The Wrangell sentinel., 1928-09-27
JAMES M. BELL TAKEN OFF 4 BRITISH VESSEL
 BY FEDERAL OFFICER
HAD TAKEN PASSAGE ON PRIN- CESS LOUISE FROM JUNEAU
 TO A FOREIGN PORT
Was Arrested on a Charge of Being an Absconding Debtor Complaint Was Sworn to By Thomas Fujita.

For the first time in the history of this port a passenger on a British liner was taken of the vessel at NrangeI by a federal officer. when on Saturday evening a warrant was issued in the United States Commis- sioner's Court for James N. Bell on a complaint sworn to by Tom Fujita, one of Bells creditors.
 aIr. Bell. in company with his new wife, left Wrangell about three weeks ago for Juneau, leaving a number of creditors behind. His de- parture caused some uneasiness on the part Of his creditors but none of them took any action.
 When the Canadian liner Princess Louise arrived here soutnbound Sat urday evening the majority of the passengers came ashore and strolled around town. but Mir and Mrs Bell were not with the crowd that left the boat at the time the gangplank was put out. A short time be- fore the vessel sailed a local citizen went to the boat to post letter, and saw MT. and Mrs. Bell come ashore and go for a hurried call on a friend
 The news that Jim Bell was pass l Ing through spread rapidly. Tom Fujita, local business man. who had a claim against Bell which he states he had been unable to collect, took his claim and confronted Bell on the street in the presence of three wit nesses and demanded payment. Fail- l ing to get a settlement he hurried l to the court house and swore to a 1 complaint charging Bell with being l an abseonding debtor. Thereupon a warrant of arrest was issued and 1 the same immediately placed in the | hands of United States Deputy Mar shal H. D. Campbell. By that time l MT. and Mrs. Bell had returned to | the vessel. The deputy marshal went aboard and took MT. Bell off | the ship.
 On arriving at the court house Mir. Bell inquired how much money was necessary in order to clear up the matter. On being informed he took from his pocket a roll of greenbaeks and settled the claim of MT. Fujita, also the assigned claim of R. Urata which was held by Fujita. The case was then dismissed. R. Ota collected his claim at the hotel Saturday eYen- ing and on Sunday morning B. Y. Grant, insisting that his claim came under the act relating to restaurants and hotel keepers, was able to collect his claim.
 Having failed repeatedly to collect their accounts and believing that eol- lection of claims against Bell could be effected only through court action five creditors who had learned of the punched their claims and immediately started action. The claims were assigned to J. ". Priteh- ett who swore to the complaint. The defendant was given until September 29 to answer the complaint. United States Deputy Marshal H. D. Camp bell served a summons on Mr. Bell in the Wrangell Hotel within few minutes after it was issued. But in spite of this summons Bell took pas sage on the Admiral liner Queen Sunday afternoon for Ketchikan. On Wednesday morning he left on the motorship Bellingham for the Canadian port of Prince Rupert, the port to which he and his wife had 1 been booked on the Princess Louise.
 On Sunday forenoon other credl- tors talked of starting an action Tn court but nothing could be done on Sunday and before Monday arrived Bell had departed.
 A recent issue of the Alaska Em- oire published at Juneau stated that MT. and Mrs. Bell would leave there shortly for the East. Owing to the fact that Bells parents reside in Se- attle and that he has child by ms first wife in that city he would be eX- pected under ordinary circumstances to go east via Seattle. However, the purchase of passage from Juneau so the Canadian port of Prince Ru- ,ert would seem to indicate that the couple are going east through Can
 .da. Mir. Bells recent marriage IS said to have taken place in less than six months after his first wife was yranted an interlocutory decree of
 livorce in the state of Washington.