Miners & Merchants Bank
IDITAROD, ALASKA
Capital, $50,000.00
General Banking Business Transacted Gold Dust Bought and Assayed
Drafts Issued on Any Part of the World
SEATTLE CORRESPONDENT. SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN BANK
OFFICERS:
CHARLES ROSS, President
JOHN HOLMES, Vice President
R. C. BUTTON, Cashier
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HERBERT E. RILEY, PROP.
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CANADIAN AVIATOR FIRST
TO DESTROY ZEPPELIN IN AIR
-- i
LONDON, June 7.—For the first time on
record a Zeppelin in the air has been de- ’
-truyed by an aviator in an aeroplane. Regi- \
nn!d Warneford, a young Canadian sub- i
lieutenant in the royal navy, who mastered
acruplaning only this summer, and who per
formed the feat, tonight is somewhere inside |
the British lines, while a Zeppelin lies ,
sprawled on the roof and ground of an or
t hanage near Ghent.
Falling, a blazing mass, after being struck
by the young aviator’s bombs, its crew of
twenty-eight were killed, as were several
occupants of the orphanage buildings.
The theory is advanced that this Zeppelin
was the craft that raided the east coast of
Fnglund last night, lor the fact that i; was
in the air over Belgium, between Ghent and
Brussels, at 3 o'clock in the morning, leads
in ihe belief that it was returning from an
expedition, not starting. Dawn breaks early
these days, and the huge Zeppelin could be ■
sighted far otf, and it is presumed that the I
craft was headed for her home hangar when
Wurneford came winging swiftly under the .
grav skies.
The Zeppelin, which was flying compara
tively low, began to mount at once, but the !
British wasp was speedier and climbed into !
the air in long spirals, reaching a position |
at length over the German’s vast bulk, j
1'rom this point of vantage Warneford burst
the Zeppelin’s shell repeatedly with his in
cendiary bombs.
Without parallel in this war or any other .
i- the story the young aviator will have to 1
relate. While details of the fight have not !
yet been learned, it is known that first came |
the long pursuit. According to the admiralty j
report, the aeroplane was 6.000 feet up. and j
to reach this altitude would require nearly j
twenty minutes. The Zeppelin meantime ;
could drive forward approximately fifteen |
miles. Then followed the maneuvering for j
position and finally the dropping of the
bombs, from which the dirigible tried vainly j
to escape. Minor explosions occasionally, !
and at last one of terrific force, occurred, 1
and the Zeppelin burst into flames. Warne- j
ford must have been close over the dirigible,
for. almost simultaneously with the out
burst. his machine turned completely over
and for a moment he turned head down, and
his monoplane, all control of which had
been lost, pitched and tossed in the swift
currents of air which rushed up to fill the
vacuum created. Then, by a desperate ef
fort. Warneford righted his machine and
planed to a landing behind the German lines.
He alighted unhurt, set his propeller going
again, and flew off to the west.
Whether the Zeppelin's machine guns or
rifles were turned on the aviator is not
disclosed, but in order to attain such an
advantageous position the British lieutenant
must have handled his machine skillfully.
Although the target the Zeppelin presents
is extensive, it can be lifted by its own
buoyancy to a great height, while the pur
suing aeroplane has to rise in spirals by the
power of its engine alone.
As the light in mid-air occurred over that
part of Belgium held by the Germans, hopes
are raised in London that the Germans will
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be forced to move their Zeppelin base east
ward, thus making raids on England more
hazardous.
JUDGE DUKE E. STUBBS
COMES FROM KUSKOKWIM
Duke E. Stubbs of Aniak is in the city
this week on his regular semi-annual trip.
He reports matters in a mining way to be
somewhat slow in the Kuskokwim country
this year, although there is considerable ac
tivity in the Canyon creek district, where
twenty two men are reported to be working,
and taking out S40 per day per man. On
Bear creek and on the Aniak but little is
being done this summer.
