The Wrangell sentinel., 1938-10-07

QudEleI or moose Ou HIS suoAlueit Moore had a bloody ax in his hands and Wigg had line used io tie into the moose quarters to be dragged out.
 Cow Moose Shot
 Sarber said, q see you have moose, boys" and commented on it's being in fine condition. Wigg re- eognized him, the men were intro duced all around, and the defend ants became very nervous HRartO turned white, dropped his load and sat down. Sarber saw the ears of a moose head sticking Up in the little side slough near where the men were standing. He pulled out the head, noted the absence of horns and told them they had shot a COW moose.
 At this point over strenuous ob- jection by the defense, the court ruled the moose carcasses might be offered in evidence. Draymen brought in eight moose quarters from the Wrangell Cold Storage, two heads without horns, and the tongues. hearts and liYers.
 The half ton of meat was removed after few minutes from the court room, but for some reason the open ed sack of hearts, flyers and tongues and the two oozing heads with glas- sy eyes staring, were left on the floor to confront the jurors until the end of the trial that night
 Heads Found
 Sarber. resuming testimony, stat-I ed that Wigg admitted killing both moose at the same time and that both were COWS. Harto showed where the first head was hidden and thrown back in the brush near where the first butchering had been done. sarber suggested to the men they take the moose quarters back to camp Moore asked what would become of the meat and Sarber re- piled that it was the custom of the Alaska Game Commission to give meat that had been confiscated to some charitable institution. Moore said that if he could not have the meat he was not going to pack it out. Whereupon Sarber told the men 10 suit themselves; that it was un- ethical to leave 400 pounds or more of meat to rot. If you don't want to take it out" Sarber testified hel said. "I'H hang it in a tree away from the wolves and notify the Canadian authorities"
 The men decided they would pre- fer to take their chances on the Am erican side and took the meat to camp Sarber and Huntoon took the heads in custody.
 Private Citizens
 Kings objections to any testi- mony being introduced as to what transpired on the Canadian side on the grounds that American officials had no right to be conducting an investigation in Canada was over ruled by the court.
 "'The moment these men crossed the boundary" said the commission CT, "they became private citizens and as such they were quite within their rights in Investigating, as pri- vate citizens, any illegality."
 Upon return to camp in American territory Sarber said he confiscated the meat, tagging and sealing thel parts, including the heads. He ex- plained that the seals were metal locks which could not be removed without destruction. He and Hun toon that night went through theI regular routine of making seizures, completing releases of defendants to all confiscated articles. ReleasesI were signed by Wigg and Moore, but Harto, he said, disappeared and they did not see him again,
 The game officials the next morn ing took the heads to the Canadian customs officer, two miles above theI boundary The heads were cleared, brought into Wrangell, reported to the U. S. customs officer and placed in the Wrangell Cold Storage.
 Contradictory Testimony
 Huntoon, the next witness for the government, told practically theI same story as Sarber, amplifyingf some portions, but on the whole con- densing his testimony. Upon cross examination he testified positively there were two tents in the Moore camp. Sarber on cross examination said it was his impression there were two tents, although he was in but one. Huntoon described the position of the tents saying one set cater 1 cornered to the main tent. Each of the defendants when on the stand swore they had but one tent. There were other minor contradictionsI and one important contradiction. Much was made by King of a release signed by Wigg and Moore, the at- torney insisting the phrase releas- ing the heads was written in after wards and that the color of thel ink showed the release was writtenI at different times Moore positively denied signing a release to theI heads. Sarber pointed out that writ l ino ;n oamn wac done under diff