MATHIAS SCHERNTHASER KILLER
BY IS FARTHER ON IAIY GREEK
(IditaroJ Pioneer Correspondent.)
Aniak, Alaska, September 6.--An
unfortunate and fatal shooting affair
occurred on the Kuskekwim about 0
o'clock on tlie night of September .■>.
During a scuffle between two part
ners, Alois (Louie) Huber and Mathias
Schernthaner, an automatic pistol w&o
•discharged, fatally wounding the later..
W. J. Cribbee, who owns the adjoin
ing claims to those being mined by the
partners,-was visiting at their cabin,
•and was the only eye witness to the
tragedy.
At the commencement of the fight
ing the table and the lighted lamp
were overturned, and Mr. t ribbee
gave immediate attention to the burn
ing lamp, taking it out, and as he re
turned saw Schernthaner holding
Huber down on his bunk and fighting
him, and heard a sound so muffled that
he did not identify it at the time.
Schernthaner came toward Cribaee
and exclaimed, "1 am hit,” and went
on out of the cabin and through a
■shed. Cribbee noticing be staggered.
After securing the pistol Cribbee
went in search of Schernthaner, and
found him about eight feet from the
.shed door, where he had fallen face
down. He felt for his pulse, but could
not detect any.
After covering the body, Cribbee and
Huber started immediately for Com
missioner D. E. Stubbs, to whom
Huber gave himself up.
The shooting occurred at ITuber s
cabin on Mary ervek, a tributary of
New York creek, which empties into
the Kuskokwim river about three
•miles above Napamute- Mary creek
is about one and a half miles from the
Kuskokwim.
After summoning a coroner's jury
"CommissionerStubbs went to the scene
and investigated the affair. After ex
amining the body, premises, and one
witness, the jury returned the follow
ing vsrdict:
In I lie matter of the inquest upon
the body of Mathias Schernthaner, de
ceased: We, the undersigned jury in
the above-entitled matter, duly impan
neled and sworn, find that the name of
the deceased was Mathias Schern
thaner, and that he came to his death
.by a pistol shot wound inflicted by Alois
Huber in self defense.
(Signed) TONE\ MCDONALD,
EZRA RABIDOU,
FRED T LITHE.
GMORGE HOFFMAN,
JOHN BERNARD,
I’ETE LARSEN.
Huber vas placed under arrest and
-gave bail in the sum of 85,000 for his
appearance before the district court.
Huber and Schernthaner had been
mining partners for the past three
years on a lay on Huberts ground.
Considerable friction had developed at
different times concerning the manner
of working, and finally on September .5
Schernthaner made the claim that the
lay gave him a half interest in the
ground. The !av papers were shown j
to Cribbee; a heated argument arose; j
Matt called Huber a liar, and Huber
ordered him to leave the cabin. Schern
thaner rushed at Huber and com
Call and inspect
My PJew Line of
SILVERWARE
SILVER DEPOSITWARE
HAND-PAINTED CHINA
CUT GLASS and
NOVELTIES IN BRIC-A-BRAC
j. lTsale
] meneed fighting, and finally bore him
hack on liis bunk, where lie choked
him and striking him in the body with
his knee and fist. Huber got, hold of a
.52-caliber automatic pistol he owned,
land while he has no recollection of
J trying to fire it, the weapon was dis-‘
[charged, the ball entering the right
breast between the fourth and fifth
i t-ihs, and passed through the body, per-j
I forating the right lung, narrowly miss
ing the heart.
j Mathias Schcrnthaner was aged 2!)
| years and was born at Saalsfelden,
1 Austria, where, it is said, he leaves a
father, mother, and two brothers. He
' came to the Kuskokwim from the Out
: side in 1W11 with an outfit to work on
1 Bear creek, where he worked a year
or two, and then signed up tiie three
; years' lay on Mary creek.
The body was taken down river to
Kolmakoff, aud burial made on the
plot where Duncan McDonell was
buried last winter.
--o
!
I By eh order recently issued by Judge
| Bunnell, at Fairbanks, the liquor deul
1 ers of the Fourth division will have to
1
j turn over their books to the United
j States marshal when they go out oi
| business next January. It is expected
1 tiiese books will materially aid the offi
t
j cials in detecting bootleggers, as they
| will give the names of persons who
j have been in the habit of purchasing
i liquors in large quantities.
--
i Kenneth H. Gideon, lately a member
of the local staff of the N. C. Go., has
been transferred to the company's
establishment at Takotna, where he
will assist Factor Harry Lawrence.
Mr. Gideon, being a very clever musi
; sian, may ultimately become a valua
ble addition to Captain McLain's fam
ous Kuskokwim orchestra.
-«►- -
Captain and Mrs. U. Grant Norton
departed from Iditarod on the launch
Comet on the morning of October 10,
for Fortuna Ledge. The popular couple
expect to go to Seward later, to reside
indefinitely.
