Iditarod Pioneer
Sc
One Doeear Per Month. , IDITAROD, ALASKA, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 27, 1912. Two Bits Per Copy
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ASK HARRAIS
TO WITHDRAW
Juneau, July 25.—At a meeting
of the Juneau Democratic club held
here last night, the following reso
Hit ion was adopted unanimously:
‘‘Whereas, The National Dem
ocratic convention at Baltimore has
decided in favor of Robert Jennings,
the contest between him and
Martin Harrais as to who is the
regular Democratic nominee for
delegate from Alaska; now tbere
lore be it
“Resolved, That it is the sense of
this club that said Martin Harrais
ought and is hereby requested to
withdraw from the race for
delegate.’’—Juneau Daily Dispatch.
ARE PREPARING
ACCEPTANCES
Sea Girt, N. J., July 25—Gov.
Woodrow Wilson will go to a se
cluded place to prepare his accept
ance speech.
He has announced that he will
not resign the governorship of New
Jersey until the result of the Presi
dential election is known.
Washington, July 25.—President
Taft is busy preparing his letter of
acceptance.
VOTE PLAYS HAVOC
WITH EDUCATION
Nome, July 28.—President Taft’s
vetoing of the appropriation bill in
terfeies with the work of the Alas
kan Bureau of Education. Supplies
for Teller are here and cannot be
shipped North until funds aie
available, and the same thing ap
plies to Point Hope, Point Barrow,
and other far-away stations.
JAPANESE EMPEROR IS
DYING FROM POISON
Tok 0, July 25.-—Emperor Mut
sui.ito, of Japan, is critically ill
and his recovery is despaired of.
Alarming s;, nitons developed last
week, and court physicians declare
the emperor to be suffe ing from
uraemic poisoning and nephritis,
combined with brain trouble. It
is believed that the attempt to take
the life of the emperor is the work
of hired assassins.
Shortly after the etnperor was
trkeu ill, the crown prince became
sick, and was unable to call up on
his father when the latter’s con
dition was found to be setious.
WON’T FIGHT UNTIL
AFTER THANKSGIVING
San Francisco, July 25. — Ad
Wolgast left far his Michigan home
yesterday. He says that the report
that lie will fight Rivers again on
Labor day is not true. According
to present arrangements he will not
fight again until after Thanksgiv
ing- * _
MANY IDLE ON SEWARD PENINSULA
Nome, July 26 —There are many
men idle on the Seward peninsula,
and the outlook is not favorable.
R iin has relieved the water short
age some, but not sufficiently to
count.
Politics stagnant.
The May Roberts Dramatic Com
pany is playing to fair houses here.
SOME LATE WIRELESS MESSAGES
Judge Keogh has denied the ap
plication for the release of Harry
Thaw, saying that Thaw is still in
sane.
Darrow will take the stand in his
own defense.
Progressive senators have joined
with the Democrats to pass the i e .v
La Follette wool bi 1.
Jack Johnson will 6ght Joe Jean
ette. _
LAST CHANCE
Empire Commercial Co.
Will pack all their stock of wines,
liquors and cigars during the next
week preparatory to shipping to Ruby:
this is positively your last chance tc
secure good goods at less than Outside
cost. __
FOR SALE OR RENT—Laundry and
bathhouse, Gold at.. Flat City; party
going Outside. Apply Miss Kotsch.
Delegate James Wickersham Finally Triumphs Over Alaska’s Enemies
And Secures the Passage of Popular Measure
Washington, I). C., July 25.—The Senate
has passed the Wickersham Jones Alaska Home
Rule bill, as amended by the Senate committee on
territories, without a dissentient vote.
The bill as passed provides for a legislature
of one house, consisting of 16 members, four to
be elected from each division. The house will
Home government for Alaska, established after the
the pattern proposed by the Senate committee on terri
tories, will not be quite so elaborate an affair as that
passed upon by the House, but, at least, it will be home
rule
Senator Wesley L. Jones, Delegate Wickersham
and others interested in securing self government for
j the territory are not as well satisfied with the Senate
! bill as they were with the House measure, but they did
not strenuously oppose its adoption as it was a case of
| “take this or nothing.” They believe that it is a good
start.; at least, and that improvements upon it may be
sucured in subsequent sessions of Congress.
