m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVII No. 80 NOME, ALASKA WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1955 Per Copy—15*
Washington State
Prisoners Rebel,
Hold 9 Hostages
WALLA WALLA, Wash., —
Nine Washington State Prison of
ficers, seized at knifepoint in a
sudden revolt against discipline,
were held captive today as offi
cials and inmates argued over
terms for their release.
A recheck by penitentiary au
thorities disclosed that a total of
11 men were seized yesterday
morning when 33 of the big insti
tution’s toughest convicts rioted
violently in an attempt to force
changes in parole and classifica
tion procedures and other prac
tices.
The two employes overlooked
in the first count were identified
only as a guard and a supervis
ing cook who fell victims to the
rioters when they seized the pri
son kitchen. Of the 11, two were
released shortly after the revolt
started, but one was beaten se
verely.
With the prisoners in virtual
control of the big sprawling insti
tution near this northeastern
Washington city, a series of con
ferences between state and prison
officials and leaders of the revolt
ended shortly before last mid
night without any agreement to
free the hostages.
Meanwhile, Warden Lawrence
Delmore Jr., began his own in
vestigation.
His only comment was: “Some
body goofed.”
Delmore’s investigation center
ed around the question of how
the “tough 33” were able to get
otit of the segregation center and
take their hostages. Delmore said
that thus far he has been unable
to determine exactly what had
happened.
Prison guards reinforced by
state patrol and county and city
officers armed with rifles and
sub-machine guns patrolled the
walls and the area surrounding
the prison. A national guard com
pany was on standby orders for
possible duty.
Former Houseboy Admits
The Slaying Of Wealth
Young Society Divorcee
LOS ANGELES, UP) —After 14
hours of questioning a law stu
dent today confessed beating,
stabbing and strangling to death
a wealthy young society divorcee,
police reported.
Officers said John R. Crooker
Jr., admitted slaying Mrs. Norma
McCauley in the bedroom of her
Bel Air mansion yesterday be
cause she rejected his love and
humiliated him by falling alseep
while he was talking to her.
Crooker, 31, former houseboy
in the 33-year-old Mrs. McCaul
ey’s home, was taken to the scene
early today and re-enacted the
murder, police said.
TUESDAY BASEBALL SCORES
American League
Kansas City 4, Cleveland 3
National League
Philadelphia 5, Brooklyn 4
New York 11, Pittsburgh 1
Cincinnati 5, St. Louis 4
Alaska Legislators Will Be
Allowed As Delegates To
Constitutional Convention
WASHINGTON, (A*)—1The House
has passed and sent to the White
House a bill allowing members
of the Alaska Legislature to be
come delegates to the territory’s
Constitutional Oonvention this
fall.
Under present law territorial
legislators may not hold or be
appointed to any office created
during the term for which they
were elected. This makes Sen.
Howard Lyng of Nome eligible.
805 Accidental
Deaths Listed
Over The Fourth
By the Associated Press
Final reports showed today that
407 persons died in traffic acci
dents over the Fourth of July
weekend, a new record.
The previous record for a three
day Fourth of July holiday was
366 in 1952. During a four-day
Independence Day period in 1950
491 persons died in traffic mis
haps.
The National Safety Council’s
pre-holiday estimate for this year
was 380.
During the 78-hour period from
6 p.m. local time Friday to mid
night Monday, 251 persons
drowned and 147 died in miscel
laneous accidents for a grand
total of 805 deaths from acciden
tal causes.
New Controversy Swirls
Around Dixon-Yates Pact
With Entry FBI Agents
WASHINGTON, (A*) — The
Dixon-Yates contract swirled into
new controversy today over the
Eisenhower administration’s use
of FBI agents to check on plans
by the city of Memphis to build
its own power plant.
Sen. Kefauver (D-Tenn) called
it a “shocking misuse of the
FBI” and asked in a statement:
“Is there no limit to which this
politically-minded administration
will go in order to carry water
'for the private power interests?”
