Haflg Prosprrtnr
m _ _
VOLUME XIV ‘VALDEZ, ALASKA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1017 NUMBER 206
AIM POISONER
• BREAKS JAIL
• _ %
• Confined in Walln Walla Penitentiary
Makes Escape from Hkagway .fail
m In Marvelous Manner
Vernon Bawlf, said to be one of the
most daring convicts in the State of
Washington, who escaped from the
Walla Walla penitentiary, and was
caught at Atlin, and brot out this
’week to the Skagway federal prison
en route back to the penitentiary es
caped from his cell last night at 7:30
P. M. In the court house Jail, and
fhus far has made good his getaway.
Bawlf was sitting in the guard
room of the jail watching four other
prisoners playing cards,' and was
singing, apparently enjoying life. In
a matter of fact maner he got up,
picked up his coat and hat. and
quietly stepped into the kitchen, pull
ed up the radiator opening Into the
basement, and slipped to the ground
below making his escape out of the
back door. He was wearing an Ore
gon boot on one leg, and hampered
with this he cannot make good prog
" ress.
. Posse of 50 In 5 Minutes.
Three minutes after his leaving the
card tables the other prisoners notic
ed he was gone and called Marshal
Miller who immediately sounded the
alarm by firing many pistol shots. In
side five minutes it is said there were
50 men on hand and all scattered in
different directions, searching the
houses in the near-by vicinity, but noj
trace of him could be found.
A posse then organized a#d a
systematic search has been made
since, some men searching the hill
side and country surrounding the
lower lake, others guarding the wat
er front, and still more men guard
eng the railroad bridges. No sign
of him has been found, but it is re
ported that one of the Wheeler boys
saw a suspicious character near the
railroad bridge at Mile 2 this morn
ing, and men have been searching
• there since then.
Wears Oregon Boot
The Oregon,boot which the con
, \ict wears is about an inch and a
half in thickness, and fits from
ankle up well over the calf of the leg
and weighs 15 pounds. Braces from
the foot makes it impossible to
move to ankle joint. While in prison
it was noticed that his ankle was very
sore and badly cut.
When the convict walks on a board i
walk or pavement the boot makes!
considerable noise, and Mrs. Miller,
wife of the Marshal, who was in her
home near the Court House at the
time heard the man go up the back
stairs of the jail basement in escap
ing. Miller was in his office across
the hallway, and the first he knew
' was when one of the prisoners pound
ed on the kitchen door, which was
locked, and yelled that the “bad man”
vhad gone.
Description
Vernon Bawlf is a big man, six
feet, two inches in height. When he
escaped, he wore blue overalls, a light
Cblored coat and a khaki shirt, much
« after the style of the army shirts. He
has blue eyes and blonde hair, and it
If not known whether he wore a black
slouch hat or cap. He is 26 years
* old. One of his front teeth is gone.
Had No Weapons
While in prison he had no money,
or weapons of any kind. He is total
ly unfamiliar with this part of the
country, but his experiences as a
cow-boy will stand him well in hand.
Escai>ed Convict
He was traveling under the guard
of Harvey Horton, of the Walla Walla
penitentiary when he was placed in
the federal jail. His acts have extend
ed to practically every state in the
west. He was sentenced some time
ago to serve three from and a half to
15 years in the Walla Walla peniten
tiary for horse stealing, but on April
29 made his escape. He made his way
to the Atlin countxy and was there
caught, working In one of the mines.
• A posse composed of Hardy, Mil
ler, Tanner, three prisoners, Page,
* Achison, Chambers and others has
been searching the woods for him
since his escape from the federal pris
. on.
John Dehart will be a passenger on
the launch Della Monday for Fidal
go where he will take employment on
the Wilson property.
NAVY ACQUIRES ANOTHER HOSPITAL SHIP
- J
Photo by American Preu Association.
To augment its hospital service the navy department has. t^JtetT over the sieatnsblp Havana. The only other hos
pital ship in our navy is the United States steamship Solace. Several months will be required to turn the state
rooms of the Havana Into wards. The guns on the dock are to be mounted on American liners.
