper, December 18, 1920, Page 1

GETS 10 YEARS @ DIVORCED WIFE SAYS SHE'LL ASK FOR PARDON On the Issue of Americanism There Can Be No Compromise TH EW " GIVES SELF UP @ og PLEADS GUILTY ¥ » * ¢ Weather Tonight and Sunday, rain; fresh to ] | | easterly winds. Temperature Last 24 Hours Maximum, 49. Minimum, 43, Today noon, 45, VOLUME 2% ‘Story’ i (1 think this , fellow Lundin was Mringine you yesterday said the Managing editor “Picase remember for this serion we want absolute authentic anecdstne — backed, preferabiy. by affidavite. And beware A Paul Bunyan”) The Graveyard Pear. Strange Dreams. A Dead Man's Reach. 1 Uncanny Coincidence. BY HAL ARMSTRONG F M** wyird things have hap 7 pened*té C. W. Gies, barber in the Palace*hotel. It is he who has Shaved so many dead men's faces Prepare them for burial that, thru it, he must look each day upon corpse or suffer pangs of lonelt- 0 acute that at night he can- sleep. Frankly, he is a believer in the natural. There ins a case in it that he relates with all serious- and vouches for the truth of— incident of the nightmare pear, | Gles has a friend, a country gene Whose homestead was handed ; father, sath |#0n will not be at tha hoxpital. Seattle with YY communicating with should survive him. Every other day Giles" friend ors into town and gets a shave. Hie weeks ago he brought a pear. “Here,” he said to Gies. “Take this home with you. I think you find it more luscious than any have ever eaten. f “It's the biggest I ever saw, at any " said Gles, thanking him gra- ly for the fruit. He ate a big supper, and was so strong south- The Seattle Star Yontered as Second Class Matter May 3, 1899, at the Postoffice at Seattle, Wash, under the Act of Congress March 3, 1879. Per Year, by Mail, $5 to $9 SEATTLE, WASH., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1920. GOV. HARTi(less) TELLS | SAVE B GAS KICKS |Your Only Chance/ROBBED IN “TOBEMADE | To Get Good Gas | DAYLIGHT, | BY WOMEN .:: innings Monday, when the state public service DOWNTO . commission meets here to hear complaints. hile! Unmasked Gunman Stages | This hearing, which is to start at the Press club, Indignant Housewives to Air) r. Fi a Griev at Hearing Lene gto egy tile eat mpeg Garg bog Holdup in Alley at Third think of the lower quality gas they have been getting for several weeks. If ECan nage bay age poor gas Ns But if the Press club auditorium is packed with in- y dignant gas consumers, tearing mad over the flicker- |tion's hearing at the Press Club a=! ing flame with which they have been trying to cook, | ‘This fact she announced today. the commission will be bound to give them some con- | She said that her husband would! .; have to stay with the boy during) di tion. Long-suffering Seattle gas consumers will be given “ey! ing in @ Seattle hospital, Mrs. posure situation Seat which id responsible the present wave of ups, is published today vo oe! Holding Cc. R. Johnson silent at Instead, she wit appear as o vobrn teer witness against the gas com- | pany at the public service commis the operation. Mrs Larson is the wife of the! President of the Scandinavian-Amer- fean bank at Tacoma and of the bank | jee Camp Lewis. | “I am perfectly able to pay the | | exorbitant bills the gas company has | gas-burning public has had the impression dur- ing the past few weeks that the skids are all greased to put over the low-quality gas as a permanent The 1,200 questionnaires mailed to 1,200 ; filled that he entirely gas consumers, asking them their opinion of the poor ‘the point of a pearl-handied gun, a Jone, unmasked highwayman robbed him of $5 in the alley im the rear of Sherman & Clay's muste house at ‘Third ave. and Pine st. at 1055 a. m, Saturday. He overlooked $40 in Johnson's rear pocket. After threatening Johnson to be reot the pear, which was in his § it pocket hanging in the hall, un- it was time to go to bed. It was he got the fruit and indeed luscious, and of a Unusual flavor, unlike any | previously tasted. THE MORNING AND DISAGREEABLY DAMP ‘Twenty minutes later the barber > had retired. He awoke next morn-| \ ing cold and disagreeably damp, His | Drain was befogged and he felt in ) bis