VOLUME IS VALDEZ, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1915 NUMBER V.
HSSTORICSTMES
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Twenty Stables at Racetrack near
Washington Burned with Four
Men and Twenty Horses.
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.—One
wan was burned to death and three
others fatally burned in a fire which
destroyed the historic Bennlngs race
track stables, near Washington.
The fire gained great headway be
fore being discovered and in addition
to destroying fourteen of the stables
twenty valuable horses were cre
mated.
Among the stables destroyed was
that of August Belmont. His sta
bles were one of the last to be de
stroyed by the fire and nearly all his
1 animals were taken from the burning
building.
The man who lost his life and the
wtfe^s who are not expected to live,
entered the burning buildings to save
the horses. The frightened animals
refused to leave the stables after be
ing turned loose, and a number which
had been led from the burning build
ings, frightened by the glare of the
flames and the roar of the fire, broke
from their keepers and raced back
to their stalls.
I
Rustaiitty Killed When He Threw
Himself in Front of Switch En
gine Near Cordova.
CORDOVA, Nov. 17.—John R.
Morgan, Sr., owner of the Piledriver
roadhouse at Salcha.j on the Fair
iianks-Valdez government road, com
mitted suicide yesterday by throwing
himself in front of the switch engine
aear the Copper River station here,
and was instantly killed.
Morgan had just come from the in
terior and was en route to visit his
old home in the States. He had shown
ho sisui of being depressed and his
sudden determination to end his life
is a 'mystery. The engine passed
liver his body, severing both legs and
fracturing his skull, causing instant
death. Advices from Fairbanks
state that he is well known there and
is believed to possessed of consider
able money. He was 60 years of age.
JTJNEAV empire will
HAVE NEW HOME.
JUNEAU. Nov. 17.—John Troy,
who has been editor and manager of
the Juneau Empire since its incep
tion, has purchased all the outstand
ing stock of the Empire company and
Is now sole owner. It is announced
ibat B. M. Behrends, the Juneau
banker will erect a new building
which will house the Empire plant.
Construction work will start at once
and it is expected the Empire will
he in its new home before the New
Year.
SIONVICTS ESCAPE FROM
CAROLINA PRISON CAMP.
ASHVILLE, N. C., Nov. 17.—Fif
teen convicts, who were employed in
a contractor’s camp, escaped last
night and have cut t,he wires to pre
vent the news of their escape being
telephoned over the district. The
men had several hours start of the ‘
posses and it is feared they have es
caped.
HJLIjHTROM'S fate rests
WITH BOARD OF PARDONS !
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SALT LAKE, Nov. 17.—Governor
Wiiiiam Spry, of Utah, states that he
has no authority to stay proceedings
in the case of Joseph Hlllstrom, un
der death sentence* as urged by the
American Federation of Labor now
In session in San Francisco. Gov
ernor Spry has placed the American
Federation’s appeal before the board
•of pardons, in whose hands Hill
hrom’s fate now rests.
GENEBAL, OBBEGON 18
MARCHING ON CANANEA
NOGALES, Ariz., Nov. 16.—Gen
eral Obregon, commanding the fed
eral troops ;n the northern Mexican
Hates, is personally leading the army
against Cananea, in Sonora state. Vil
la’s stronghold. Cananea has a large
foreign populatioh, being the center
of a rich mining district, and the for
eigners will welcome the end of Gen.
Villa’s rule In order that mining op
erations may be resumed under gov
ernment protection.
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Believed Purchase of the White Com
pany Means that New Merger
Will Control Business.
CLEVELAND, 0., Nov. 17.—It
was announced here today that the
financial house of J. P. Morgan & Co.
of New York has closed an option
to purchase the White Auto company
plant here. The White company, it
is reported, has made more than $10
000,000 through contracts for trucks
supplied the warring nations since
the beginning of the war.
Many financiers believe the pur
chase of the White company’s fac
tory by the New York financial house
is the opening move for the forma
tion of a syndicate which will be or
ganized to control the auto manufac
turing business of the United States.
It is believed that options have been
secured on other factories and that
another big merger is in process of
formation.
AMERICA PAYS FOR SHORT
WEIGHT IN GOLD COINS.
LONDON: The Bank of England's
system of valuing gold coins by
[weight as against the U. S. treasury’s
face value computation has saved
the former $30,000 on only two ship
ments to America.