Miscreant in Ohio Wounds Four Sol
diers While Train is Pass
ing Thru Town
STEUBENVILLE, O., Sept. 15.—
A troop train on the Pennsylvania
railroad was fired upon, and altho
the train was stopped and a search
made for the miscreant, no trace
could be found. The federal authori
ties are working on the case, and the
offender will be severely dealt with
if caught, as the citizens are aroused
at the outrage.
ASK REMOVAL COMMISSIONER
O’CONNOR AT CHITINA
Chris Tjosevig, the well known
mining man, who is heavily interest
ed in mining property near Chitina,
today filed charges against United
States Commissioner Wm. O’Connor,
of Chitina for malfeasance in office,
and partiality shown in the trial of
United States vs. Nels Tjosevig, and
petitioning the removal of Mr. O’Con
nor from office.
Walter Stuart states that coai is
selling for $10 per ton in Anchorage,
and that it may go higher before win
ter sets in. He states that rents in
both Seward and Anchorage are ex
cessively high, and that Valdez is
much the cheaper town to live in.
BUYS FOR THE NAVY.
Rear Admiral McGowan, Pay*
master Gansral, a Busy Man.
To Rear Admiral McGowan, paymas
ter general, la assigned the job of pur
chasing all supplies for the nary. To
make sure that Uncle Sam does not get
stung he has ordered rigid Inspection
of all purchases and the prompt rejec
tion of food and other supplies not up
to standard.
SPOKANE BROKER
ARRESTED AT JI NEAl
SPOKANBl Wash. Sept. 15—W. H.
Bourke, who was arrested at Juneau
last night, was a mining broker in
this city until recently. It is alleged
that Bourke agreed to turn over to
creditors large timber holdings in
Oregon, but left town w’hUe pegotia
lions were pending. Members of the
Spokane stock exchange swore out
grand larceny warrants and had offer
ed a reward of $500 for information
as to the whereabouts of Bourke.
MARINER SHOOTS
HIMSELF IN HAND
Captain Tom O'Dale suffered a
painful accident while duck shooting
at Beluga, yesterday afternoon, and
was brought to the city for medical
treatment. While duck shooting on
the Beluga river, the left barrel of
his double barrel shot gun went ofT
and lacerated his left hand, the two
middle fingers were badly cut and the
little finger was split open. It is not
known yet whether he will lose any
of his fingers, but it will be several
weeks before he is able to resume his
duties as Captain of the Beluga
Whale Company’s boat, Magna.—
Times.
U. S. TRANSPORT
Forty-three members of Crew Ix>st
When Big Liner Minnehaha is
Torpedoed by L'-Boat
{'JEW YORK, Sept. 15.—News has
been received here that the big Amer
ican liner Minehaha, used as a trans
port had been sent to the bottom by
a German torpedo. Forty-three of her
crew were lost.
ALAMEDA SAILS WITH
LARGE PASSENGER LIST
The Bteamship Alameda arrived in
port about 1 o’clock yesterday and
sailed south an hour later with the
following passengers: District Attor
ney W. N. Spence, Mrs. W. N. Spence,
Miss Susie Spence F. M. Cockrell,
Mrs. John Lyons, Anna D. Lyons,
Mary Lyons, John Lyon's, Jr., H.
Adams, Chris Tjosevig, George
Dorsch, Howard Steele, J. L. Steele,
Miss Frances Stevens, Capt. Frank
A. Kidwell, for Seattle. E. Y. Taylor,
for Juneau; M. Blum, S. P. Silverman
for Cordova; Miss Dahlstedt, W. A.
Nourse, for Cordoca and several can
nery employes.
Miss Grace Gamble, of Knoxville,
Tenn., arrived on the steamer Admir
al Evans from the states today, and
will take a place on the teaching staff
of the Valdez public schools. Miss
Gamble has been in Alaska before,
having taught BChool at Nome.
Fifty tons of freight arrived on the
steamer Admiral Evans and a large
lot of mail.
The launch Hyak, Capt. Nelson,
sailed for Ellamar, and down-sound
points at noon today.
DENOUNCES
WARTRAITORS
States That All Men Arguing, Print
ing or Writing Articles Against
War are Traitors
CHICAGO, Sept. 15.—Commission
er Elihu Root, in a speech last night
in this city, stated that all men en
gaged in speaking, writing or print
ing arguments against the entrance
of the United States into the war.
