The Nome nugget. (Nome, Alaska) 1901-1904, 1904-05-14
Swedish Mission Fight
ing P. H. Anderson.
A SECRET TRIAL
Of the Case Was Held in Chicago
in MarCh--AnviI Claims
Involved.

| Chicago, March S.-A struggle for
possession of an Alaska gold mine
which in less than five years has yield
ed over 81, 300, 600 is now going on Sc
cretly before a board Of arbitration in
Chicago. The claimant is the Swedish
Evangelical Mission Covenant of Amer
lea, through former missionary, N.
| 0. Hultberg, of San Jose, Cal, and
the action is directed against p. II.
Anderson, another former missionary.
DR.. c. w. Johnson, also of Chicago,
and the White Star Mining Company,
in which number of Chicagoans are
interested.
The dispute reaches back to the dis
covery of gold in Alaska, and hinges
on the point whether missionary sent
into the Northern wilds to make con-
verts for his church was likewise act
ing for his church when he staked out
number of mining claims. These
claims have been developed into highly
profitable gold mines, out of which
several men have made fortunes.
Miss Dora Adams. an Eskimo con-
vert, and Constantine AparosoOki, also
an Eskimo are witnesses for the
church organization. Ex-Judge Chas.
Johnson, of Nome, is another witness
from Alaska. Thus far nearly twenty
persons have testified.
The agreement of the litigants TO
argue the case before board of arbi-
tration was due to their desire to avoid
the notoristy attendant on court
hearing. The board consists of Hiram
T. Gilbert, A. NJ. Pence and ID. L.
Lane, and the finding of the arbitrator
is to be final. The church society is
represented by ex-Judge N. SOderberg,
of San Francisco. Frank j. Quinn, of
Peoria, H.. and H. f. Williams, of
Chicago. The defense is represented
by Judge Axel Chytraus, of the Cook
county courts.
In 1893 Mr.. Hultberg was engaged
by the Swedish Evangelical Mission
Covenant to go to Cape Nome as mis-
sionary for the society. He established
a school at Golovin bay, where he re-
manned until 1898, when failing health
forced him to return to the United
States for year. His assistant at
Golovin bay was p. H. Anderson. just
before returning Mr.. Hultberg found a
pocket of gold, and now claims to be
the original discoverer of the Nome
gold region. He located his claim and
left it in the care of Mr.. Anderson, with
the understanding, he says, that it was
to be staked out and held in trust for
the church society. Mr.. Hultberg did
not return to Alaska until 1899. He
found that during his absence, Mr.. An
derson, with the aid of Gabriel Price,
q practical miner, had staked out nine
claims adjoining the original 'Discov-
cry" claim. These claims were held in
the names of various individuals. The
last two were known as No. and No.
9. 1t is this claim, No. ., that the soci-
ETY. seeks to recover.
Claim No. 8 was first held by Con-
stantine Aparasooki, while No 8 was
in the name of Gabriel Adams, another
Eskimo, now dead who was Apara-
sooki's partner. On the plea that the
EskimOs could not lawfully hold title,
1t is alleged that Mr.. Anderson induced
them to give up possession and the
property was then decided over to Mr..
Price. Claim No. 8 was sold to Mr..
Anderson for 500, it is said. Later Mr..
Anderson took into partnership with
him DR.. johnson, of Chicago, who was
acting physician for the Swedish Mis-
sisn Society. In 1902 they formed the
White Star Mining Company of Cali
fOrnia. Last May the White Star Min
ing Company of Illinois was organized
in Chicago.
1t is charged by President c. A..
Bjork, of the Swedish Missions, that
the sole object OF the forming OF these
two corporations, one selling out to the
other. was to cloud the title to the pro-;
perty and thus prevent the society from
getting relief at'law.
Since 1899, it is declared, Mr.. Ander-
son has taken out about $3.50, 600 in gold.
Claim No. 3, it Is said, has Melted Mr.
Price something like $500, 900. All told,
the amount taken from these two claims
alone aggregates nearly $l,3OO,OO0, and
the representatives of the Swedish
Mission claim they can prove that a.