as NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVI NO. 61 . NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1954 Per Copy—15<
Prisoner Being
Sentenced Found
Hiding Weapon
ANCHORAGE, — Face to
face with the man he crippled
for life, 21-year-old Joe Under
wood was sentenced Thursday to
20 years in prison—a sentence he
had made futile plans to avoid.
His plan, in fact, may cost him
additional prison time.
Underwood was convicted for
the shooting last July 31 of Wm.
D. Pfalmer, an Anchorage patrol
man, during a stolen car chase.
Pfalmer’s spinal column was shat
tered by a shot fired by Under
wood.
While in the crowded federal
court room of Judge George W.
Folta, the U. S.' Marshal noticed
Underwood was “sitting funny” in
his seat. As a precaution, he
double handcuffed the tall, red
haired prisoner with his hands
behind his back, then led him
back to the new federal jail a
block away.
There, Underwood was search
ed and a 2-inch-iron bar, 15 inches
long, was found beneath the pri
soner’s shirt. The bar apparently
had been taken from a bed in the
prison where Underwood had
been awaiting trial.
Underwood took another trip.
This time to the court of U. S.
Commissioner Gordon Hartleib
where he was charged with pos
session of an instrument capable
of killing a federal penal officer.
Japanese Pulp Company
Rents Wrangell Sawmill
To Start September Work
TOKYO, UP?—'The Alaska Pulp
Co., of Tokyo, said today it had
reached agreement with the
Wrangell Mills Co., for rent of a
sawmill at Wrangell, Alaska.
Kyodo New Service quoted of
ficials of the Japanese company
as saying that a provisional con
tract would be signed next week.
The Alaska Pulp Co. is planning
a pulp plant in Alaska,-with lease
of the sawmill as the first step
toward that goal. The firm said
the sawmill would be operating in
September. It has a monthly cap
acity of 1,500,000 board feet.
By the end of the year, an offi
cial of the Japanese company said,
at least 400,000 cubic feet of lum
ber is expected to be processed
and shipped to Japan for conver
sion to pulp.
Policemen Who Nabbed
Greenlease Kidnapers
Sentenced To Prison
KANSAS CITY, UP? — Two St.
Louis policemen who captured
little Bobby Greenlease’s kidnap
ers were sentenced to prison to
day for lying to a federal grand
jury about what happened to a
record $600,000 ransom.
Former Lieut. Louis Shoulders
a veteran of 27 years on the po
lice force was sentenced to three
years. Rookie Patrolman Elmer
Dolan was given two years.
Albert White Returns To
Juneau To Launch His
Campaign For Delegate
JUNEAU, UP — Albert White,
long-time controversial leader of
the Republican party, has return
ed from California to launch his
campaign for Congress as an in
dependent.
“I wish to consult my support
ers as to the procedure and strat
egy that is to be followed in my
campaign,” he said.
He described himself as an
Eisenhower supporter.
He said he understands SenatoT
Mike Stepovich of Fairbanks has
been in consultations in Washing
ton about his possible appoint
ment as U.S. district judge for
the Fourth Division.
Commenting on the resignation
of R. J. McKanna as Republican
National Committeeman, White
said “it is understood that he ex
pects to be appointed to a Civil
Defense position in Fairbanks.”
White also made some predic
tions about the Democrats.
He predicted that if the Demo
crats won control of the legisla
ture in the October election, Stan
ley McCutcheon of Anchorage
will be selected by the House ma
jority to resume the speakership
of the House which he held in the
1949 session.
U.S. Sues 7 Americans and
7 Canadians For $88,000
In Surplus Property Fraud
SAN FRANCISCO, UP! — The
U.S. government today sued seven
American citizens and seven Can
adians for $88,000, charging fraud
in the disposition of surplus U.S.
property after the completion of
the Alcan Highway to Alaska in
1943.
Assistant U.S. Atty. James B.
