AND COOK INLET PIONEER
VOL. 2. NO. 60.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY', JANUARY 10, 1017.
(Emits
PRICE TEN CENTS.
,SEATTLE STIRRED UP
!
w SEATTLE, Jan. 10.—Patrolman Mullen, arrested for an
attempt to bribe Logan Billingsby to flee to Canada and thus
avoid being a witness against the alleged grafters in the po
lice department of Seattle, has made a complete confession to
District Attorney Allen, the details of which are highly sensa
tional in that they involve Mayor Hi Gill, Chief of Police Beck
ingham and others in official life, as well as citizens of prom
inence, socially and politically. The whole city is stirred up
over the confessions of Logan Billingsby, E. T. Margett and
2rolman Mullen, and the investigations brought to light
ut the conations in this city by specj^\|kgents of the de
partment of justice. It is now believed^ a situation will
be revealed thrit is infinitely worse than | 'e"ime under,
former Chief of Police Wappenstein,
V „ 'v »U his
Gill was*7uayor at
spending a term in the state penitentiary,
that time, but escaped all efforts to fasten guilt upon him.
The chief of police was the goat that suffered for the crooked
ring that controlled things in those days, and it is now thought
that he was well paid for his tenure in the pet at Walla Walla.
The inquiry being conducted by the federal grand jury is
lending more and more towards the ‘‘higher-ups” in the city’s
affairs. It is probable that before the day is done, indictments
will be returned against some of the policemen in the depart
ment, against whom strong evidence has been secured. It is
learned that a number of subordinates in the department are
seeking immupit'fcifor.^hc.'j.s,Ives «’neugh .tlv* privilege of tel’*
ing, in part at least, what they know with respect to grafting j
from the gambling element, the redlight district and the boot
legging contingent of Seattle.
Mullen claims that he represented Mayor (nil and C met ot
Police Beekingham in his effort to get Logan Billingsby to
leave the city and forfeit liis $20,000 bonds, which were to be
paid by the graft clique in the department. According to the
dictaphone report of the conversation between Billingsby and
Sullen, which was arranged without the knowledge of Mullen,
but Billingsby was informed of the plan, the policeman told the
bootlegger that Chief of Police Beekingham had promised him
$500 in cash and a police sergeancy if he could get Billingsby
to leave the country and thus avoid giving testimony tlia*
would involve him and the mayor. Gill and Beekingham both
vigorously deny the graft allegations and declare they are
prepared to face the courts on any charge that may be brought
against them. ‘ : < '*
There has been considerable agitation toward securing a
sglgial prosecutor to handle the cases that are being worked
upnt>y the special agents of the department of justice. Attor
ney-General Gregory put a quietus on this line of talk today
when he wired District Attorney Allen that he was doing all
right and that no special prosecutor was needed.
According to the present plans, jail three of the Billingsbys
wjp-enter pleas of guilty of bootlegging and go before the
g4»nd jury and tell their stories. If they do, the city will be
stlrtced to its very foundations, as these bootleggers “have the
goo##” on the grafters jn the police department and in the
county sheriff’s of fleet
There is bitter strife as between the city and county of
ficials on the one-hand, and the federal officials on the other. It
appears that the federal authorities have the upper hand in the
fight.__
r
FEAST FOR
THE PLATERS
Z. J. Loussac delightfully entertain
ed the managers and members of the
three basketball teams last night by
a well-appointed supper in the Green
Room of the Frisco cafe. The
party adjourned to the Frisco im
mediately following the basketball
game last night and thoroughly en
joyed and appreciated Mr. Loussac’s
hospitality. The supper was a splen
did sample of Matt’s and Andy’s cul
ilSd'y powers. Many points of inter
esffertaining to carrying out the
basketball schedule were discussed
And the party was unanimous in vot
ing to try and get the Seward five to
come to Anchorage for a series of
games. It was also decided to start
the games earlier in the evening and
in the future give a short dance after
the games that are played on week
nights. Several other matters were
taken up that will tend to arouse en
thusiasm in the game and make them j
more interesting to the spectators, j
The party broke up at 12 o’clock by |
the guests giving three rousing cheers j
for Mr. Loussac, the host of the even- j
ing and the newly elected president
of the Anchorage basketball league.