Jhe Justice Dept, said the FBI
men were simply assigned to get
facts helpful to a determination
of whether the Dixon-Yates con
tract should be cancelled, and
were not making an investigation.
Both sides in the controversy
over the Dixon - Yates contract
claimed victory in the Senate’s
approval—with strings attached—
of 6V£ million dollars for a power
line to link the proposed private
plant with the Tennessee Valley
Authority system.
The Senate passed yesterday
the money bill containing funds
for this line, but with language
stating it cannot be used if the
city of Memphis makes a “definite
commitment” in 90 days to build
its own power plant as it has
said it will do.
Fireworks Set Fire
OAKLAND, Calif., (A1!—Firemen
blame fireworks shot off by teen
agers for a $2,000,000 fire that
destroyed a block-square canned
foods distribution center Monday.
Nome’s Fourth of
July Celebration
To maintain a free world, we
must have “strength through
might, economic strength, moral
strength and the help of God Al
mighty,” said Brig. Gen. T. Alan
Bennett to the people of Nome
from the review stand on the
4th of July.
Gen. Bennett said that Com
munism was a vehicle for world
domination and the fight today
is not only for military power
but a “fight for the minds of
men.”
He expressed the hope that the
people of Nome and people in all
communities of the United States
will continue to meet on the 4th
; of July and “say what they think,
| do what they want, without fear,
as our founding fathers intended
us to do.”
Glenn Emmons, Commissioner
of Indian Affairs, expressed the
desire to return when he can
stay longer and really see the
needs of this frontier of Am
erica.
Master of Ceremonies M. J.
Walsh introduced the many dis
tinguished guests on the review
(Stand who were welcomed to
Nome by Mayor Steffen Ander*
I sen.
Following the program, Eskimo
sports were enjoyed by a large
crowd.
The community turned out en
masse for the Band Concert late
in the afternoon and stood out ap
preciatively for the musical treat
which was shortened due to the
cold wind blowing.
Following are the names of
the prize winners of the children’s
sports program which took place
before noon:
30-yard Dash, Boys 8-12: Billy
Muller, 1st Prize; Jerry Cavota,
2nd; Roy Carlson, 3rd.
24-yard Dash, Boys 5-7: Jimmie
(Continued on Page Two)
IU.N. Commission
Rejects Control of
Waters 12 Mi. Out
GENEVA, Switzerland, UP)—The
U.N. International Law Comrpis
sion has laid the groundwork for
a new worldwide code of fishing
rights and territorial waters.
New draft laws completed by
the 15-member commission at a
session ended here yesterday re
ject claims to territorial waters
extending more than 12 miles
from any coast, but give a coastal
state special rights in the control
and conservation of fishing on
the high seas beyond its territor
ial limits.
The drafts are to be submitted
to U.N. member governments for
their observations. The commis
sion is to revise the drafts on the
basis of these observations and to
submit a final version to the
U.N. General Assembly next year.
The draft law on territorial
waters declares that “internation
al law does not justify the ex
tension of the territorial sea be
yond 12 miles.” Some states are
at present claiming territorial
waters extending 100 miles or
more from their coasts.
Navy Will Elevate 31
“Younger” Men To
Fill Admiral Vacancies
WASHINGTON, OR — A Navy
board under instructions from
Secretary Charles S. Thomas to
seek out younger men and scien
tific specialists has started look
ing for 31 men to become ad
mirals.
That many will be chosen from
the approximately 1,600 Navy
captains to fill 31 vacancies in
the ranks of admirals caused by
such factors as death and retire
ment.
Soft - pedaling * the traditional
emphasis on seagoing experience,
Thomas asked the board to pay
special attention to specialists in
such fields as atomic power, elec
tronics and guided missiles.
Ike Promises Reds
U.S. Will Negotiate
In Good Faith
WASHINGTON, Wft— President
Eisenhower said today the Rus
sians can be sure the United
States will negotiate in good faith
at the Big Four meeting in Gen
eva.