-- —
Tub and steam baths at all hours. Suy
der House, Flat.
FORFEITURE NOTICE
i
j To Gus Johnson, his heirs and assigns:
You are hereby notified that during
| each of the years of 1913, 1914, 1915 and
1916 the undersigned has expended at
least one hundred dollars in labor and
improvements upon each of the follow
ing named placer mining claims, to-wit:
Lower 3, 4 and 5 above upper discovery
j on Ophir creek in the Innoko mining
Land recording district, in the territory
j of Alaska, in which mining locations
l you claim an undivided one-half inter
i est, as shown by the records of said re
j'cording district. The said labor was
| performed as and for the annual repre
• sentatiou of the said claims and each of
them for the said years of 1913, 1914,
1915 and 1916 as required by the laws
of the United States concerning annual
labor upon mining claims, and the
same was the amount required to hold
said claims for said years. You are
further notified that unless within 90
days after the completed service of
this notice upon you and within 90 days
after the publication thereof, you con
tribute your portion of said expendi
ture as a co-owner, to-wit: The sum of
[ two hundred dollars for each of said
claims and six hundred dollars in all,
your interest in said claims or in any
one of which you so feil to contribute
will he forfeited to the undersigned,
who has made such expenditure, and
will become his property in the manner
provided by law.
Dated at Ophir September 4, 1917.
ALFRED JOHNSON, Co-owner.
First publication Nov. 3, 1917.
Last publication Feb. 2. 1918.
4
-_
IDITAROD, ALASKA
'Capital, $50,000.00
General Banking Business Transacted Gold Dust Bought a?d Assayed
Drafts Issued on Any Part of the World
SEATTLE CORRESPONDENT. SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN BANK
TERRITORIAL DEPOSITARY
OFFICERS;
CHARLES ROSS, President
CLAUD BAKER, Vice-President
R. C. SUTTON, Cashier
I
The Nome Industrial Worker of re
cent date printed the following article
relative to gold prospects oi Siberia,
a section of the vast Russian empire
which has of late attracted consider
able attention throughout Alaska:
Not all the men who visited Nome
from the steamer Astrakan and bought
a variety of goods in Nome paid in
roubles. There was one notable excep
tion who instead of paper money car
ried a quantity of gold dust. And
around that dust there hangs this tale.
This man was a former Nome miner,
in years gone by, and although a native
Russian almost all he learned about
separating gold from gravel he learned
here, working for Fleming and others.
He confessed he had prospected
around the tributaries of the Anadir to
a Worker representative and said, too,
that sniping was rewarded with plenty
of gold—but usider the Imperial gov
ernment royalties amounted to more
I than a war tax on excess profits. They
took most of the gold and left the
miner little enough. It was, he de
clared, much better now, and when the
country was “organized,” the very ex
pression used, the men who produced
the gold would he able to keep it. He
had quite a poke of dust and one fine
large nugget valued somewhere in the
neighborhood of $40 or $50. He bought
quite a lot of supplies here, had if
boxed and crated and invoiced with
some of the traders’ goods, intending
to unload it when the steamer returned
to Anadir. He meant to continue min
ing, He expected, he said, to see
many from Nome there hext year. It
will be a big camp, he said.
A
V
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer of
September 1 contained the following
interview with Iditarod's former
mayor:
Edwin M. Stanton, grandson of Abra
ham Lincoln’s famous secretary of war,
returned Friday from Iditarod, Alaska,
after a stay of seven years in that sec
tion He is at the Frye hotel, accom
panied by E. F. McDonald, of Orovilir.
Quizzed good naturedly concerning
his “clean up,” Mr. Stanton said: “Yes.
I was looking for gold in Alaska, but
I'm a lawyer and was up there practic
ing ■ the • arts and wiles of the fabled
Blackstone. My clean-up was nothing
to talk about. The sourdoughs still
are prospecting around Iditarod, and
3ome of them are doing fairly well.
The season’s clean-up, now progress
ing, will be satisfactory. Marshall
-creek, over in the Kuskokwim, is sur
prisingly good this season, the second
since the strike was made.”
Having heard that L. F. Shaw, Alas
kan pioneer, now in Seattle, is trying
to obtain permission for American
prospectors to enter Northern Siberia,
Mr. Stanton exclaimed: “Bully! There's
gold ovar there, beyond a doubt, and if
Shaw wins the permit there will be a
big rush of prospectors.”
Mr. Stanton said he was going on to
Washington in a day or two. He was
born and reared at Washington “in the
shadow of the White House.”
First and Sure Winter Signs
Genuiue and unadultated signs of
the stealthy approach of winter first
made themselves apparent to the aver
age inhabitant on the morning of Octo
ber 16 when large chunks of ice were
seen floating down the Iditarod river,
and “Freighter” Meachein showed in
from Flat creek with his fur cap on.