Mr. Stubbs says that as yet no mail serv
ice has been arranged for the postoffice at
Aniak.
Three ocean-going vessels have docked at
Bethel this year, bringing great quantities
of freight for the Kuskokwim region. The
largest of these draws eighteen feet of
water.
Mr. Stuhbs says that a United States
Coast and Geodetic Survey official is going
up and down the Kuskokwim river this
year on the steamer Quickstep, taking
soundings. He states that a systematic
survey of the Kuskokwim river has never
been made.
R. S. Eskridge, in a recent letter to Mr.
Stubbs, still speaks of the possibility of
building a dredge for the working of the
Bear creek property controlled by the Mc
Ilhenny interests, but nothing definite has
been arranged.
VIOLENTLY INSANE NATIVE
BROUGHT FROM AKIAK
Mose Kanah. a native from the Indian
settlement at Akiak, on the Kuskokwim,
was brought to this city last Sunday by
Special Deputy Marshal Joe Lewis, and
placed in the federal jail. Kanah had been
declared insane by Commissioner Duke E.
Stubbs at Aniak on June 20 last, and will
be removed to the sanitarium at Morning
side. The native is declared to be subject
to intermittent fits of insanity, when he be
comes extremely violent. At the time com
plaint was made he had barricaded himself
in a hut and armed himself with guns and
ammunition. Later these were taken from
him and he made his escape to the wilds,
practically naked. He was later captured
and brought here over the trail.
SURVEY PARTY TO BE HERE
BY MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER
Sam Adams, who arrived in town from
Ruby last week, brought word that the Geo
logical Survey party under R. H Sargent,
whom he met on the Salatna river, expect
to be in Iditarod on September 10. Sam
states that the piarty has thirteen splendid
horses.
We strive to please the people from the
creeks when they come to the
CROSBY BATHS
JURY FINDS THURSTONS GUILTY ON SECOND
TRIAL
(Concluded from Page One)
among the merchandise handled by him
were gasoline lamp mantels. There was a
shortage of such goods in Iditarod in the
fall of 1913, and he wired to his brother,
George W. Smith, at Fairbanks, to send him
some. The latter sent him two dozen and
said he had ordered six dozen by telegraph
from Seattle, to be sent to him at Iditarod.
On November 21 or 22. 1913, he received
from M. Seller & Co., Seattle, an invoice
for six dozen mantels. The invoice was in
troduced in evidence over the objection of
the defense. He told Thurston, the post
master, of receiving the invoice, and in
quired for the mantels, and Thurston gave
out the inference that they had been de
layed. On December 17 he inquired again,
and was informed there was no package in
the postofiice for him. Thurston told him
that he himself had mantels coming from
Nome, and a few days later he advertised
Them for sale. On April 9, 1914, Wile, who
had recently taken over the postofiice, came
to Smith’s store and informed him of the
finding of the six packages of mantels ad
dressed to him. He went to the postofiice
and was shown the packages. They were in
a cotton sack, covered with dust and dirt.
The packages were plainly addressed, and
one of them had been sufficiently torn to
display its contents. Wile called Thurston,
who was living over the postofiice. The
latter denied ever having seen the pack
ages. Smith told of having berated Thurs
ton. He said to him: “You surely have
the gall of the devil to be selling mantels
all winter while mine were lying in that
sack under your table. You ought to have
made a good thief of yourself and destroyed
the packages.” The wrapper which had
contained the mantels, and which had been
torn open, was admitted in evidence over
the objection of the defense. The other
packages had not been preserved, Mr. Smith
said, because he had had no thought of
prosecuting the Thurstons. The prosecu
tions were not instituted at his instance.
Wile had indorsed the opened package with
his name and the date on which they were
found- -April 9. He had later talked with
Commissioner Albrecht, Deputy United
States Marshal Charles and others about
the incident.