One Body of 16 Members
The Alaska legislature, as provided in the Senate
bill, is to consist of one body, having a membership of
16 members, and shall be capable of passing laws af
fecting every phase of Alaskan life and commerce ex
cept the disposal of public lands and the regulation and
taxation of the game, fish and fur seal resources of the
territory.
The bill passed by the House provided that the
proposed new legislature shall be composed of a House
meet at Juneau, the capital, once in every two
years, but the governor of the territory is em
powered to call extra sessions of 15 days duration
when he deems such action advisable.
The bill also provides for the appointment
of a railroad commission of four members, who
will report to congress as to the most feasible
and Senate, but the Senate committee, of which Senator
Smith, of Michigan, is chairman, decided, after long de
bate in executive session, that all of Alaska’s legislative
business could just as readily be handled by a single
legislative assembly. This plan reduces the member
ship of the legislature by eight, and thereby makes a
decided reduction in the expense of conducting a local
government in the territory.
Provides for Railroad Commission
Another feature which distinguishes the Senate
bill from that passed by the House is the amendment
which provides for the creation of a railroad commis
sion for Alaska, to be composed of an officer of the en
gineer corps of the army, a geologist in charge of the
Alaska surveys, an officer of the engineer corps of the
navy and a civil engineer, whose duty shall be to deter
mine and report to Congress the best and most avail
able route for a government-owned railroad in Alaska.
A number of similar projects have been before Con
gress during the past year, but none of them have been
considered in either house, principally because of the
fact that they were independent measures or else at
tached to other measures involving such important
railroad route from the coast to the interior.
The bill, as amended, will now go back to
the house of representatives, where the amend
ments will be passed upon. The measure will
then be submitted to President Taft for his sig
nature, after which home rule will be an accom
plished fact and a new era of prosperity for
Alaska will have dawned.
questions that Congress did not feel able to go into
them this session. By attaching the proposition as an
amendment to the home rule bill, however, the creation
of the proposed commission this year was made pos
sible.
There seems to be every probability that President
Taft will sign the home-rule bill as enacted by the Sen
ate. Indeed, it ts considered probable that the Presi
dent would have even signed the House bill, but the
Senate measure, while an out-and-out self-government
bill, is more nearly in conformity to the President’s
views on the matter than any other proposition pre
sented this year.
Fresidenb Taft has always felt that a commission
government for the territory would be entirely effective
and much less expensive than a full-fledged legislature.
The Senate bill, however, in reducing the legislature to
a single house, with only 16 members, seems to meet
the President at least half way, and there appears to
be no doubt whatever that the President will willingly
sign it, as he is extremely sensible of the fact that some
sort of local government in Alaska is an immediate
necf sdty.
/
LOOKS LIKE A HUN6 JURY IN THE AN6US BRONSON CASE
The trial of Angus Bronson,]
charged with the robbery of gold
dust to the value of nearly $30,000]
from Georj. e Friend, while the
latter was traveling from Flat City
to Iditarod on the tramway, on the .
morning of September 21, 1911, :
occupied the attention of the court
nearly all week, and it was not until
11:30 p. m. on Friday, the fourth
day of the trial, that the case went
to the jury. A large number of
witnesses were examined. The
principal witnesses for the prosecu
tion were George F'riend, Fred. J. *
Chapman and Robert Mitchell; the
defense was an alibi, and a large
number of witnesses testified to
seeing the accused between the
hours of 10:30 and 1 O’clock at
Discovery, Otter. There was great
divergence in the respective times,
but as no official time exists this
was to be expected.
i i he juiy had not reached their
| verdict by i 30 p m. today.
The regular venire had been ex
hausted and several special venires
subpoenaed before the following
jury were empaneled: Dave Mutch
ler, J. M. Clarke, H. O Roden, G.
H. Brinkman, William De Baun,
E. G Lindberg, Clias. Krutzinger,
W. H. Crawford, A. H. Twitchell,
John Strelic, R. Loveless and Paul
Keating.
Testimony commenced late Tues
day afternoon.
The first witness called was George
Friend, one of the laymen on the
Bonanza association, who testified that
he took the cleanup, consisting of three
pokes, valued at about $29,000, from
ths claim on Flat Creek to Flat City.