Schnake said that only the fact
the statute of limitations had ex
pired barred criminal indictments
for conspiracy to defraud the gov
ernment. He added that the actual
loss to the government ran to
$104,000 but that details for re
covery of the full amount were
lacking.
The government attorney de
clined to say how the case came
to light almost 10 years after the
alleged swindles, but he said FBI
agents spent six months on the
investigation leading to today’s
suit.
WOMAN DIES IN ATTEMPT
TO AVOID BEING KISSED
LANCASTER, Pa., UPV—An at
tempt to avoid being kissed by
her brother-in-law cost 24-year
old Mrs. Dorothy Walton her life
Wednesday, said Police Chief
Frank Horner.
The police official said that the
brother-in-law, Warren N. Sharpe,
31, of Lancaster was walking Mrs.
Walton to her home when he tried
to kiss her and she darted into
U.S. Route 72.
Dist. Atty. William C. Storb ex
onerated the motorist. Sharpe was
arrested on a charge of intoxica
tion.
25% Income Tax
Allowance Urged
Again for Alaskans
SKAGWAY, Alaska, OF—Skag
way’s Central Labor Council has
■made a second appeal to the com
missioner of internal revenue for
a 25 percent federal income tax
allowance for Alaskans.
The appeal was made on the
grounds that all Alaskans should
get the allowance that federal em
ployes in the territory get by the
tax exemption on their 25 percent
cost of living allowance.
Council President Cyril A. Coyne
acknowledged a letter from an
j internal revenue official which
reported the referral of the appeal
to the undersecretary of the
Treasury. But he called to Com
missioner T. Coleman Andrews’
attention that a report from an
other source indicated the under
secretary had poured cold water
on the whole idea on the ground
that the proposal would set up
discrimination between groups of
private employes. Coyne denied
that it would.
He suggested that government
officials come north for a trial run
of frying ham at SI.60 a pound,
bacon at $1.10 and eggs at $1.10 a
dozen. He asked that the under
secretary take another look at the
proposal and see if he couldn’t
refer it to Congress in a favorable
light.
Navy Estimates
Red Sub Fleet At
More Than 400
WASHINGTON, UP—’The Navy
today estimated Russian subma
rine strength at more than 400—a
figure a half hundred higher than
the Navy has used for several
years.
Rear Admiral W. G. Schindler,
asst, chief of naval operations,
disclosed the new estimate in pic
turing “chaos” he said could re
sult if a Russian submarine pene
trated an American harbor filled
with war shipping. “Think what
would happen if the explosive
were a nuclear weapon,”he said.
He said also that American sub
marines could approach an enemy
coast and launch missiles “which
may contain atomic warheads.”
Schindler said in his prepared
speech before an Armed Forces
Chemical Assn, meeting that in
the event of war “we must as
sume that an enemy will use some
form of chemical-biological-radio
logical warfare,” and he urged the
American people to practice now
in the use of equipment that he
said will be essential for survival
in a time of disaster.
THURSDAY BALL SCORES
National League
St. Louis 17, Pittsburgh 4
Pacific Coast League
Los Angeles 8, Seattle 3
Oakland 6, San Diego 3
Hollywood 6, Sacramento 1
San Francisco 5, Portland 3
Fairbanks Woman Asks Congressmen
To Delay Statehood Legislation Until
A Referendum Can Be Held In Alaska
-1
Red River Delta Defense
Posts Fight Off Encircling
Communist-Led Forces
HANOI, Indochina, — Three
little defense posts in the south
eastern sector of the vital Red
River delta battled fiercely to
day to hold off encircling Viet
minh forces as the defenders of
Dien Bien Phu tried to do.
They have been under constant
heavy mortar attack and machine
gun fire for nearly a fortnight.
The defenders are outnumbered
about six to one.
French fighters and bombers
are heavily hitting the besieging
Communist-led rebels. Planes have
dropped scores of 1,000-pound
delayed action bombs timed to ex
plode to kill rebels when they
launch infantry assaults nightly.