Henry Roden, in cross-examining the wit
ness about Wile’s discovery of the packages,
and his having indorsed them with his name
and the date, and the reasons for such ac
tion on Wile’s part, asked: “As a matter
of fact, you don’t know much about the
packages?” “You bet your life I do,” re
plied the witness. He could not testify as
to the time the mantels left Seattle—he
had only the invoice to go by. The wit
ness was asked as to intimate personal mat
ters, and replied, “That was my business,”
and the question was not persisted in. He
could not say as to when the packages ar
rived at the Iditarod postoffice. They might
have arrived after Wile took charge of the
office for all he knew.
Albert Wile on the Stand
Albert Wile testified that he took charge
of the Iditarod postoffice on April 1. 1914.
and that the first mail after that time ar
rived on April 6. He identified the package •
which had been placed in evidence, and
stated that he found it under the sorting
table in the postoffice on April 9. while
cleaning up the office, and had indorsed it
with his name and the date for identification
purposes. It had been found in an old sack,
which was covered with dust and dirt, alomi
with five other similar packages, all ad
dressed to Joseph H. Smith. He detailed
the calling into the office of Joe Smith and
Thurston. Thurston denied having seen the
package. He was extremely pale, and Smith
and Thurston “chewed the rag.” He cor
roborated Smith as to the conversation that
took place. Wile said the packages did not
arrive after he took charge of the office, and
must have reposed under the table for
months. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Thurston
ever spoke to him of the matter afterward.
On cross-examination he denied that the
packages might have come on the mail of
April 6. There were parcel post stamps on
the package, and Mr. Roden intimated by
his questions that it might not have come
as first-class mail. The questions took such
form that the court interfered to protect
the witness from what was termed improper
questioning.
Joe Smith was recalled, and in answer to
a question by Mr. Roth, stated that Thurs
ton had told him he had cleaned up the
office a month previous to the day of the
alleged finding of the packages.
Testimony of Thomas
W. B. Thomas could not identify the
package, and detailed his connection with
the postoffice during 1913 and 1914. It
was not customary to place several pack
ages in a sack. When packages were too
large for the lock boxes a card was placed
in the box calling attention to them.* He
did not know of anyone but himself assist
ing the Thurstons in distributing the mail.
Cross-examination elicited the statement
that he was not familiar with the postal
laws, and could not state definitely that the
package had been received as first-class
matter.
Smith Had Complained to Marshal
Deputy Marshal Percy G. Charles identi
fied the package placed in evidence. He
stated that Smith had complained to him
that the packages had been delayed in the
mail, and showed them to him. They were
contained in a sack. He had not conversed
with Thurston about the incident; later he
qualified this by saying he might have done
so. He had had difficulty in purchasing
mantels in the period mentioned, and had
bought some from Thurston. On cross
examination he said he could not remember
i the date of the purchase.
On being recalled to the stand. Thomas
stated that parctl post stamps had been
used for all classes of mail since August or
September, 1913.
Mr. Roden questioned him as to the use
of cancellation machines, and attempted to
prove that the matter was not first-class
by the cancellation stamp used on the
package in question.
After recess until 2 p. m. Thomas re
sumed the stand. He was questioned as to
routes and classes of mail. He had helped
to make an inventory of the office when
Wile took charge. He could not remem
ber any cleaning up of the office.
Mr. Roth drew from him the statement
that the rubbish under the sorting table
had never been cleaned up within his knowl
edge, and if it had been he would have
known of it.
In answer to a question of Mr. Roden he
said he had never seen a cotton sack under
the sorting table.
Pie testified in answer to a question of Mr.
Roth that the same amount of mail was
brought in by way of Cordova and Tanana
as was later brought in via Seward.
Wasn’t in Love With Tom
Wile was again recalled, and stated that
an emergency mail contract was let in
February, 1914, which cleaned up all ac
cumulated mail.