The first shipment on reaching
New York was counted coin for coin
and found to* contain $10,000 too
much. The last consignment of $19,
000,000 was $20,000 heavy. These
amounts were turned over to the fin
ancial agents of Great Britain in New
York and will be properly applied on
future shipments.
The American system of comput
ing gold coins is for face value, it
was pointed out here, unless more
than one half of one per cent has
worn away.
LABOR LEADERS
ACCEPTED BRIBES
Chicago News States Union Officials
Have Been Indicted for Or
ganizing Strikes.
CHICAGO. Nov. 17.—The Chicago
Daily News prints a sensational news
story in which it is declared that
more than one hundred business
agents of Chicago labor unions have
been indicted by the federal grand
jury now in session. It is asserted
that the labor leaders have bribed
employes of companies to destroy
property, have accepted bribes from
manufacturers to cause strikes in
competing factories, and have used
strong arm methods in shaking down
the business interests of the city.
It is charged that the Union lead
ers who organized the Garment
Makers’ strike were paid hundreds of
dollars ;by competing manufacturers
in nearly every recent strike.
The story has created a sensation
and it is believed the News will be
required by the court to explain how
it secured the news of the indict
ments before they were returned by
the grand jury to the court.
V. L. Sedgwick came up from the
Cliff mine yesterday. He is expect
ing Mrs. Sedgwick on one of the first
steamers.
LORD KITCHENER WILL REVIEW
SITUATION AT DARDANELLES
HAS PROMISED PEOPLE OF EGYPT THAT DEFENSES WILL BE PRE
PARED TO PREVENT INVASION OF GERMAN TROOPS OR THEIR
ALLIES—PETROGRAD REPORTS THAT SHAH OF PERSIA HAS
FLED FROM PALACF—AVIATOR DROPS BOMBS ON GERMAN
POSITIONS NEAR YPRES. —
ft
MILAN, Nov. 17.—According to
dispatches from Saloniki Lord Kitch- ;
ener, commander in chief of the i
British forces, has arrived at Mu
dros accompanied by the resident
general of Egypt. The dispatches
state that Kitchener has assured the
people of Egypt that he will visit
Egypt and prepare its defenses to re
sist any possible invasion from Ger
many or her allies. It is reported
that Kitchener will make a personal
observation of the situation at the
Dardanelles and Gallipoli peninsula j
and will determine if the Allies cam-1
paign there is to be continued.
Aeroplane Bombards Germans. |
AMSTERDAM Holland, Nov. 17.— |
More than a dozen German soldiers
were killed and thirty injured by
bombs dropped from a French aero
plane early yesterday morning near
Ypres. It is reported that the Ger
man position at Llchterveldt was
bombarded by aviators and consider
able damage done.
Shall Flees from Teheren.
PETROGRAD, Nov. 17.—-Advices
from the southern war zone state
that the Russian troops are closing
in upon Teheren, the Persian capital,
and that the Shah of Persia has fled
from the palace. It is also reported
that the Teutonic troops have been
withdrawn from the city.
Robert Fay Refuses to Formally
Confess to Conspiracy Unless
He Is Promised Immunity.
NEW YORK, Nov. 17.—Robert
Fay, who was arrested in connection
with the alleged Teutonic conspiracy
to destroy munition factories-in the
United States, when arraigned yes
terday with four others arrested on
the same charge, refused to formally
confess when denied immunity from
prosecution.
Fay had privately confessed to
United States Prosecutor Marshal
and had promised to go before the
federal grand jury to tell all he
knows concerning the conspiracy, but
changed his mind when brought be
fore the court.
It is reported that Fay’s confes
sion coincides in many particulars
with the exposures being made by
Dr. Goricar in the Providence Jour
nal, and that both involve Ambassa
dor Bernstorff in the conspiracy as
well as the Austrian Consul General
Nuber.
LOCAL BREVITIES.
Mrs. Joe Stanton came up from the
Cliff mine yesterday afternoon on
the launch Elvira.
Mrs. Young, wife of Assayer
Young, of the Cliff mine, came up
the bay yesterday afternoon on the
launch Elvira.
Gus. Sieffert, manager of the St.
Louis Mining company, at Hope, was
an outgoing passenger on the Admi
ral EVans this morning.
Ben Durkee. of Katalla, who has j
the contract for landing government I
freight from the steamers at Anchor
age, was a passenger for Cordova on
the Admiral Evans.