President Samuel Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor, ad
dresing the same meeting pledged
labor to fight unt'l world terrorism
had been overthrown and democracy
established in the world.
I
200,000 VOLUNTEERS IN
REGULAR ARMY SINCE APRIL
WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 15.—
More than 200,000 war volunteers
have enlisted in the regular army
since April 1. This represents approxi
mately 17,000 men in excess of the I
number needed on April 1 to build'
the regular service to its full anthori-i
zed war strength.
Figures made public yesterday
show that Pennsylvania has now sup
plied 22,289 men on a quota of 15,
330; Illinois, 16,923 on a quota of
11,276; New York 21, 970 on a quo
ta of 18,226; California 7,656 on a
quota of 4,754, and Nevada first
state to complete its quota, 9S3 men
on a quota of 162.
BURGLAR PARDONED TO
^ WORK ON OIL PROC ESS
CARSON CITY, Nev.. Sept. 15.—
A. H. Crane, sentenced to the Neva
da state prison (or burglary, found
chemistry an absorbing study during
his incarceration. Last June he an
nounced he had discovered a new and
cheaper procress from extracting oil
from shale. Warden Heinrichs called
his process to the attention of the
government, which sent S. H. Day to
the prison to investigate the process.
Yesterday Crane was granted a par
don at a special session of the parole
board in order that he may perfect
his process and superintend the erec
tion of an extraction plant. Day in
formed the parole board that Crane’s
method of extracting oil from shale
will be of incalculable value to the
government.
A new steam sterilizer arrived on
the steamer Admiral Evans for the
Valdez Hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Meyer Blum left for
Cordova on a short business trip.
Might as Well Go
As the young man was taking leave
for the night, his voice, as he stood
at the door, rose passionately on the
still night air.
“Just one?” he pleaded “just one!”
Then the young girl's mother in
terrupted, calling from her bedroom
window: 5
“Just one?” she cried. “No, it ain’t
quite that yet; but lt'a close on to
12. and so I think you’d better be
goin' Just the same.”
1100.000 DAMAGE
DONE AT SEWARD
Storm Reaching Velocity of Hurri
cane, Accompanied by (loud
burst Hits Town
Monday, September 10, Seward
and the Kenai pen'usula experienced
one of the worst storms ever known
in that district. Starting with a light
rain Thursday of last week and get
ting heavier all the time, Sunday
noon a terrific gale of wind struck
the city, driving the water into homes
and business houses, through siding
and window casements, until practic
ally every building In the city had
from two to six Inches of water on
their floors. Lowell creek, a small
creek, glacier fed, grew into a rag
ing torrent in a few minutes, sweep
ing everything in its wake. Cutting a
new channel through the heart of the
city, it undermined houses and car
riea tnem away on us swut current.
The old school house was the first
building to go, and was swept down
and lodged against the Jefferson
street bridge, then followed the hand
some new Community Christian
'church, the pastor. Rev. Munro and
| family having to make hasty flight.
; for safety, and a few minutes later
the building toppled into the raging
waters and was swept down stream.
The handsome home of E. O. Saw
yer. Jr., editor of the Gateway, was
i next swept away and ground into
j matchwood. The furniture was part
ly saved, but a handsome $600 piano
went with the house.
The telephone and light plant suf
J fered heavy damage, five feet of wat
er sweeping through the building for
hours, piling sand and gravel up to a
depth of five of six feet on the switch
board, and ruining furniture and fix
tures. Every light and telephone pole
was taken out and washed into the
bay amid a tangled mass of wire. The
city is in absolute darkness, and as a
I large part of the flumes were washed
[out which furnish power to the plant,
it may be weeks and even months be
I tore tne damage can ne repaired, i ne
i railroad tracks were swept away in
I many places, the flood standing three
| to six feet deep on the tracks. The
ionly communication between the two
sections of the city was by boat
j around by the bay, and as the wind
j blew a gale this made transportation
| extremely hazardous. The homes of
Messrs. Hancock, Thompson, Lipske,
Stewart and Nick Losness were wash
ed into the bay and a large number
of cabins also went. The streapi broke
over its banks directly back of the
Brownell place and ran down First
avenue, scooping out a wide channel,
and taking everything in its path. All
properties between First and Third
avenues were flooded and much dam
I
JAPAN IN TO FINISH.