“You don’t like Tom Thurston?” asked
Mr. Roden. “Well, I can’t say I’m in love
with him,” answered Wile.
Claud Baker testified that Joe Smith
came to his place of business early in April,
1914, and showed him mail packages, one
of which was torn. They were all ad
dressed to “Jos. H. Smith.” He did not ex
amine the sack which contained them.
At the conclusion of Mr. Baker's testi
mony the prosecution rested, and after a
recess of ten minutes C. B. Sims was called
for the defense.
Testimony for Defense
Mr. Sims was asked by Mr. Roden as to !
conversations with Thurston relative to the
sale of mantels. Mr. Roth objected to the
question on the ground that any assertions
of Thurston would be merely self-serving,#
and the objection was sustained by the
court. Witness had asked Thurston for
mantels and had been told that he had none
for sale.
He was cross-examined by Mr. Roth
as to the date, and said it was subsequent
to Thurston's having advertised mantels for
sale. An objection was sustained to a ques
tion by Mr. Roth as to whether he had not
interested himself in the Thurstons' behalf.
Mrs. Thurston on the Stand
Agnes V. Thurston, one of the defendants,
testified that it was her custom as assistant
postmaster to clean up the office thoroughly
once a month. She described the sorting
table, and said she had never seen the pack
age offered in evidence, nor any similar
packages. She knew nothing of a sack con
taining such packages, and had never opened
such mail. A week before quitting the
postoffice she had made a thorough clean
ing up. She knew Mrs. Joseph Ii. Smith,
and had trouble with her in February. 1914,
which, however, had no reference to the
postoffiee.
Mr. Roth questioned her as to her place
of residence prior to her arrest. She stated
that she, in company with her husband,
hail been brought from Seattle as far as
Tanana by Marshal L. T. Erwin. From the
latter place they had come on to Iditarod
alone. She could give no explanation of
why this consideration was shown to them.
She testified as to the class of merchandise
sold in the store connected with the post
office. and said no mantels were sold by her,
nor had she ever seen any in the store. She
had assisted at all distributions of mail be
tween November 1, 1913, and April 1, 1914,
with few exceptions. Thomas had also as
sisted them, but no one else.
Tom Thurston’s Testimony
T. L. Thurston, the second of the defend
ants, stated that while he was postmaster
Mrs. Thurston conducted a store in the
postoffice building. He sold a few mantels.
Fie had four dozen, and used part of them.
Fie placed a sign in the postoffice an
nouncing that he had mantels for sale, and
disposed of all of them by the first of the
year 1914. Selling lamp fixtures and man
tels was not part of his regular business. He
sold enough of them to pay for his own.
He could not say that he had ever seen the
package in evidence before. He saw similar
packages, but never prior to April 1. 1914.
He never opened the package or a similar
one, and never saw the packages of mantels
addressed to Smith or the sack that had
been testified to. The practice was to clean
up the po.-ioffice each month, and to keep
ihe matter under the sorting table in good
order, as it consisted of catalogues and
pamphlets some of which might have to h?
returned, but which were either improperly
addressed or undeliverable. The place was
cleaned up a fewr days prior to Wile’s taking
charge. There was no cloth sack under the
sorting table at that time.
On cross-examination by Mr. Roth he told
the same story of the arrest and being
brought to Tanana by Marshal Erwin, and
coming to Iditarod alone, as was told by
Mrs. Thurston. Like her, he could not tell
why. He was questioned closely on this
point. He remembered Smith asking about
mantels which he expected. He did not
remember Smith showing him the invoice.
He could not remember the dates on which
Smith mentioned mantels to him. The only
persons who ever assisted him in distribut
ing mail were Mrs. Thurston and Thomas.
He could not place the date of the receipt
of his own mantels except by the invoice.
Asked where the invoice was, he said he did
not know. “When did you see it last?”
asked Mr. Roth. “Today,” said the witness.