Deadlocked Talks On
Indochina Are Resumed
GENEVA, UP)—Deadlocked East
West talks on Indochina resumed
in secret today and France sought
to limit the initial negotiations
to a cease-fire in Viet Nam.
French Foreign Minister Geor
ges Bidault went to the nine
party session prepared to side
track for the moment the ques
tions of Laos and Cambodia and
concentrate on Viet Nam, where
Communist-led forces are threat
ening the Red River delta.
. Before yesterday’s recess, the
conference came to a dead stop
over French demands for an im
mediate withdrawal of Red troops
from Laos and Cambodia. France
insists the problem of these two
kingdoms be treated separately
from the proposed cease-fire in
Viet Nam.
Alaska Air Force Sgt.
Writes Bidault Admiring
French Stand At B.D.P.
GENEVA, UP) — French Foreign
Minister Georges Bidault said to
day he was deeply touched by a
letter he had received from Sgt.
Jack H. Wolfe of the U.S. Air
Force. Wolfe’s address is APO 942,
Seattle, an Alaska forwarding ad
dress.
Wolfe wrote Bidault asking him
to pass on the admiration of a
sergeant for the gallant stand
made by French forces at Dien
Bien Phu. In reply Bidault wrote:
“It is an honor for me to re
ceive such a spontaeous message
of sympathy, particularly during
the difficult times we are sharing
here with our American friends in
the defense of liberty for the
whole world.”
Calling the sergeant a man of
heart and courage Bidault con
cluded: “I clasp both your hands
in friendship.”
> By FRANK W. VAILLE
WASHINGTON, UP) —A small,
soft-spoken Alaskan woman is
making the rounds of Congress
at Washington, D.C., seeking to
delay action on Alaska statehood
legislation until territorial resi
dents can express themselves in
a referendum.
She is Miss Alice Stuart of Fair
banks, publisher of a photo-memo
book, who was sent here through
the donations of 35 Alaskans op
posed to immediate statehood.
With her she carries a petition
signed by 1,420 residents of all
sections of Alaska, urging delay
on the statehood bill until Alas
kans can vote on the matter—pos
sibly in the 1954 general elections.
It urges also that the question
be worded “very clearly and de
finitely in an unbiased manner”
such as “are you in favor or
against immediate statehood for
Alaska?”
Miss Stuart notes that the last
statehood referendum in the ter
ritory was in 1946. At that time
Alaskans voted 9,630 to 6,822 in
favor of statehood with voters in
two of the territory’s four judi
I cial divisions opposing statehood.
“That certainly wasn’t a clamor
then and it is not representative
of Alaska today,” she told a news
man.
She said she felt another refer
endum would “make for tran
quillity in Alaska” on the issue
and would bring out “consider
ably” more voters than in 1946.
As contrasted with the total vote
in the 1946 referendum, she noted
that 21,751 persons cast ballots
in the territory’s 1952 election.
Although of the belief Alaska
is not now ready for statehood,
Miss Stuart is not opposed to the
move in principle.
“If a majority of Alaskans
(Continued on Page Twol
B. Kosinski of Anchorage
Named Comm, of Alaska
Non-Pro Baseball Program
WICHITA, Kan., (fl — The Na
tional Baseball Congress announ
ced today the appointment of
Bernie Kosinski of Anchorage as
territorial commissioner in its
worldwide non-professional base
ball program.
Kosinski will have complete
charge of the program in Alaska.
It will include affiliation of cir
cuits in the N.B.C. Association of
Leagues, organization of umpire
associations and determination of
the championship in the final ter
ritorial playoff.
It was also announced that Al
aska, together with Guam, the
Virgin Islands and Hawaii, has
been zoned into the United States
program. Their championship
teams will compete for a territor
ial 'berth in the annual national
tournament at Wichita, which
starts next Aug. 20.
The Super-Sixes Are Coming June 4