Viscount K. Ishii Predicts
“Now Day Among Nations.”
A new day among nations. In which
Japan and America shall "forget the
little molehills that have been ex
aggerated Into mountains to bar our
good relations" and “march together,
work together and light together as
comrades,” was pledged by Viscount
K. Ishli, ambassador extraordinary
and plenipotentiary to the United
States, when he arrived in this country
recently. He wee. sent hr his govern
ment in ait effort to cement Japaneee
American relations.
age done. Trees were thrown into the
crevasse and rocks and gravel dump
ed In by the hundreds of sacks with
little effect.
The new hospital building was di
rectly in the path of the flood and the
patients were carried out and taken
to numerous private homes where
everything possible was done to al
leviate their condition. The handsome
new building appeared doomed and
was only saved by the stream cutting
a new channel and going down thru
the telephone building, which was
hastily evacuated by the operators.
The Gateway Publishing Company
which is located In the basement of
the Van Gilder building, was flooded
early in the day by the rushing wat
ers, the presses and typesetting ma
chine standing in a foot of water, and
the paper was gotten out by the em
ployes donning rubber boots and wad
ing about the establishment.
rue large railway snops ana tne
railway station was in the path of the
flood, and was only saved by great
effort. All business In the town is at
a standstill, and the citizens are
working with might and main build
ing a dike along the most dangerous
parts of the stream.
It is conservatively estimated that
the damage, aside from the muddy
floors and ruined household effects in
the houses which were flooded will
reach over $100,000, and until the
waters abate and some estimate can
be made many persons believe it will
be double that sum.
There were no fatalities from the
flood. One woman was struck in the
head by a flying piece of wood from
a blast, and rendered unconscious,
but aside from being badly bruised
she is now out of danger.
Roadhouse* Flooded
SKWARD. Sept. 15.—According to
pnrt;es arriving from out the line the
roadhouses at Mil® 23 and Mile 29
are standing in water to a depth of
three feet or more, the occupants hav
ing taken to the hills. The lake rose
six to nine feet and is still rising. A
train was stalled at Mile 17, with E.
O. Sawyer, Jr., editor of the Gate
way aboard, and a rescue party was
sent out to get them, arriving back
at town safely. The Sawyer children
wfere taken in by neighbors when the
house went down.
Spent Night in Tree
SEWARD. Sept. 15.—Mr. and Mrs.
Cordall, who had just moved into a
new home at Mile 3. a day or so be
fore the flood, were forced to leave
their home 11 o’clock Sunday night,
the water having flooded the dwell
ing to the window seats. Mr. Cordall
carried his wife to a big tree near the
cabin and tied her in. They were
compelled to remain in their precar
ious place of safety until C o'clock
next morning before they were rescu
ed. The couple suffered severely from
exposure and the heavy wind and
rain. They lost all their clothing and
household effects. They stated they
could hear cries for help from other
families living in their vicinity, which
made them doubly anxious. They were
rescued by two men who placed a
dory on a handcar and went out to
the house. The ^urns family lost sev
eral cattle and all their chickens and
household furniture.
Seven Inches of Rain
The rainfall at Seward Monday was
7.10 inches in 12 hours, the heaviest
ever known in the history of the ter
ritory, and was really in the nature
of a cloudburst.
Dowling Cabin Gone
John Dowling, one of the book
keepers for the railway commission,
lost his cabin and his personal effects,
Mr. Dowling being away at the time
the waters engulfed his home.
Ii. E. Thompson Home Cost
Mrs. L. E. Thompson and children
who recently arrived from the States,
lost their home and their effects in
the big storm. They are staying at
the Hotel Sexton.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska:—McDoug
al, the Interior mining town, situated
on the banks of the Yentna river. Is
under two feet of water, and the river
is rising rapidly.
The flood is due to an unprecedent
ed amount of rain in the hills. All the
smaller streams emptying Into the
Yentna, Including the Skwentna. Kah
lltna and Lake rivers are bank full,
with the waters continuing to in
crease In volume.
Floods and extremely high water
are also reported on the Susltna riv
ers and other Interior streams. Kro
(Continued oa Page Four)