There he handed the pokes over to
Oscar Anderson, of the Iditarod Trac
tioD Company, asking him to take care
of the same while he (Friend) transacted
some business in town. Anderson
placed the pokes in a strong box,
which is used by the tramway compay
for just such purposes, but did not
accept responsibility for same, as it is
against the custom of the company to
accept shipments of gold. When the
tram started, which was about 9 a. m.,
Mr. Friend saw that the strong box
was placed aboard. Mr. Friend de
scribed the journey to the scene of the
holdup and the holdup itself; but as a
full account has previously appeared in
| the Pioneer, it is uneecesary to repeat
the story. He described one of the
tnen as tall, and the other shorter thao
his companion He recognized a slicker,
an old parka, two masks made ftom
colored handkerchiefs, and a hat, as
similai to those worn by the robbers at
the time of the holdup.
He was certain someone would have
been killed if they had resisted. He
thought the larger man. who did all of
the talking, was disguising his voice.
He was slightly acquainted with Bron
son, having purchased ginpoles and
other logs from him.
Oscar M. Anderson, agent for the
Iditarod Traction Company, testified as
to the distance between Flat City and
the scene of the holdup, and expressed
the belief that the journey could he
made afoot in about 15 minutes. The
first he heard of the robbery was from
Joe McNamee, wno come running into
Flat, all out of breath, about half an
hour or so after the tram had started,
which was at 9 a. m. He obtaind a gun
and went to the scene of the holdup.
While looking for a gun he called on
Mr. Cleveland and informed him of the
roooery.
Frank James, the driver of the tram
corroborated the evidence of Friend
regarding the main features of the
holdup. He noticed that the bigger
man, who did the talking, spoke with
a broken accent. He first knew there
was something wrong by the nervous
ness of the mules, who attempted to
leave the track when they saw the
robbers. Joe McNamee was on the
car when it left Flat but had dropped
off to do some work on the track at a
point abeut 60 or 70 yards below where
the robbery occurred. The holdup
occupied from three to five minutes.
Mrs. Snyder, of the Snyder house,
Flat, stated that she was a passenger
on the car, and that when they were
ordered to dismount, she asked if the
order included ladies, and the smaller
man answered, “Yes.” She did not put
up her hands when ordered to do so.
She was not afraid. She had had
previous experience in holdups.
F. A. Cleveland said that immedi
ately he learned of the affair from
Oscar Anderson, he jumped upon his
horse and made for the scene. Upon
arrival he examined tracks ia the vicin
ity, and remarked that one of the
men must have had on a “Felder”
shoo. He arrived at that concluiion
aftsr looking at an imprint of a foot
step and comparing the same with his
own—also made with a "Felder.” He
noticed that the imprint was several
sizes smaller than his own. The other
track noticed was evidently made by
some person wearing rubber pacs, size
11 or 12. Further search revealed the
slicker, parka, bat, and masks produced;
they had been tramped down between
the niggerheads. He knew accused and
had seen him wearing Felder shoes.
Harry McWhorter testiBed to being
sworn in as a special deputy, after
which he proceeded to the scene of the
robbery. He picked up some tracks on
the h llside, and followed them over
the liill to the Otter sido, where,
under a bank, he found the third poke.
A rough sketch, prepared by McWhor
ter, was introuced by Mr. Crossley, to
illustrate the lay of the ground.
Peter Klostrop, a woodchopper,
whose camp is in the vicinity of Rainy
gulch, said that on the morning of the
of the robbery Angus Bronson passed
by while he was piling wood. He was
going down Rainy gulch, apparently in
the direction of Otter, and passed
within 100 feet of the witness. He
could not Jbe mistaken as to the man.
He learned his name afterwards in Flat
City. When Bronson passed him he
was walking fast, but not running.
He saw him stumble, but recover him
self. Ha heard of the holdup from
Mr. Acheson, who came along later
and asked if anyone had passed that
way. He told Mr. Acheson that a
man had passed, but that he did not
know his name. He did not discuss
the holdup with Nigger Tom, nor did
he hear people say that Angus Bronson
was connected with it. He never
talked to Jim Hagan, Mr. Stanton or
Mr. Sheppard about the affair It was
before noon that Bronson passed him.
His time was about an hour ahead of
town time, but he was not sure of the
hour that he saw Bronson.