The secretary of the local Eagles’
club announces the place of meeting
has been changed to the Lathrop
building in the rooms adjoining the
Alaska Steamship office on account
of their quarters in Union hall not
being ready for occupancy. Next
meeting tomorrow, Thursday, night.
“OUTLET ON THE INLET" FACING SEASON
OF UNPRECEDENTED PROSPBBTV.
\
The. weekly force report of the Alaskan Engineer- ^
ing Commission reveals that, in l-gund numbers, 2,000 ^
persons are on the payrolls in the Anchorage division ^
of the railway project. This means that 2,000 persons 4
receive their pay checks from the disbursing office in f.
Anchorage. The first week of the new year, from. Jan- <
uary 1 to January 7, salaries and wages paid by the <£
Commission at the Anchorage disbursing office aggre- ^
gated the sum of $63,992. The total disbursements by ^
this office for the same period reached a total of $88,- ^
783.96. 4
In the light of the information revealed by these of- ^
ficial figures, how can anyone be pessimistic over the ^
situation in Anchorage? There is'feot another commu- <*
nity in Alaska, and a very few in (he states of equal
population, that can show such a substaptial payroll ^
and such a big monthly disbursement of money. These ^
figures are taken in mid-winter, when the Commission ^
coj. Amotion forces have been reduced to a minimum. ^
With the opening ot spring, a couple of months hence, ^
business conditions, good as they have been throughout ^
the winter months, will vastly improve. Increased ac- ^
tivities will be inaugurated in all directions. Anchor- i
age wiH be the head center of this unbounded era of ^
prosperity, and the business man or the individual that 4
fails to prepare for the good fimes that are certain to <
ensue here will miss an opportunity that is seldom pre- <
sen ted. jt
As a matter ot fact, it begins to appear as if there ^
" ill be a veritable boom here with the coming of ^
spring. The Times has been assured that work on the ^
harbor improvements will be started as soon as possi- <!
ble upon the opening of navigation. Chairman Edes, 4
before departing for the states, informed a prominent
business man of this town that “The people of An- 4
elm rage may rest in the assurance that work on the ^
' harbor improvements will begin in the spring.” You 4
may ask, why was not a specific sum set apart in the ^
appropriation for this purpose? /I'llis fact doesn’t cut ^
any figure at all. The Alaskan Engineering Commis- ^
sion lias plenary power in the matter of the employ- ^
ment of funds appropriated by the congress for the ^
Alaskan railway project. The act which authorized
the construction of this railway system specifically ^
states .that the commission is empowered to make <
harbor improvements at such points as it may deem ad- 4
visable. The commission is not’bound by any esti- ^
mates that it may make for specific sections of the rail- ^
way work. Why was this harbor work not begun last <
season? you may inquire. This proposed harbor work <£
at Anchorage is for the purpose of providing a termi- ^
nus for the coal product of the Matanuska coal fields. ^
Until midsummer there was not a pick stuck in the 4
Matanuska fields, since the fields were taken over by ^
the government, to be opened under the leasing system. ^
There was no particular call for haste in this direction. ^
■ But now the situation is vastly different. Some six or ^
seven individuals and concerns have applied for leases ^
in the Matanuska coal fields. One concern has been ^
granted a lease. The need of this harbor improvement ^
becomes apparent, and the people of this community ^
may rest in the assurance that it will be started with ^
the opening of spring. 1 £
oo tar as local business conditions are concerned, ^
the doing away of the commission \s commissary, sched- ^
uled to take place in the spring, will vastly aid the mer- ^
chants and stimulate trade generally, ^
There is absolutely no reason to be pessimistic over ^
the situation in Anchorage. On the contraiy, there is ^
every reason to expect that the year 1917 will be one of ^
unparalleled prosperity in the Cook inlet country and
that Anchorage, as the chief commercial center, will ^
gain the lion’s share of the business that is certain to ^
flow from the increased activities about to begin. ^
* Keep up your courage. There is absolutely noth- ^
ing on the horizon to mar the happy and prosperous ^
outlook. ^
IKON DECK TO
REVEAl NAMES IN THE
ALLEGED "LEAK" PROBE
> _
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.—All efforts on the part of the
► rules committee of the house to get Thomas W. Lawson to re
► veal the names qf the “higher-ups” in the alleged “leak” in
► quiry, failed yestrdav and there is some talk of haling him be
► lore the bar of the house and lining him for contempt for re
, fusing to obey the demand of Chairman Henry, of the rules
committee.