Eisenhower said too that no
member of the United States gov
ernment ever has said the Rus
sians will be in a position of
weakness.
The President’s remarks at a
news conference today amounted
to a reply to Soviet Communist
chief Nikita Khrushchev’s Fourth
of July denial that the Soviet
Union will be negotiating from
weakness in the talks. Khrush
chev said nothing good can come
of the Geneva conference unless
the West treats the Soviet Union
as an equal.
Eisenhower said he is going to
the mid-July conference with a
very hopeful attitude. But he
added' quickly, that American
hope will need a good deal of
food to nourish it before the
hope becomes expectation.
The President said he does not
expect disarmament to come up
at Geneva except that it might
be possible to agree on what
would be the best channel for
conducting disarmament talks.
The whole question, he said, boils
down to getting an armaments
inspection system that both sides
would accept.
Sen. Lyndon Johnson
Showing Improvement
After IJeart Attack
WASHINGTON, M—Sen. Lyn
don Johnson (D-Tex) is showing
improvement from the heart at
tack he suffered Saturday but still
is in serious condition, an attend
ing physician said today.
Dr. James C. Cain of the tMayo
Clinic in Rochester, Minn., met
with reporters at Johnson’s office.
Earlier the Naval Medical Cen
ter where Johnson is a patient
said he was “progressing satis
factorily.”
Dr. Cain said it might be six
months before it can be deter
mined if Johnson can ever re
sume his duties as Democratic
leader or engage in further rigor
our political campaigning.
Nearly 50 Ships At
Seattle Loading
Cargo For Arctic
SEATTLE, UP)—The commander
of the Military Sea Transporta
tion Service will come to Seattle
tomorrow to inspect ships of the
Defense Department’s great Arc
tic supply mission, now loading
here.
Vice Adm. Francis C. Dene
brink will fly in Thursday morn
ing and leave that night after a
full day visiting ships that will
resupply United States military
outposts of the Far North and
carry materials for the Air Force’s
Distant Early Warning radar line.
Details of the massive supply
mission are secret, but close to
50 ships are maneuvering into
Seattle piers or ranging elsewhere
along the Pacific Coast as part of
the Arctic fleet.
Although not all the ships now
are in Seattle, longshore gangs
have been imported from other
nearby ports to help handle the
flood of equipment and supplies.
In Seattle Tuesday, longshore
men interrupted their annual
“Bloody Thursday” work stop
page to keep cargo flowing aboard
Arctic ships and other military
vessels in the harbor.
Longshoremen of the Interna
tional Longshoremen’s and Ware
housemen’s Union traditionally
take off July 5 in memory of fel
lows lost in battles between Cali
fornia police and union members
on that date in 1934. Non-military
ships up and down the Pacific
Coast were idled this year, as in
the past.
Girl In Wet Bathing Suit
Electrocuted By Freezer
In Self-Service Store
DETROIT, UP) — A 9-year-old
girl was electrocuted yesterday
when she opened a self-service
freezer in a dairy store.
The child, Sharon Kirn, was
wearing a wet bathing suit.
She and playmate had been
called from a backyard pool to1
run an errand for Sharon’s
mother.
Mrs. Gertrude Kirby, a clerk at
the dairy store, said she saw the
girl approach the freezer. >
“The next thing I knew, she
just fell over backwards, Mrs.
Kirby said.
Christian Democrat Forms
Pro-West Italian Cabinet
ROME, UP)—Christian Democrat
Antonio Segni formed a pro
Western coalition cabinet today,
ending Italy’s two-weeks-old pol
itical crisis.
A lawyer, teacher and land re
form expert, Segni called on
President Giovanni Gronchi to
present the names of his cabinet
ministers. They will take office
tonight.
The new government must still
win approval of both houses of
the Italian parliament.
Segni announced acceptance of
the premiership last night re
placing ex-premier Mario Scelba,
who ruled Italy for the past 16
months.