(Iditarod Pioneer.)
Readers of the Pioneer will recall
that several months ago there was
published a letter from Joseph Camp
bell, who is serving a life sentence in
Leavenworth prison for the murder of
the Nelson brothers, on the Kusko
Irwim in 1911, in "'hich he maintained
his innocence and asked for an ni
vestigation of his case with the ob
ject of securing a pardon. A state
ment of Henry Roden upon the sub
ject of Campbell’s conviction also was
* published. It was understood that Dis
trict Attorney Roth had the case un
der investigation, but nothing has
been made public here as to what con
clusion he arrived at, or whether he
recommended a pardon for the con
victed man. The Pioneer has received
another communication from Camp
bell, dated October 12, 1916, with the
request that it be published, but owing
to the fact that it is of voluminous
proportions, it is impossible to do so.
In another letter Campbell states
that he has received a letter from Mr.
Roth in which that official says that
he has submitted a full report on
Campbell’s sace, and that he has
strongly urged the granting of his pe
tition for pardon.
Campbell was convicted on circum
stantial evidence, and while each link
in the chain seemed to have been
forged perfectly, there is, of course,
room for doubt in all such cases. The
Pioneer has devoted a great deal of
space to the case, not because of a
belief in the innocence of Campbell,
. but because it was desired that he be
L given a chance to prove his innocence.
«s was convicted almost entirely upon
B evidence of natives, the theory of
e prosecution being that the Nelsons
were murdered for the purposes of
robbery. This theory was borne out
to some extent by the fact that Camp
bell disposed of furs and a watch,
among other things, which had been
the property of the Nelsons.
In his letter Campbell details his
movements from the spring of 1911
when he met the Nelsons on the Kus
kokwim, until the day of his arrest at
Ruby in the summer of 1912. To bear
out his statements he submits affidav
its of various persons with whom he
traveled, and for whom he worked,
with the idea of disproving the claims
of the prosecution that he went out
side after the alleged murder for the
purpose of enjoying his ill-gotten
gains. These affidavits include one
from John A. Dull, who tells of having
■ traveled from Russian Mission on the
Yukon, with Campbell and Billy Barn
hart, leaving the former place on or
about July 10, 1911,. and givinaf.jwasi
tive testimony as to the amount of
money possessed by Campbell at that
time. There also is an affidavit from
one “Goose” O’Neil, an employee of
the steamship Victoria in that year,
who swears to Campbell’s traveling to
Seattle, and later to Southeastern
Alaska, and of his destitute condition.
Sam Campbell, another employee of
the Victoria, gives similar testimony.
Ida A. Campbell of Sumas, Wash.,
makes affidavit that Campbell board
ed at her house from the fall of 1911
to the spring of 1912, and that he was
employed cutting ties by a man named
Hoyle. Kelly and Curtin, convicts at
McNeil Island, make affidavit to the!
effect that some rather irregular pro-'
ceedings were taken by Marshal Kel- j
day in procuring the identification of i
Campbell by the native witnesses who
testified at the trial. Kelly and Curtin
were in the Iditarod jail at the time
Campbell was being held here await
ing trial.
The indictment under which Camp
bell was convicted charged that the
Nelsons were killed by him on June
30, 1911. Campbell lays great stress
on this fact, and deplores his inability
to locate one Billy Barnhart, who he
says, would have been a material wit
ness for him on this point.
It would seem after a careful lead
ing of Campbell’s letter and the docu
ments submitted with it that if this
man Barnhart could be discovered he
would be able to throw considerable
light on the guilt or innocence of
Campbell. If some of the statements
of the convicted man can be verified
he should have little trouble in prov
ing his innocence. But it must be ad
! mitted that there is a suggestion of
! an effort to prove merely that the
crime was not committed upon the
date charged.
Speaking of the jury which convict
! ed him, Campbell says:
“There is one thing I would like to
i say, though, in connection with this
| subject. That is that my trial was held
late in the fall, between the 20th. and
I 30th -of September, and the last boat
I was lying down the river waiting to
\ pull out, and that some of the jury
; men, the court party and a good many
] others connected with the case were
i anxious to get away on that boat for
j Ruby and Fairbanks and other places,
j and that we did freeze in before we
! got to Fairbanks. Taking that into
i consideration, and the fact that the
| jury did stay out forty-seven hours,
; and that they did come in three times
I during that time and told the judge
, that they were hopelessly tied up,
| there being no chance for an agree
1 ment, I think, knowing the ways of
] the country as I do, and that if these
1 people had not gotten away at the
1 time they did, they would have had to
| fit out with a dog team and go over
| the winter trail, with considerable de
lay and hardship and at additional ex
pense, that these things ought all to
be taken into consideration, and that
it was to a certain extent, forcing a
verdict.”
