Clark Fair

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Bank robber Paul Stavenjord was back in the news in big way in the late 1990s. In this KTUU-television images, he is seen here in law-enforcement custody.

Unfortunate Choices: Three lives and a robbery gone awry, Part 4

Upon his release from prison in Lompoc, California, in March 1975, Stavenjord vowed to turn his life around and go straight.

Bank robber Paul Stavenjord was back in the news in big way in the late 1990s. In this KTUU-television images, he is seen here in law-enforcement custody.
A year after the 1971 bank robbery, two of the suspects pleaded guilty and were sentenced to six years in prison, as seen in this Anchorage Daily Times headline from August 1972. The third suspect pleaded guilty a few days later.

Unfortunate Choices: Three lives and a robbery gone awry, Part 3

Even the U.S. attorney himself promoted a sentence shorter than the maximum because of the youth of the three defendants.

A year after the 1971 bank robbery, two of the suspects pleaded guilty and were sentenced to six years in prison, as seen in this Anchorage Daily Times headline from August 1972. The third suspect pleaded guilty a few days later.
Trainer Ted Fields, of Anchorage, stands with his search dog, Hite, in Seward in August 1971. (Original photo from the Seward Phoenix Log)

Unfortunate Choices: 3 lives and a robbery gone awry, Part 2

When this part of the story begins, they have been behind bars for one year.

Trainer Ted Fields, of Anchorage, stands with his search dog, Hite, in Seward in August 1971. (Original photo from the Seward Phoenix Log)
Seward Police Chief Bill Bagron puts his feet up contentedly after the arrest of all three suspects in the robbery of a Seward bank in August 1971. (Original photo from the Seward Phoenix Log)

Unfortunate Choices: 3 lives and a robbery gone awry, Part 1

Perhaps for the first time they were realizing that they had made a series of questionable decisions

Seward Police Chief Bill Bagron puts his feet up contentedly after the arrest of all three suspects in the robbery of a Seward bank in August 1971. (Original photo from the Seward Phoenix Log)
After 18 years at Leavenworth prison in Kansas, William Dempsey was returned to McNeil Island federal penitentiary in Washington in April 1939. He would escape from McNeil nine months later. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)

A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 9

On Jan. 30, 1940, nearly eight months later, Dempsey, while on a road gang in a heavy fog, slipped away from the work detail.

After 18 years at Leavenworth prison in Kansas, William Dempsey was returned to McNeil Island federal penitentiary in Washington in April 1939. He would escape from McNeil nine months later. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)
Murder suspect William Dempsey is pictured shortly after he was captured on the outskirts of Seward in early September 1919. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)

A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 8

Dempsey spent more than a decade attempting to persuade a judge to recommend him for executive clemency

Murder suspect William Dempsey is pictured shortly after he was captured on the outskirts of Seward in early September 1919. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)
After Pres. Woodrow Wilson commuted his death sentence to life in prison, William Dempsey (inmate #3572) was delivered from Alaska to the federal penitentiary on McNeil Island, Wash. These were his intake photos. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)

A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 7

The opening line of Dempsey’s first letter to Bunnell — dated March 19, 1926 — got right to the point

After Pres. Woodrow Wilson commuted his death sentence to life in prison, William Dempsey (inmate #3572) was delivered from Alaska to the federal penitentiary on McNeil Island, Wash. These were his intake photos. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)
In 1914, Pres. Woodrow Wilson appointed Charles Bunnell to be the judge of the Federal District Court for the Third and Fourth divisions of the Alaska Territory. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)

A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 6

Prosecution lawyers were fortunate to have a fallback plan: witnesses to the crime.

In 1914, Pres. Woodrow Wilson appointed Charles Bunnell to be the judge of the Federal District Court for the Third and Fourth divisions of the Alaska Territory. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)
As a teen-ager convicted of larceny in 1916, William Dempsey was incarcerated at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. (Image from the National Register of Historical Places)

A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 3

The lines of history are most accurately understood in retrospect.

As a teen-ager convicted of larceny in 1916, William Dempsey was incarcerated at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. (Image from the National Register of Historical Places)
This photo postcard, purported showing William Dempsey (L) and an unnamed partner, was one of two such cards that Dempsey sent from Alaska to his parents in Cleveland in late 1918 and early 1920. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)

A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 5

Although William Dempsey didn’t know it as he fled for his life, several things were working against him

This photo postcard, purported showing William Dempsey (L) and an unnamed partner, was one of two such cards that Dempsey sent from Alaska to his parents in Cleveland in late 1918 and early 1920. (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks archives)
Marie (sometimes called Margaret) Lavor was buried in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery in 1919 after she was murdered by William Dempsey. (Image provided by findagrave.com website)