limbs as if he had done two days’ Fi)” exceasive labor. On the following morning, whert his friend from the country came | into the barber shop for his eustom- |) ary shave, the friend asked: | “Well, how did you like the pear?” $3 “It was delicious,” Gies replied, F “but, do you know, I had the most * peculiar dreams.” ‘The friend seemed interested. Gies ‘went on " “After eating the pear Sstraight to bed. I fell #nce, and dreamed, not E twice, that I was dead. I went asleep at once but sent me the past few montha,” she) i i H told ‘The Star, “but ctmere are noe | SOS constitute a rank joke on the public. These ques-| sient, tne robver fed down the al- I'm no coward. I intend to get out| tionnaires, such few as dribble back, are to be the | '*7 424 excaped into Pike #t. Police - . . detalix, rushed to the scene, failed to ‘and fight for them. fc” only “evidence” ag: jins¢ the gas company—| trace him. fe rd nol ep that is, unless the consumers show up portberns «9 in a| The holdup was stamped by potice lke ‘ vibe he it darin, f the winter While Mrs. Larson will protest| big enough crowd to impress the commission. The Sictgh, Hundreds of pedestrians pase against poor q y gas ashe ed with) few feet of the robber. |ne beat resetving’ since the gas| Star has been unable as yet to find one person who re- ee ce civgibecsn ate: | company and the publ service com-| ceived a questionnaire. the other hand, hundreds}... 112m st. The robber was | mission started “ iting” on i i bout 25 Wd, 5 feet 7 inch the people to see how poor a quality have telephoned asking where they might get them. tall wdlabid tab aokada and ware lof gas they would stand without | The commission Thursday announced, after receiving | g.:i ‘gray cap. | yelling, her particular kick will be) hack 300 questionnaires, that no more would be con-| SAME GUNMAN WORKS idered. Then, responding to a storm of from worth while to report the robbery until advised to do so by his tand- lady Saturday morning. “ee j against the bills. | EAR f in yop rie oo. oo r a oy : . eae Sana tee bandit | was $7.54, ing |Star readers, it extended the time indefinitely. This! carrying tne peari-tandied gun was In November it was spproxi- — that the Me ee m will heed public opinion Gre? hrown, Bristol hotel, 419 mately $4. when a strong enou, rotest is registered. Seneca st. ‘ In December it was $20.66, ab g eo P See sists ava Gaktoer, ws The Larson family used no more| unanimous against this lowering of the gas standard. | and « watch last night at Fifth ave. gas in November (covered by the ' J gs r o vad . iber bill) than during the pre-| But unless they turn out in crowds Monday morni \Soniewerare” two Mocks from polies = : ‘ uncertain terms, they'll have to go on enduring the | THREATENS COMPANY 4 go. | AND GETS ACTION | sickly flame that doesn’t heat until kingdom come. | count. reported to police Saturday noon by Sinstag fer Moceal. The Star believes that the gas consumers are almost) “companied yt Pewn ot $92 [viows month, according to Mra. Lar-| and tell the public service commission about it in no| Brown said ne did not think tt “1 took the bill to the gas office | ~ “The dreams were dissimilar Tsome respects, but “1 was dead. in beth of them In the first dream I seemed to be wandermg thru a damp ‘forest. For days I staggered thru the underbrush, as if lont. Then I came to an open grave beneath a iruit tree. d down over me and I felt xin Wiarly at peace, contented to remain here.” ROSE FROM THE GRAVE TO REACH A PEAR “And the second dream?” askea the friend .“I got up out of the same grave. On 4 branch of the tree was a pear J reached for it, but could not touch ft. <1 strove till I was exhausted to get that pear, then fell back into the grave again and, as the earth sifted down over me again, | saw the pear drop from the tree,” “That's queer,” said the friend “The pear that I brought you, that you ate that night, grew on a tree over my grandfather's grave. 