“Then you ought to have a pretty good idea
of where it is,” said Mr. Roth. Witness
finally admitted that it probably was at his
hotel among his other papers. He had re
ceived ten dozen mantels from Nome in
February, 1914. He sold few mantels after
that, and returned the balance, six dozen,
to Nome. He could not give the date of
the telegram he sent to Nome. He reiter
ated that he had no knowledge of how ti
packages addressed to Smith came to be in
the sack. He expressed the opinion that
the package in question was fourth-class
or parcel post, for the reason that it was
unsealed, that there was no postmask on the
stamp, and that there was no mark to in
dicate that it was first-class. Asked as to
how long it would take a package coming
by mail, alter it had left Cordova, to reach
Iditarod, he said if its passage was uninter
rupted it would take thirty days; otherwise
it might take an indefinite period. Mr. Roth
tried to get him to acknowledge that emer
gency contracts had cleaned up all mail dur
ing the winter of 1913-14. The only emer
gency contract he remembered was during
February, 1914. Before he went out ot
office he went over the accumulations under
the sorting table with Wile.
Wiie Contradicts Thurston
Wile was recalled by Mr. Roth and denied
that Thurston went over the accumulations
under the sorting table with him. At the
time he cleaned up that particular part of
the office it was extremely dirty.
At 2:55 a recess was taken, and ten min
utes later the defense rested. An agreement
was entered into by counsel that an hour
be allowed each side for argument.
Roth Addresses the Jury
District Attorney Roth opened the argu
ment to the jury by saying that the evi
dence conclusively and without question
showed that the mail packages addressed to
Joe Smith had been received, and had been
withheld by the Thurstons. The fact that
■they had mantels for sale was significant;
the fact that there was a shortage of such
articles was significant; the fact that Thurs
ton had wired to Nome for mantels was also
significant. He detailed the finding of
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Smith’s mantels, which had been ordered the
previous fall, on April 9, and of Thurston s
being confronted with them and his em
barrassment on that occasion. The only
persons interested in holding up the man
tels, he said, were the Thurstons. They had
a monopoly of the business, and they tried
to maintain it. Whether the mail packages
were first-class or parcel post, the fact had
been proven that they had started from
Cordova over the winter mail route, which
would tend to prove that they were first
class matter. There was no getting around
the fact that they were secreted by the
Thurstons. The small value of the mer
chandise was not a factor. If the defend
ants were guilty they should be punished
just as surely as though the merchandise
was worth thousands. The evidence proved
that the packages had been in the office |
for some time. There was no reason to be
lieve that Wile would perjure himself to
convict the Thurstons. The fact of the
packages being inclosed in a cloth bag was
evidence of concealment. Thurston knew
that Smith was expecting mantels, and
Thurston did not semi to Nome for his man- ]
tels until January, long after Smith’s man- |
tels should have arrived. It was a small
matter, and showed the smallness of the ]
defendants in resorting to such means in
order to secure a few paltry dollars. But |
the smallness ot tne matter was no excuse
in the eyes of the government. He spoke
of the seriousness of allowing a postmaster I
to become a tyrant The matter would be |
just as serious if no intrinsic value were at i
stake. The position cf postmaster was one
of sacred trust. It was his business to get
mail matter to the patrons of the office. He
spoke of the expense and trouble the gov
ernment went to to get mail matter through
to Interior Alaska, and said that a post
master was guilty of crime if he withheld
mail matter for one day. “If we allow
postoffice employes to tamper with mail we
put ourselves at their mercy,” said Mr.
Roth. No one believed the mail matter in
question came in the shape in which it was
found. Thurston thought he could cover up
the crime by withholding the packages until
the spring consignments of mail came in.
when they would be given up and Joe Smith
would believe they had been held up at
Cordova. There was no chance for Wile
to be responsible in the matter. The Thurs
tons had torn open the package to learn the
contents, and had determined not to allow
their monopoly to be interfered with. Noth
ing was trivial in connection with the mail.