Mrs. Harry Brown and child, wife
and son of Harry Brown, U. S. dep
uty marshal at Knik, arrived in Val
dez on the Admiral Evans this morn
ing to visit Judge Fred M. Brown.
L. S. Robe, the well known mining
engineer of .Dawson and Interior
Alaska, was a passenger on the Ad
miral EvanB this morning for the
States. He is now engaged in the
Willow Creek district.
United States District Attorney W.
N. Spence returned from the west
ward on the steamer Admiral Evans
this morning after having been to
Anchorage in connection with the
numerous liqupr cases coming before
the U. S. compj&sloner there. Judge
Spence estabkMied a record for Alas
ka by securing a conviction in every
case tried.
10 SEND FOOD
Committees will He Organized In the
I'nlted States to Send Relief to
the Old Countries.
NEW YORK, Nov. 17.—An organ
ized effort will be made among the
German and Austrian residents in the
United -es to send food to the civ
ilian popuiai.u.i of the old countries.
A committee of forty-five prominent
German and Austrian citizens, in
cluding a number of clergymen and
prominent women1, were appointed
last night when the organization of
the society was perfected.
It is announced by Dr. Henry J.
Wolf, who is chairman of the com
mittee, that branch committees will
be forced throughout the country to
secure funds or voluntary subscrip
tions of grain for shipment to Ger
many and Austria. .
It is believed the sociey has been
organized for the purpose of forcing
the hand of President JVilson in deal
ing with the British government in
regard to the eiockade of the Ger
man coast against shipments from
neutral countries in violation of in
ternational iaw.
Wolf, in a statement issued, as
to the plans of the organization, as
serted that thousands of persons in
Germany and Austria were on the
verge of starvation despite the re
ports from Berlin that ample food
existed in the empire, and it is to re
lieve this situation that the society
has been organized.
iuOCAIi BREVITIES.
Mrs. Park Griswold, who has been
visiting Miss Blanche Fogg, returned
to her home in Cordova on the Ad
miral Evans.
Mrs. Anna Essen, who has been
visiting her daughter, Mrs. Chas.
Bush, in Anchorage, returned to Val
dez on the Admiral Evans.
Rev. E. H. Malony, after an ab
sence of two weeks to the westward,
during which time he visited Seward
and Anchorage, returned home on the
Admiral Evans.
Barney Simon, formerly in the
clothing business in Fairbanks and
Nome, who has been looking over the
situation to the westward with a view
to entertaining business, was an out
going passenger on the Admiral Ev
ans this morning for the States.
The steam donkey engine of the
Seacoast Mintrfg company was taken
from Shoup bay last Monday by the
launch Elvira to Fidalgo bay. where
it will be used In the construction of
ore bunkers there for W, A. DICkey.
George Waldron and Frank Winches
ter have the contract for construction
of the bunkers.
I CLOUDBURST FOLLOWS
EARTHQUAKE SHOCK.
ROME, Nov. 17.—Dispatches from
the city of Ayezzano state that the
city was shaken last night by a vio
lent earthquake shock, which did
considerable damage. The shock was
accompanied by subterranean explo
sions which frightened the populace,
causing them to desert theif homes
and camp in the open places. The
earthquake was followed by a cloud
burst.
BREEDER VICTIM
OF CATTLE DISEASE
Has Contracted Foot and Mouth Dis
ease Which Caused Ijoss of Mil
lions of Head of Cattle.
TOPEKA, Nov. 17.—Alfred Jen
nings, the well known stock breeder
of Ellsworth, is suffering from foot
and mouth disease similar to that
which has ravaged the cattle of the
western and southern states during
the past year. He has been brought
to a quarantine hospital here and is
under the care of leading specialists
who have been studying the disease
in the hope of finding a remedy.
Jennings ranch is stocked with
thoroughbred cattle and inspection
shows that the entire herd, valued at
thousands of dollars, have contracted
the disease and have been- ordered
slaughtered and buried. The outbreak
of the disease among the thorough
breds has caused consternation in
the ranks of the cattlemen of this
state, as Jennings’ stock participated
in many of the fairs and it is feared
they have spread the disease.
BRITISH GOVERNMENT
AFTER ANOTHER LOAN
LONDON, Nov. 17.—It is announc
ed that arrangements have been vir
tually completed whereby the British
government will secure another loan
of four million dollars in the United
States to relieve the exchange situa
tion. Gold shipments have been cross
ing the ocean at an enormous rate
during the past few months in liqui
dation of the British government’s
purchases in America.