Repeated efforts on the part of Chairman Henry and other
► members of the committee to make Lawson tell the names of
► those whom he accuses, brought no response. Asked his rea
► son, he said: “I cannot give the name of the cabinet official
► to whom I have referred in mv testimony without mentioning
y another official of higher position, and that would be more seri
ous than if I cast a cloud over the entire congress and were
* sent to jail myself for life.”
Lawson is denounced by many members of the congress as
► | u sensational fakir, but there are others who profess to believe
► jthat there is something in the stock broker’s charges.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10.—Caplan,
convicted of complicity in the dyna
miting of the Los Angeles Times
i plant and sentenced to serve ten years
in the penitentiary, has quit his legal
fight to keep out of prison and has
asked to court to send him there at
once and to dismiss all proceedings
instituted to secure his release.
TEi-isr
■
i The TEN CENT CARNIVAL to
| be given under the auspices of the Pi
;oneers of Alaska January 18th and
19th at Labor Union hall has all the
earmarks of being a real event. This
event is also called a Sourdough Ben
efit Carnival and you may take your
I choice with the full knowledge that
it will be good.
The following committees have been
appointed:
Executive Committee—E. M. Huff,
Z. J. LoUssac, A. E. Lathrop, J. W.
Ward, J. F. Coffey, Ray C. Larson,
Leopold David, Mrs. Martha White,
M. H. Lynch, George Osborne, K. A.
Ivyvig and J. T. Westermann.
Floor Committee—Samuel McNiece,
P. A. Brannen, A. C. Hoodenpyle,
Fred Polley, Wm. Bunting, Geo. B.
Purvis and Dan Vucetich.
Reception Committee—Mrs. John
F. Coffey, Mrs. C. C. Ossier, Mrs.
Samuel McNiece, Mrs. J. W. Ward,
Mrs. L. McLean, Mrs. J. Robarts,
Miss Babe White, Mrs. Matt Button,
John McDonald, J. R. Makay, Felix
Brown, A. Carne, Axel Nelson, A. G.'
Thompson, Harry Cribb and Sidney
Anderson.
J With these committees in charge
and the entire membership of the or
j ganization behind the affair the peo
I pie of Anchorage may well know they
have two delightful and pleasant eve
! bings to anticipate.
The Daily Times, in behalf of Nels
Jepson, has wired the Cordova Times
as follows: “Nels Jepson, who threw
Bob Peterson here Saturday night and
has a match with Andy Martin sched
uled for the 17th of this month, would
like to make a date with Dr. Council
of your city for a finish, catch-as
catch-can wrestling match, strangle
holds barred, and for a purse of any
amount from one to five hundred dol
lars and all gate receipts. Match to
take place in Cordova last of this
month.”
Dr. Council is a wrestler of note and
it is said he has met some of the best
men in the country %nd is still unde
feated. The doctor is a high class
sport and a giant in strength. He is
a physician for the Copper River Rail
road company and is especially popu
lar in his home town.
MATCH IS
Articles of agreement were signed
this morning by Andy Martin and
Nels Jepson for a finish wrestling
match to take place next Wednesday
pi^ht (January 17th) at Labor Union
hall. The boys have put up a side bet
of $200 with The Daily Times and this
amount will undoubtedly be increased
later on as both of them are confident
of winning. Jepson seems to be a
trifle the favorite in the betting cir
cles, but all money has been covered
to date. One bet of $500 was made
last night between two reputable busi
ness men of Anchorage. This will un
questionably be the best and most
closely contested match ever pulled off
in Alaska and the sporting fraternity
is anxiously looking forward to the
date.
Mrs. Fay Farrington came down
from their Matanuska farm the first
of the week and will spend the bal
ance of the winter in Anchorage, liv
ing at 7th avenue and M street.