Karl Theile stated that he was in
Iditarod City on the morning of the
holdup. He left shortly after and
reached the Summit roadhouse in a
little more than hour. He learned of
the robbery at the roadhouse, and
stayed there for about an hour. He
walked over the hill in the direction of
Discovery with a man named Roberts,
and down Boulder with Jack Mona
han. On arriving at Discovery he had
something to eat and then went down
to his place of business. Shortly after
he got there Angus Bronson came in
alone. It must have been between 1
and '2. Bronson had on “Felder” or
some other make of logger’s shoes; his
pants were turned up. He looked like
a man who had been mushing. Cross
examined Theile said that Bronson
might have had on rubber sboes.
Jim Ryan, a teamster, stated that
he was coming from Discovery to the
summit roadhouse with his team, when
he met Bronson between Discovery and
and the mouth of Boulder, going in the
direction of Discovery. He didn't keep
the exact time, but was sure it was be
tween 10:30 and 11:30: when he saw
Bronson ha said, “Hello! where's the
other fellow?" Bronson said he did not
understand him. He then told Bronson
of tho holdup, and the latter replied,
"The hell, you say! Strange, I hadn’t
heard of it.” Bronson had on a faded
mackinaw coat and overalls. He was
not positive about the shoes, but
thought he had on rubbers. Bronson
was not sweating, nor out of breath,
and he did not look around. At the
head of Boulder the witness met Karl
Theile and two others going in the di
rection of Discovery. Between meet
ing Bronson and meeting the Theile
Darty there was a difference of about
li or li hours.
Jack Ryan testified that he was in
Theile’s poolroom when Bronson came;
it was hard to tell how he was dressed;
he had on overalls, a black hat and
high leather shoes of the logger type;
he was perspiring freely; witness had
been in the place several times that
morning, and it was the second or
third time that he saw Bio >
SUU, lie wan UUL pUSULVU dUUUl IU«
shoes; when defendant entertd others
in the room joshed him about the hold
up; Bronson did not seem to take the
same interest in the affair that the
others did; so far as he remembered,
Bronson was in Theile's place about 1
o'clock; Nigger Tom was not there at
that time to his knowledge.
Harry Sheppard testified to the ar
rest of Bronson and Gorman at Ta
kotna. He stated that never, at any
time, did he suspicion anyone but the
accused; when he arrived at Moore
creek they had about 24 hours start,
but he caught up with them at Ta
kotna, and arrested them while they
were at supper; they made no resist
ance.
Fred Chapman said he had known
the defendant since the spring of 1905;
did not know him very well; knew Gor
man, and had worked with him in 1894
or 1895; had known him Fairbanks
since the fall of 1904, At the time of
the robbery witness was living at Idit
arod city, whore he was for four days
before the robbery; knew that Bronson
and Gorman lived in a tent opposite
Flat City, and was there five and six
days before the holdup; be had been
over picking lettuces and radishes from
Granger’s garden, and had some in a
small paper bag; as he was coming
away he saw Gorman standing at Lhe
door of his tent; Gorman called to him
and he went over; he stood in the door
way, leaning against the jamb; he
saw two -rifle in the room; hang
ing from a pole which suppo»ted the
te.it he saw a khaki parka and a black
slouch hat; on the table he noticed a
black slicker, and partially covered by
the slicker was a blue handkerchief
with a hole in it; recognized the ex
hibits introduced as the same articles
which he had seen in the cabin that
day; after a bit Gorman picked up the
slicker, concealing the blue hanflkei
chief as he did so, and threw them on
the bed; he thought Bronson was there
at the time, which, to the best of his
tecollection, was five or six days before
the robbery; afier the robbery he met
Bronsou in lCd Anderson's saloon; dt*
fendant then told him that if Joe Me
Names had not been a marathon run
ner the would have "gotten away with
it;” witness said that Bronson also told
him that they had to hang onto their
guns until they got over the hill pretty
well, as they might have had to make
a fight for it; he hext saw Bronson in
Iditarod; that was about October 15;
Bronson called him from the other
side of the street and asked him "what
kind of a fellow Mitchell was;” wit
r*>s answered that he was a good fel
low; defendant said: "Then what’s be
doing around with Jim Hagan? If he’s
j belching on me, I’ll see him sworn into
jail, and all his friends with him.”
Later on, when drunk in the Northern
saloon,he said “'What I told you a little
while ago goes.” After ihe preliminary,
says Chapman, he received a telephone
message from Mrs. Peterson, who told
him he was going to be arrested for
perjury, and told him to go and see a
lawyer—Mr. Maltby; he went to Mr.