The government would exert itself to the
uttermost to enforce the law guarding the
mail service. In a remote place like Irfita
rod, where mail is carried hundreds of miles
by dog team, a postmaster who will take
liberties with the mail is a criminal of the
lowest order. “If you fail to convict in
this case,” concluded Mr. Roth, “I cannot
see how the government can protect your
mail service.”
Charles E. Taylor for the Defense
Charles E. Taylor, for the defense, said
that there was no evidence that the pack
ages in question had left Cordova. Mr.
Roth had said they had, but the jury was
not bound to take his word for it. The de
fendants were not under the obligation of
proving their innocence. The government
must establish beyond reasonable doubt
their guilt. Embezzlement was defined as
the conversion to one’s own use of property
of others coming lawfully into one’s posses
sion. He denied that the defense had tried
to implicate Wile. He reviewed Joe Smith’s
testimony. "Why didn’t they bring the
cloth sack into court?” he asked. It was
most important. Nothing had been proven
relative to it. He spoke of the class of
mail matter that was received without
proper addresses, and said there was no
evidence to show that the defendants ever
saw the packages in question. The receipt
of mail (luring the winter months that had
been on the trail for long periods was of
! common occurrence. There could be no
i crime unless criminal intent was shown, and
no .such testimony had been presented. He
spoke of the inconsistency in Wile’s testi
mony, in which he had said that no pack
ages had arrived on the first mail handled
by him, and later had told of Thurston
and McLean aiding him in distributing
second-class matter. He suggested that
Harry McLean, who had subsequently been
declared insane, might have been responsi
ble for putting Joe Smith’s mail in the cot
ton sack. The Thurstons and Thomas all
swore they had never seen those packages.
No doubt Joe Smith was sore, and showed
the packages around; and Joe had shown
that he had no use for the defendants. “It
is not a friendly feeling that controls and
prosecutes these cases,” said Mr. Taylor.
Counsel had said that because there was a
shortage of mantels, Joe Smith’s were held
out. Thurston had sold $16 worth of man
tels. Would a man in his senses have been
guilty of such foolishness? he asked. “Gen
tlemen,” he continued, “he never did it.
Thurston is shrewd—he wouldn’t be guilty
of such folly.” Defendants were not guilty,
he said, and had not been proven guilty.
They had been brought 2,000 miles for the
alleged embezzlement of $18 worth of man
tels. The jury should render a verdict of
not guilty without leaving the box.
Roden Closes for the Defense
Mr. Roden said he would not attempt to
review the testimony and his argument
would be short. Moral laws, he said, were
far more important than postal laws. “What
will happen to your mail if you don’t con
vict?” Mr. Roth had asked. Before sending
the defendants to the penitentiary the jury
should reflect that they might be wrong.
All are liable to make mistakes. He pic
lured the self-accusation that each juror
would experience if the defendants were
wrongfully convicted. He urged that both
defendants should be convicted if the jury
were convinced beyond reasonable doubt of
their guilt. But they must be sure there
was no reasonable doubt.
“I would not talk to you as I am doing I
if I were convinced of the guilt of these
defendants,” said Mr. Roden. “I give you j
my word of honor as a man that I do not )
believe them to be guilty.” There was a ;
suspicion of guilt, he said, but that was .
all. The matter was “a tempest in a teapot,
originating in a women’s quarrel. ‘‘You are j
playing the last role in an old women’s |
quarrel,” said Mr. Roden. lie did not be- j
iieve that anybody had committed perjury, j
but sometimes witnesses are mistaken. “All |
you have to do to discredit Wile’s testi- j
mony/’ he said, “is to take a look at his
face, filled with hate and venom.” He com- !
mented on Wile’s placing his name on the j
torn mail package, "to display his exalted :
position as postmaster of Iditarod.” The
testimony of Joe Smith was taken up by \
Mr. Roden. He mentioned trouble of some I
kind, and started a line of questioning for
which he was taken to task by Mr. Roth, !
and the court admonished him to keep j
within the record. The testimony was of a j
flimsy nature, Mr. Roden said.