1 pick ed it up in the grass at the foot of the tree the very morning I brought it to you.” Good News Eggs Drop Again. Decrease of 9 cents within the Inst three days \# the record of eggs on the wholesale market Saturday ranch eggs were quoted at 66 cente a dozen, 2 nt# less than yesterday Pullets were selling for 48 cents » 1 pout | as a witness against them Monday,” she mid today. “That got action. They reduced my bill to $11.29." ‘The Larsons use gas for cooking lanly, They use an electric vacuum cleaner, electric toaster, electric I stepped jn, the earth) washer, electric iron, electric mangler | land a two-plate electric stove. And their electric bill last month was only $5.60. “The Star is the only paper tn | Seattle that will fight,” she said. |"And I think you ought to do all | you can to get people to go down to | the hearing Monday and tell the | commission what they think about the gas service.” | WOMEN START CAMPAIGN ON GAS Hundreds of women in Seattle Sat |urday were+being called up on the | telephone and asked to be present at |the hearing on Monday. | ‘Phe telephone campaign was instt. tuted by club wornen, Each woman appealed to was asked to telephone in turn to several of her friends and ask them to be present. | ‘The women hastily decided to |start the telephone campaign early |Saturday, following an’ indignation | meeting Friday afternoon when vari- |ous methods of fighting the poor gas | service were discunsed. One proposal that a gas boycott be started was turned down as impractl. cable, It was decided that a drive to have consumers discard gas alto- gether, using electricity or coal ranges instead, not only might erip- ple the gas company #o that it would | be unable to give any service nt all, (Turn to Page 5, Column 5) PHONE A! RT7MEN "ARE DROWNED SPRING HILL, W. Va, Dee, 18,— Seven men were reported drowned at noon today,,when a rowboat carry ing 18 workers from the armor plate ‘plant of South Charleston, sank while crov#ing the Kanawha river, The men resided in Dunbar, oppo xite this place, and were going home for the half holiday | Rescue boats saved 11 of the men. WAS MARRIED, BUT NO BRIDE Olof Jaconson found himself mar, ried and without a bride Dec. 1, 1919, according to hia divoree complaint against Ruth Jaconson. He says she deserted him on the day of the wed ding’ and never came back. |Bellingham Pool Room Is Held Up | BELLINGHAM, Dec. 18—The | Orpheum pool room was held up here |last night by two armed, | bandits, who escaped with $300, In| and told them I was going to appear REPO | were relieved of their valuables, The | Orpheum was robbed under similar circumstances last month. masked | More than 20 customers in the place | DOPE SEIZED WORTH $8,000 While searching baggage for | booze at the King st. station shortly | before noon Saturday, federal prohi- bition agents found one of .the largest caches of dope that has been discovered in Seattle within recent years, Sixty-eight five-tael cans of stnok- ing opium, valued at $6,800, and ap proximately two pounds of cocafne, appraised at $1,200, concealed in some suitcases, were found. ‘The owner of the baggage was not apprehended, and no arrests were made. At peddlers’ retail prices the total value of the smoking opium and co- $40,000 ‘The dope was turned over to the federal narcotic men. MURDER TRIAL _ OPENS JAN. 17 Trial of John C. Wolroed, charged with murder in the second degree in connection with the shooting of James Hendrey October 1, 1920, will begin in the superior court January ‘The date was fixed by Presiding T. Ronald Saturday morn- 417, | Judge J. | ing. jeaine seized would be approximately | GETS 30 DAYS FOR CARRYING A BLACKJACK Convicted of carrying concealed | weapons, H. A. Nash, colored, was given a limit sentence of 30 days im Jail and $100 fine by Police Judge |John B, Gordon Friday afternoon. ‘Thie is a maximum sentence under the city ordinance Nash was arrested at 12th ave. and | last Wednesday night by | Thomas st Sergeant W. F. Dontan and Patrol man Vallett, who told the court they found a blackjack in his posses | sion ° | THREATENED |WITH GUN, |ROBBED OF $17 Bragdishing a large gun under his |nose, one of two bandits kept C. McDonald, 1200 Franklin ave., cov ered early Saturday while his partner rifled McDonald's pockets of $17 at Nelson place and Eastlake ave. Mc Donald