Maltby. He knew a good deal, but
hadn't stated all he knew, because
Gorman had threatened to kill the first
man who testified against him; he had
said that he would get bail and be out
of jail within two hours, and would
kill; he made the statement sevet al
times. Witness said that he feared
Gorman, because be k tew be was tl a
kind of a fellow, and would kill if he
said so; Gorman had said the same
thing to two or three other parties,
and told witness that he had on one oc
! casion gone out to kill a man, and
would have done so bad he not me,
Fred Raap; that was a year before the
golddust robbery: Gorman also told
witness that it was he and his partner,
Sam Tansy, who had “done the Kan
tishna affair,” and that he and one
Goyne had “done the Susitna affair,”
when the gold was stolen from Dan
Kain (on Valdez creek, in 1909]; the
witness firmly believed they did.
Sometime about July witness had a
talk with Mr. Maltby, who told him it
I was the general impression that he
was going to testify against the ac
cused, and that if he did he would '. e
arrested for perjury; Maltby said he
believed the mea were not guilty, w t
ness told the attorney that he kDew
nothing at all about the affair, as he
(Continued on page 4.)
616 WELCOME
FOR LORIMER
Chicago, July 25.—Ex Senator
William A. Lorimer received a
g eat ova'ion at a mass meeting
held here in his honor. Over 8,000
participated, and gave a warm wel
come to the disgraced senator. Mr.
Lorimer defended himself in a care
ful speech, but announced that it is
not his intention to re-enter poli
tics at the present time.
LABOR LEADERS
ARE SENTENCED
Washington, July 25. —Samuel
Gompers, John Mitchell and Frank
Morrison, of the American Federa
tion of Labor, were today sentenced
by Justice Wright to nitre months
imprisonment for contempt of court,
in that they disregarded an injunc
tion granted by the court, and con
tinued the boycott which had been
instituted against the Buck Stove Sc
Range Co.
Spokane, July 25.—John Mitch
ell, who has been lecturing here,
has left for Michigan. He has
nothing to say regarding the sen
tences imposed upon himself and
his fellow officials.
APPOINTMENT IS
PLEASING TO ALL
Nome, July 26—The appoint
ment of Frederick E. Fuller to be
judge ot the Fourth division, in
succession to Judge Overfield,
transfered to Valdez, is very popu
lar with all classes here.
During Judge Fuller's term as
United States commissioner here he
attended strictly to his professional
business, and earned a reputation
s a man of integrity and ability.
He was not a politician. The Nome
oar association unanimously en
dorses the appointment.
REVOLUTIOI SPREADS
IH TURKISH EMPIRE
Constantinople, July 25 —Dis
content occasioned by the slow
progress of the war with Italy has
prompted many officers in theTurk
ish army to resign their commis
sions. Early in the week the whole
cabinet resigned, and chaos reigns
at Yildiz Kiosk.
The administration of the coun
try by the Young Turks has not
been up to expectations, and revolt,
especially in the outlying prov
inces, is looked for.
A movement is on foot to wrest
the Caliphate from the Sultan of
Turkey, and make the Khedive of
Egypt “protector” of the Moham
medans. The British government
is said to favor the change, which
would enormously increase Egypt’s
prestige in the East, and evenually
lead to the dismemberment of tb*
Ottoman empire, and the expulsion
of the Turks from Europe,
VINCENT A8T0R GOES TO ENGLAND
New York, July 25.—Viucenfc
Astor, son and principal heir of
Col. John Jacob Astor, vrbo was
drowned during the wreck of the
Titanic, has left for England on a
visit to William Waldorf Astor, his
uncle, and co-owner in much real
estate iu this city.
MAJOR STRONG TO BE HEBE SOON
Nome, July 26.—Major J. F. A.
Strong arrived on the Victoria, and
'■ill leave immediately for Iditarod,
le will pack his printing plant and
.hip it Outside, hut its final desti
nation is uncertain
$5 and $6 Shoes at i'J.oO. Weiss, Flat.
J. CAMPBELL PLEADS NOT GUILTY
In tfee case of the United States vs.
Joseph Campbell, charged with the
murder of the Nelson brothers on the
Kuskokwim, the accused has entered a
plea of not guilty. The trial has been
set for Monday, and the court has
appointed E. Coke Hill, assisted ly
Gilbert Nairn, as attorneys for tl.a
defendant.
Flannel shirts, military collars.
Weiss, Fiat City.
/
Magazines at y«tlr own price at
Ansley’e.