Arrest—You may rest assured that]
the best meals are at Cameron’s I
Cafe. 354 ]
For Billiards and Pool, Pet srspn’s. j
THE AVALANCHE.
• May L. Kellogg
Where purple snow peaks prick the
cloud
Where rock-ribbed stalwart mountains
crowd,
Where slopes are steep, ’mong can
yons deep,
There often does dread death’s head
sleep.
»
Mid silence as of heavn’ly spheres,
The voice of Nature man oft hears,
And from a quietude profound,
May come swift lightning to the
ground.
The skies may blue be overhead,
Sun’s v beams shine brightly, softly
shed.
Wafts gently then the Chinook’s j
breath,
On glist’ning snows—the pall of death, j
And then there’s cast a witches’ spell,
That spreads o’er mountains,—who
can tell ?
To loose the fingers of the snows,
'Neath heavy ice banks, water flows. !
Then far below, see! men appear.
No threat’ning danger do they hear. I
In quest of gold their minds are turned '
A life of ease thev now have spurned.!
j
These sturdy mushers on the trail, j
Scarce know the meaning of word j
“fail”;
So far as human knowledge goes
They safely tread these mountain
snows.
Then suddenly a mighty crash,
Breaks on deep stillness as a flash,
The cheeks of mushers ashen grow, |
Swift glances they around them throw,'
Where shall they fly ? When come'
such strange
Such fearful force, and from what
range ?
Help! God of Mercies! Why so late?
Our stoutest hearts to meet such fate!
One moment and the mountain’s face,!
Is pure and white as maiden’s grace; i
The next, that mask is swept below, i
Like veil of tissue wind doth blow. ;
That mountain side now battle scar’d,
Is black, forbidding, deeply marred; j
A thousand feet down canyon steep,
Is sight to make an angel weep.
Oh, Avalanche! Thou traitor bold!
Thy treach’rous arms brave men en- '■
fold.
Thine action instant—how defend?
Thy cruel handiwork—their end.
This poem was written after the j
death by an avalanche in the Willow j
creek district, Alaska, of two promi- j
nent mining men, Emery and Stewart, j
during the month of January, 1917.
Anchorage, Alaska.
Fred Carlquist, who is a graduate ■
optician from San Francisco, is per*,
manently established with George Os-:
born, the C. St. Jeweler, and will ex
amine eyes free. 2C0
I
What Do
You Want?
We
Have It!
POLLEY BROS.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
JUST TO REMIND YOU
Union Pacific System
Through Cars
between SEATTLE and Chicago
Kansas City. Denver
San Francisco. Los Angeles
Direct Connections tor ell
points Esst via the Famous
COLUMBIA RIVER ROUTE.
'1 rains protected all the way
— all the time by Automatic
Electric “Safety” Signals.
H. L. HUDSON. A. G. F. & P. A.
SEATTLE
NEW CRESCENT HOTEL
F. W. REDWOOD & CO., Props.
Warm Rooms. Moderate Rates. Hot
Baths.
Cor. Fourth and C.
Anchorage
RECREATION
Bowling Alleys and Pool Parlors
YOUNG VIKING R. HEGSTROM
Next to Harmony Theatre.
^oAo.oioio.o:o:o:o:o,o.Q.oiQioio:oioiQX>:Qioio:oia
PLUMBING AND HEATING
Full Line of Plumbing Supplies, Pipes and Fittings.
PROMPT ATTENTION TO ALL ORDERS.
T. W. KENNEDY,
E St. Bet. 3rd and 4th. Next to Hotel Anchorage
^010:0:0:0:0
City Drug Store
THE REXALL STORE.
Dr. K. A. KYVIG, Owner.
5th and C
The Best and Purest Drugs and the Most Reasonable in
the City.
Victor Phonographs $15.00, $25.00, $50.00.
On Time Payments.
QAC)omo,oAOAO,o:ox)ro^ao:oA
PIONEER HOTEL
KNIK, ALASKA
DOGS FOR SALE : : GOOD DOG STABLES
Plenty Dog Feed on Hand for Interior Travelers.
Dried Salmon, Tallow and Crackers.
P. M. MAYHILL, Prop.
Tex Jones R. C. Jeffery
The Panhandle
CIGARS
CANDIES
TOBACCOS
FRUIT
NUTS
4th AVE. NEAR C STREET
TAXIS
MESSENGERS, TRANSFER
PHONE 89R.
CITY AUTO SERVICE.
Office: Next to Labor Temple
/
GEORGE ANDERSON, Fiscal Agent,
Office Hours From 4th and F Street,
10 a. m. to 10 p. m. Campbell Building,
Anchorage, Alaska.