Mr. Roden made a last appeal to the jury j
to acquit the defendants, and said: “If you
must find them guilty, convict them both, j
As a good wife, Mrs. Thurston would wish i
to share the fate of her husband.”
Roth Closes tor the Government
In closing the case for the government j
Mr. Roth said he could not understand the ,
last appeal of Mr. Roden. From the stand
point of the government he believed the de- |
fendants to be equally guilty, but there was j
nore evidence of guilt against Thomas L. j
Thurston than against Mrs. Thurston. She |
had not turned pale when confronted with j
the evidence of guilt, as Tom Thurston had. i
“Would Toni Thurston have stood the ac- j
cusation of Joe Smith if he were not
guilty?” inquired Mr. Roth. Why counsel
should wish to have Mrs. Thurston con
victed if Tom was he could not understand.
He objected to Mr. Roden’s testifying un- I
der the gu se of argument. As to animus. j
Joe Smith had no intention of prosecuting
the Thurstons. Smith was a witness, not I
the prosecutor. The government would j
prosecute all infractions of the postal laws, j
Roden's dissertation on the moral law not- J
withstanding. The matter involved the |
moral law to the highest degree. Counsel
had tried to belittle the offense charged, but
it was a serious crime. It was no “tempest
in a teapot.” Roden had said that Marshal
Erwin had dene his duty when he turned
the defendants loose at Tanana to pursue i
their journey to Iditarod alone. Air. Roth I
could not understand Erwin’s action. “They j
should have come here like other prison- !
ers,” he said. "I don’t like it, and I don’t
appreciate it.” “What weight has the state
ment of Mr. Roden’s belief in the innocence
cf the defendants, ‘on his honor as a man ;
asked Mr. Roth. He could not understand
this. Mr. Roden must believe that there
was some man on ihe jury whom he "had
it on.” "I don’t believe there is any man on
this jury that Henry Roden ‘has it on,’"
said the district attorney with vehemence.
He believed that both defendants were
guilty and that the evidence had shown it.
Roden had said he would not stand up there
and defend his clients if he knew them to be
guilty. Mr. Roth ridiculed the statement
and said it had a tendency to make lawyers
smile.
The district attorney then took up Mr.
Taylor’s argument. He said it made no
difference whether the amount involved was
SIS or $18,000. People were net going to
be hoodwinked into believing that the mat
ter was trivial. He spoke of the statement
about Joe Smith’s not being friendly to the
defendants, and said that was not a factor.
Smith had gone as far he could to drop
the matter, but the government would not
stand for it. He ridiculed the attempt to
lay the blame for the non-delivery of the
mail matter on Harry McLean, and dis
cussed in detail other arguments of Mr. Tay
lor’s. In conclusion he said:
“You are officers of the law, intrusted
with law enforcement. The judge, you and
1 make up the court. There is no trivial
side to this matter. I admonish you to do
your duty, and leave it to your conscience.
I expect you to enforce the law, and I hope
the Almighty will assist you in doing what
is right.”
At 5 :45 Mr. Roth concluded and the court
delivered the instructions to the jury. These
were somewhat elaborate, and gave the usual
advice on the law in the case. Four forms
of verdict were outlined, and the jury re
tired shortly after 6 o’clock.
Verdict of Guilty
After deliberating until 2 a. m., word was
sent to Judge Bunnell that the jury was
ready to report. A small crowd filed into
the court room to hear the proceedings. At
about 2:20 Judge Bunnell asked the jury
if they had arrived at a verdict, and A. E.