A Nexus of Lives and Lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 4

AUTHOR’S NOTE: In the first three parts of this story, William Dempsey, who confessed to killing two Alaskans in 1919, escaped from prison in Washington… Continue reading

Marie (sometimes called Margaret) Lavor was buried in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery in 1919 after she was murdered by William Dempsey. (Image provided by findagrave.com website)
In 1918, a year before he would be gunned down on the streets of Seward, U.S. Deputy Marshal Isaac Evans posed for this photo on his Port of Seward waterfront pass. (Image courtesy of the Resurrection Bay Historical Society)

A nexus of lives and lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 2

Anchorage authorities believed Dempsey was planning to sail from Seward and flee to the States

In 1918, a year before he would be gunned down on the streets of Seward, U.S. Deputy Marshal Isaac Evans posed for this photo on his Port of Seward waterfront pass. (Image courtesy of the Resurrection Bay Historical Society)
This artwork, as well as the story that accompanied it in the October 1953 issue of Master Detective magazine, sensationalized and fictionalized an actual murder in Anchorage in 1919. The terrified woman in the image is supposed to represent Marie Lavor.

A nexus of lives and lies: The William Dempsey story — Part 1

William Dempsey and two other men slipped away from the rest of the prison road gang on fog-enshrouded McNeil Island, Washington, on Jan. 30, 1940

This artwork, as well as the story that accompanied it in the October 1953 issue of Master Detective magazine, sensationalized and fictionalized an actual murder in Anchorage in 1919. The terrified woman in the image is supposed to represent Marie Lavor.
Photo 210.029.162, from the Clark Collection, courtesy of Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum Emma Clark feeds the Clark “pet” moose named Spook in 1981. At the urging of state wildlife officials, Carl Clark had agreed to care for this calf at their home in Hope.

Emma Clark: Becoming a Hope pioneer

For 50 years, Emma and Carl had been central to the story of Hope

Photo 210.029.162, from the Clark Collection, courtesy of Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum Emma Clark feeds the Clark “pet” moose named Spook in 1981. At the urging of state wildlife officials, Carl Clark had agreed to care for this calf at their home in Hope.
Near Dr. Goble’s clinic, Marian and Grace Goble walk down an early version of McCollum Drive in Kenai, circa 1959-60. (Photo courtesy of Ben and Marian Goble)

Kenai’s 1st live-in doctor — Part 2

Dr. Marian Goble’s dream of missionary medical work did not begin with Alaska

Near Dr. Goble’s clinic, Marian and Grace Goble walk down an early version of McCollum Drive in Kenai, circa 1959-60. (Photo courtesy of Ben and Marian Goble)
Photo courtesy of Ben and Marian Goble Ben, Marian and Grace Goble pose next to Ben’s airplane on the beach near Kenai in 1959.

Kenai’s 1st live-in doctor — Part 1

Dr. Goble served the various medical needs of the central Kenai Peninsula

Photo courtesy of Ben and Marian Goble Ben, Marian and Grace Goble pose next to Ben’s airplane on the beach near Kenai in 1959.
In his late 50s, Arthur Vernon Watson was photographed after another prison transfer. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)

Justice wasn’t elementary, Watson, Part 4

A new trial was ordered

In his late 50s, Arthur Vernon Watson was photographed after another prison transfer. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)
This is Arthur Vernon Watson at age 39, when he was transferred from the federal prison in Atlanta to the penitentiary on Alcatraz Island near San Francisco. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)

Justice wasn’t elementary, Watson, Part 3

Anchorage probation officer Roy V. Norquist was monitoring Arthur’s movements and reported that he was pleased with what he saw

This is Arthur Vernon Watson at age 39, when he was transferred from the federal prison in Atlanta to the penitentiary on Alcatraz Island near San Francisco. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)
Arthur Vernon Watson was 23 years old when he was incarcerated in San Quentin state prison in California. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)

Justice wasn’t elementary, Watson, Part 1

The Frolichs’ establishment, then called the Watson Motel, had been owned by Arthur Vernon Watson and had become a crime scene

Arthur Vernon Watson was 23 years old when he was incarcerated in San Quentin state prison in California. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)
This Rip Rider photos shows a successful fisherman posing in front of the Russian River Rendezvous in the mid-1950s. (Photo courtesy of the Mona Painter Collection)

The Disappearing Lodge, Part 2

In late May 1959, officials from the Russian River Rendezvous, Alaska Sportsman’s Association, Inc., made a splashy official announcement in the Anchorage Daily Times

This Rip Rider photos shows a successful fisherman posing in front of the Russian River Rendezvous in the mid-1950s. (Photo courtesy of the Mona Painter Collection)