did not even get a chance to gee the robber who searched him, Ryther Fund Gets $300 From S. S. Line Merry Christmas, in the form of $300, was wished upon the Ryther Child home Friday by the employes of the Admiral line, Tt was.the larg: est single present that has come in during the present campaign for fund STAR WONT SE ‘COMMITTEE, SAYS H Had to Hire Two Extra Clerks to Care for Mail beg him to save her only and dearly beloved son from death on the gallows. The governor is too busy, He is getting ready for a coming event COMMITTEE, GOVERNOR TELLS THE STAR From his manmon at the capital hed jong distance this morning Gov. | Hart told The Star: “I will not receive the committee jecoming here Tuesday to argue for |clemency for Isom White. “I have no time for personal in- terviews on matters of clemency. I am too busy getting ready for the legialature. “I want to say The Star is only | causing prejudice by. its campaign I have had to hire two additional stenographers to open my mail, due to the coupons you are printing and other petitions in behalf of White.” While the governor was dictating | his refusal, Mrs, D. A. White, aged , mother of Isom, in her stricken home | at Stanwood, was hopefully brushing | her best Sunday dress and packing! an old suitcase, praying for atrength | to make her expected journey and for courage to face the governor, @enator Joseph Smith, the man who drafted the hanging law, was himself to have brought Mrs. White and her 80-yearold enfeebled hus- band to Seattle Monday, and intended to accompany them with the commit- tee to Olympia to add his plea to theirs. MRS. FRATES ARRANGES AFFAIRS SO SHE CAN GO Half an hour after the governor had finished his statement to The Star, Mra, L. A. Frates, of 1612 2ist ave, who has ‘worked ceaselesgly in behalf of Isom since his death sen tence, phoned that she had arranged affairs at her hospital so that she might go with the committee to the capital. She was informed of the new turn of events. “What! sbe exclaimed. “The gov- lernor too busy? Oh, that’s too bad, too bad! I'm awfully, awfully sorry, But we shall see, I can’t believe that | Governor Hart will let that poor boy go to the gallows.” Dr. Mark A. Matthews, of the rebuffed committee, done with the fight. “What do you make of that?” he asked when told what the governor had said “Well, we'll send him some red-hot letters. I'll have one ready Monday.” PRESIDENT OF FEDERATED CLUBS 18 INFORMED Mrs. Henry Landes, president of the Federation of Women's clubs, who planned to go with the commit- tee as representing the federation, when told that the governor had re- fused to receive the committee, said: “That's @ peculiar state of affairs. Of course we will continue our ef- forts to save the boy's life.” “It was what we might have ex- pected,” was the comment of Mrs. A. A Baker, a member of the com- mittee and chairman of the camp- (Turn to rage 5, Column 4) chairman is not LATE EDITION TWO CENTS IN SEATTLE M TOO BUSY TOV abso BY; Not Premeditated; Baby’s Welfare Only Consideration BY RALPH J. BENJAMIN TACOMA, Dec. 18.—George T. Stagg, former newspaperman, returned to ‘Tacoma shortly after midni this morning, and at 11:30 a. m., appeared in Judge D. Fletcher’s court, pleaded guilty of kidnaping his boy, Bobby, from his divorced wife here last Septemb was sentenced to serve 10 to 15 years in the state tentiary. BS j In a brief statement to the court, Stagg absolved Betty Brainerd of all blame. He said the ki was premeditated, but done on the spur of cage ae 8 thought, he said, that he was able to give the child better care than its mother. After sentence had been Prosecuting At- Wi A. Askren a motion to dismiss against Miss Brai- alleged accomplice In gtanting the dismissal, bbe «i Fletcher remarked that Askren had acted wisely in his agreement to re- Jease Mins Brainerd if Stagg returned and pleaded guilty. Askren was permitted to state bis reasons for the move. He concluded by saying he had saved the state the expenses of @ costly trial and a probable appeal to the supreme court.) Stage was turned over to Deputy | Sheriff Tom Desmond after sentence | and locked in the county