It is not stated what co. — e.ial, if
any, will be offered American inves
tors and it is believed the bonds will
be similar to those placed in the Uni
ted States when the recent huge loan
was secured.
WILL STERILIZE
THE DEFECTIVES
Twenty-Four Patients In Wisconsin
W'lll Be Secretly Treated Dur
ing the Coming Month.
MILWAUKEE. Wis., Nov. 17—De
spite the fact that the Supreme Court
of the United States has not ruled on
the case brought to test the constitu
tionality of the Wisconsin law passed
by the last legislature, designed to
prevent feeble-minded and defective
persons from perpetuating their spe
cies by allowing physicians to subject
them to sterilization, it is announced
that twenty-four defectives in the
state asylum will be secretly treated
this month.
The defectives upon whom the ex
periments will be made have been
designated by alienists who pro
nounced their cases hopeless and of
such a nature that their offsprings
would inherit the defects of the par
ents. Many of the relatives of pa
tients in the asylums are protesting
and are threatening suits in case the
Wisconsin law is held unconstitution-’
al. Physicians state that the health
of the detectives will not be injured
by sterilisation, and assert that in
some cases marked improvement in
the mental powers of the patients
may be looked for.
Subscribe for the Prospector.
WEB TIGHTENING
ABOUT KBAUSI
Authorities Imve Discovered Th;
Circumstances Surrounding
Christ ie same as Plunkett.
JUNEAU, Nov. 17.—The author
ties have discovered that the note t
Mrs. William Christie, whose hu
hand has myteriously disappeared
was written on the same typewrit*
as the note sent Captain James (
Plunkett, of Juneau, who disappea
ed about the same time as Christ:
dropped out of sight. It is believe
that Edward Krause, who was arres
ed in Seattle yesterday, murdere
both Christie and Plunkett.
During the night following Chri:
tie’s disappearance after his beln
summoned from his work at tb
Treadwell ininfc by a fake subpoen:
a typewritten note was left under hi
door and discovered by Mrs. Chrit
tie next morning. A search of Cap
Plunkett's quarters had disclosed ai
other typewritten note which ev
dently lured him from his horn*
Both notes were written on the sam
machine and it is believed ths
Krause’s typewriter in Petersbur
will show the peculiar marks on tb
letters shown in the notes.
CORDOVA DEMOS
Want District Attorney Spence Take*
Away Because He Has Not
Identified Himself with Party.
CORDOVA, Nov. 17.—Followim
the actions of the Valdez and Sewan
Democratic clubs in passing resolu
tions condemning District Attorne;
Spence, the Cordova Democratic clul
last night passed resolutions asking
the Department of Justice to tak<
him away as he has brought ridicuh
on the office by the appointment o
his relatives to fedteral jobs.
It is also charged that he has
shown incompetency in handling th«
affairs of his office and that he ha:
failed to ideum., unnself with th<
Democratic party of Alaska. Th*
club also went on record as being op
posed to further appointments of out
siders to posu.ons in Alaska.
MEAT SHORTAGE IS
REPORTED IN JINEAI
JUNEAU, Nov. 17.—It was discov
ered that a meat shortage exists in
Juneau which cannot be broken un
til next Saturday when the first
steamer will arrive from the south.
All the big mining companies appar
ently exhausted their supplies of
fresh meats at the same time and
Juneau and Douglas must resort to
canned meats for a few days.
DELEGATE WK'KERSHAM
GOES TO WASHINGTON.
Delegate James Wickersham was
a passenger on the Admiral Evans
this morning en route to Washing
ton to attend the coming session of
congress. While at Anchorage he
addressed a meeting numbering thou
sands and urged harmony in co-oper
ating with the Alaskan Engineering
commission in order not to endanger
securing further appropriations front
congress. He also addressed a large
meeting at Seward where he went on
record as being in favor of securing’
a large appropriation for next year’s;
railroad construction work.
Snowfall In Chicago.
CHICAGO. Nov. 17.—Two Inches
of snow fell here last night, the first
of the season. The mercury has taken
a sudden drop and it is feared that a
blizzard will set in. Advices from
other parts of the state indicate that
the snowstorm is general.
H. C. Feldman, the Corodva and
Anchorage hardware merchant, was
a passenger on the Admiral Evans
this morning.
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