---«
Mrs. James Ebena, after months of
suffering, passed away at her home in
this city on Wednesday morning, Oct
ober 10. Besides a husband, deceased
leaves a group of live children, the
youngest being an infant but a few
months old. The burial took place on
the following Saturday in Iditarod
cemetery.
-A
Sound for Takotna
Mrs. Fred Richardson and two chil
dren arrived in Iditarod on one of the
last boats from Fortuna Ledge, and are
awaiting favorable trail conditions in
order to proceed on their journey to
Tokotna, where Mr. Richardson is em
ployed by the Candle-creek dredge out-.
fit. During their temporary residence
here Jimmy, the older child, is improv
ing each shining moment by attending
the public school.
Three New Baby Boys
Oil Saturday morning, October 0, the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Cyril I*. Wood, ;
in this city, was made happy by the
arrival of a fine baby boy. Dr. J. Wil
son Reed of Flat acted as chairman of
the reception committee, and the
mother and little stranger are prosper
ing famously.
Mr. and Mrs. diaries Strandberg of
Flat are the proud parents of a robust
baby boy that made his appearance at
their home on October f>, and received
the undivided attention of lhe entire
family circle.
Mrs. Jensen, wife of Captain Emil
“Paprica” Jensen, gave birth to a boy
baby on October 8.
--
On Sunday evening, October", at. the
Grand hotel, in Flat City, Commis
sioner A, M. Kilgore united in marri
age two of the district’s well known
and popular people—Mr. Harry Harms
and Mrs. Joanna Lemes. A splendid
wedding feast was spread by Mrs. Geo.
Mutchler in honor of the happy ovent
which was hugely enjoyed by a large
number of friends of the contracting
parties. After supper the guests gath
ered at tlie new Hippodrome hail where
a reception and dance were enjoyed by
a large percentage of Flat’s population
until the early-morning hours. Many
and valuable were the wedding pres
ents bestowed upon the bride and
groom, cheerful evidence of the high
esteem in which they are held by their
neighbors and friends.
The bride, a long-time resident of
this distritt, returned iiere last summer
after spending the previous winter in
;lie States, enjoying a well-earned va
cation.
Mr. Harms, an old residenter, is un
known to very few people in these dig
gings, and his geniality his won him
legions of loyal friends. For years past
he lias been in charge of the Yukon
Gold Company’s messhouses, much to
the satisfaction of the employes about
the big gold-digging ship.
Mr. and Mrs. Harms are now at
home in the cozy McMahon residence
on Front street, Flat City.
Herbert Strandberg, oldest son of
i Mr. and Mrs. Charles Strandberg of
| Flat, departed on one of the last boats
for Seattle, where he will attend
school during the corning year.
-*
Job Printing at Pioneer office.
Install Ten-Pinnet Alleys
The big popular- resort o' Finnegan
& Cameron, Flat City ,is now supplied
with two elegant ten-pinnet alleys,
which have become very popular with
patrons. Many good scores have been
recorded by' individuals, and some
interesting bowling tournaments may
be short ly expected.
13 r< > fe s s i o 11 o 1
Michigan, 188 1 Alaska, 1810
Kentucky, 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITARCD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of Klitarod
CHAS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenue Iditarcd
DR. MOORE •
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
Office: Flat City Hospital, Flat City
Consultation Hours in Forenoons and by
Appointment
FLAT DRUG STORE
Flat City 3
; APuD COFFEE VGUSE
Front St., Opp. Flat City Hotel
Our Coffee Is Unsurpassed
I Our Bakery Products Always Fresh and
Wholesome
Pies, Cakes, Bread, etc.
PETE tfHCHELS, PROP.
Big Stocks of Fresh Goefls
Everything for the Miner and
Prospector
m&x simel
Stores at Cripple City and Mouth of Tolstoi
Best cf Everything
ALL THE TIME AT THE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITY
Open Day and Night
J. W. Farrell,
GENERAL MSRCHMNDISE
Discovery, Otter__
Second St. 101 g AROD Hi EAT OOa Phone 15
0»'
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING ALL THE TiME
MERCHANTS’ CAFE
FIRST AVE.
GOOD MEALS
SHORT ORDERS
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
ROBT. &OUTA3
Prop.
NICELY FURNISHED ROOMS BY DAY OR WEEK
Warm, Clean Well Ventilated
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
Massage and
Bath Pariors
MEDICATED, MINERAL VAPOR, STEAM, n— JL1_
TUB, SALT AND FRESH WATER jJgl/llfflS
Caribou Stn-, Bat. Black and Willow Sts., on Waterfront
Electric and Faradic Massage Treatments by Expert Attendants
Lighted by Gas Heated by Steam