jail to await | the arrival of guards from Walla | Walla, who will escort him to prison. | DIVORCED WIFE SAYS SHE'LL ASK PARDON “I am going to ask Gov, Hart to/ pardon George just as soon as I have | assurance that the baby and I are safe | and that he will not attempt any-| thing vindictive against me,” said | Faith Cunningham Stagg,¢ divorced | wife of George Stagg, Saturday noon, | just after he had been sentenced. | Edith Stagg did not go to the} courtroom when ber former husband was sentenced, She remained in Pros- | ecutor Askren’s office, j “I am not glad,” she said, when | informed that sentence had been | passed on the father of her baby. - “I! don't want anybody to think I am! adamant. After all, George is the baby’s father in fact, if not in spirit. | “T am not vindictive, If I am as-| sured that he never again will molest me or the baby, I will do all in my/| power to get him a pardon. He was| my husband, He has one of the dear- | est mothers in the world, SAYS SHE WON'T WORK WITH BRAINERDS “If I can help him get a pardon, T will do it, But I will not work in| conjunction with the Brainerds. I will work independently.” Stagg and his attorney did ndét ap- pear at the courthouse till 11:30, tho the hearing was scheduled for 10 a. m. They were met in the hallway by Prosecutor Askren “Do you want to go in there?” Askren asked Stagg. “Edith is in my office.” Stagg’s face set, and he bit his lip. “No,” he answered, “I don’t want to see her.” Stagg walked into Judge Fletcher's court thru a throng of curiosity seek- ers and calmly took a seat, He did net speak to anyone. He kept his eyes fixed on the judge. “GUILTY,” HE SAYS, IN LOW VOICE During the formal: opening state- ment of Prosecutor Askren, explain: ing the case, Stagg looked straight at Judge Fletcher, He appeared to be restraining himself. When Askren had. finished his statement, there was a pause, Then Judge Fletcher asked: “Do you desire to plead at this time?” “Plead guilty,” low voice. There was a considerable move-| ment in the courtroom as the spec: | tators eraned their necks and leaned | forward to catch his words, “Do you desire to make any state- ment at this time?” Judge Fletcher Stagg replied in a “I would like “to this, if your honor I would like to say Miss Betty Brainerd merely incidental and solutely innocent guilt in this, that I absolutely to blame that the whole thing pr aghen: bir done on the spur of the moment, I had gone there to see my boy. 4 “T had reason to believe’ that I would perhaps be better able to take care of him and provide for him than his mother. I acted impetuously and took him, and the first Miss’ Brainerd knew of it was when I told her, ‘Drive!’ “That is all I have to asked Stagg cleared his throat slightly and then, in the same low, renee voice, he absolved Betty Brainerd of all blame in the case and declared — himself wholly guilty % VOICE SCARCELY AUDIBLE AS HE MAKES STATEMENT When Stagg made his formal state- ment to the court, his voice was bare ly audible. There was an awkward pause, ag he finished. Stagg sat down, “Just a minute, Mr. Stagg. @lease stand up,” said Prosecutor Askren, Judge Fletcher spoke slowly, “Under the law, Mr. Stagg, the minimum sentence is 10 years. IT will make the sentence a minimum of If years, a maximum of 15.” i Nodding to Prosecutor Askren, Judge Fletcher continued: or “You y draw your judgment ae cordin| Compt { Askren started his explanation of hig” reasons for asking dismissal of of the charge against Miss Brainerd ag #008 as Stagg was seated ASKREN ASKS DISMISSAL BRAINERD CHARGE Now, if your honor please, In this connection I would like to file a mo tion and affidavit for dismissal of the charge against Miss Brainerd. I do not know whether your honor will take judicial notice of anything that has been in the newspapers the past few days. (Turn to Page 5, Column 2) oe ng with his part of ‘tHe’ = | agreement with Attorney Henderson, ee _afemale Paes Rites, \atrontartapees Jost a icine nnn Re dice reo nanan een All the Romance, Excitement and Adventure of Railroading Is Told in “The Wreckers,” by FrancistLynde, Starting Monday in The Star. Don’t Miss In