Meacham, the foreman, handed the docu
ment to the judge. The court clerk read
the document amid a tense and impressive
silence. The defendants received the ver
:dict stoically, but just before the court was
adjourned Mrs. Thurston collapsed in her
husband’s arms in a faint. She was cared
for by friends and escorted to her hotel.
The defendants were allowed their liberty
under existing bonds.
If you are in need of anything in our
line, see us. Two stores—Flat and Iditarod.
Boas the Clothier.
QUICKSILVER ADVANCES
ON ACCOUNT OF THE WAR
NE WYORK. June 10. Quicksilver has
been marked up sharply following Italy's
announcement that she had placed this arti
cle on her embargo list. Wholesalers are
asking from $85 to $100 per flask, against
$35 to $40 per flask normally.
WHERE IS HOMER LEONARD?
Postmaster T. II. Deal of Fairbanks, in
a letter to Postmaster Wile, makes inquiry
for one Homer Leonard, who was last seen
at Ruby in August, 1914, and was said to
be on his way to Iditarod. Important in
formation awaits him at Fairbanks
The Boas Clothing Store at Flat. Prices
— —I
Beginning Monday, June 21
Will leave daily on the following
schedule:
Leave Iditarod Leave Flat
7 :00 a. m. 9:00 a. m.
11: 00 a. m. 1 :30 p. m.
3:30 p. m. 6:00 p. m.
Arrangements can be made for -pe
cials at later hours by communication
with office. _
Notice to Creditors
In the Probate Court Tor Otter Precinct,
Fourth Division, Territory of Alaska,
before Hon. 0. 0. Geraghty, Curnrni
sioner and ex-officio Probate Judge,
lit the matter of the Estate of Frank A.
Cleveland, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given by the under
signed, administratrix of the estate ei
Flank \ Cleveland, deceased, to the eivd
ilors or and all persons having claims
against the -aid deceased, to exhibit tie in.
with the iceessary vouchers, within six
months after the first publication of tins
notice, to lie' said administratrix, ai Pie
office of Fred Harrison, attorney at law.
Hegma hotel, Iditarod, Alaska, tile -uine
being tlte place for the transactii n or the
business or tlte Sam estate in tie above
precinct and territory.
Haled June at). 1913.
ANNIE CEIFTO.N CLEM'.i.AM'.
Adininistratriv.
First publication, July 3, 191a—St
Notice of Forfeiture
To Robert Mathson:
You are herebv notified that the tinder
Mgned lias expended in labor and improve
ments the sum of one hundred dollars
($100 for the year of 1914 upon the
Gold Run Group placer mining claim, situ
ated on Little creek, a tributary of «>au‘ -
creek, in Innoko mining and recording \ <
trict, district or M iska. Notice « r 1<
recorded in Yol. 10, Rage 96, innoko Min
ing Records.
You are further notified that if at the
expiration of ninety <90> days after the
last publication of this notice you fa i or
refuse to contribute your proportion or
such expenditure, vour interest m '.aid
claim will become the property of th> un
dersigned. vour eo-owner. under ."'•etn»n
23-24 of the'Revised Statutes of th** Enite-1
States. „ „ „
ROBERT EVANS. Co-owner.
Pate of iir^t publication. April 17, 1915.
Pate of last publication. July 17. 1915.
BEST LIQUORS AND CIGARS
Three-Times-Move Bar
(Formerly the Stanley House)
JOHN BAGOY. PROP.
GOOD ROOMS CLEAN BEDS
FLAT CITY_
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Iditarod Dog Ranch
Rates $5.00 Per Month
W. L. LEONARD & CO.
FRASER UK?
Dis., Otter Miss M. Earl, Prop.
Warm and Clean Rooms
Porcelain Tub Baths
CONVENIENT DOG KENNELS
McLean's Roadhouse
TAKOTNA
Cummings’ Old Sand
MRS. J. H. McLEAN, PROP.
BEST ACCOMMODATIONS
FOR TRAVELERS
RATES REASONABLE_