Alaska sentinel., 1907-08-15
SUES FOR OLD FLAG a
Edward LeaAecke Brings Shit for Pos: sesSion of Aiaska's First Banner
(R.I. Aosuss 3, 1907. )

(R.l. Aogust ,, l9O1.)
 TAs aFnssship ot what is claimed 10 bs shs fral Usitsd ssAtss flag saissd In Aiasks territory is 70 bs decided ip the superior court of King county. sceosdins to . complaint nlsd yesterday by Rob- srts X Huibsrt. sspssssnting the plain. sif, Edward Ludeeks. ei wisngsii.
 The suit is brought by Ludecke sgsinst psxsss- Horton & Co.,. with whom the flag vss deposited by Geo. E. Rodmsn of Wrapssll, AlsskA. The bank refuses to dsiivss It to Lpdseks hscapse it does not knov Ludeeks @ owner. The prop
 etty is estimated to be worth sl00.
 John W. Roberts. of Roberts & Huibsrt,
 said yesterday in reference to ths suit: From sffidsvits in my possession. It
 appears that the plaintiff In the case bought the flag. together with six others l from She United 6tstss government. ct
 a oondemnation sale of government
 goods st 6itka, Alasks, about 1874, and
 afterwards left t in the charge of Rsvs-
 nue Collector F. E. Bronson of Wrangsil.
 It was the first Caitsd States flag raised
 by authority of oa. govsrnmsnt in the territory of Alssta. on October l9. 1867.
 Some time ego. George E Rodmsn of wrangsll, procsrsd the nss from Bron-
 son, the latter having the impression that tt was Ludssks's desirs. that he should have 1t, Rodnsn brought It to
 Seattle and offered it to the A..Y.-P.
 msusssusa, toT s2.5o0. dspOsitins it
 msaawhils vhA ps1tss Hostaa & Go. M.. Lsdssks is dssirous thst the flag be
 plsesd on exhibition as shs big fair. and
 will loan it for that purposs when be gets posssssion oi is. vithout charge.
 Robert D. Joees et the Aissks Magazine learned et the trns oxasphip oi ths l fss, and upoA iAts ssturn from Alaska
 brought this suH h behalf oi Ludseks. Rsplsvin pspsss wih be served this morrins oa psxsss Horton < Co.,, sad the fias ~tn psebsbay remain In shs shssif' posspeaioa. untl ths cosrts de- }s,ss JsAs svssfsAip.-It is slated that Rodmaa dets sss dsaS thss Ludseks was the original owner of the fss, nes shss he procured possession of n from ] him. Some question has been raised by. Aissks pionssrs and others As to vhsth- sr the flag nov h litigation is the nrss flag that was hoi'tsd by sAe eo1srnnsnt in Alaska territory. =
 The flag of record ss being the first ever raised in Alaska ts' now on deposit in the state department in Washington. This flag vss made by ords, ot. t.seeretary Seward and given to Gov. Rousseau, the American commissioner to receive the territory, to be used on the occasion of the transfer. Gen. Rousseau took the flag with him to sitka, and when. in October, 1867, the Russian commissioner l ordered tho Russian flag hauled down from the castle at Sitka. in the presence of the assemb mbled American and Russian troops, Gen. Rousseau had the flag hoisted, the halyards being handled by the generals son and e midshipman of the navy. Later, as shown by all the official reports, found in the documents
 ,f the fortieth congress, the flag was re- turned by Gen. Rousseau to Washington aud deposited in the state department. At the instance of Direetor-Gensral Nadeau, of theA.-Y.-P, exposition, Sen stor Piles recently ascsrtained from the state department that the historic relic was being well preserved. He also re- ceiyed the promise that 1t would be shown at the fair.