Arizona republican., 1906-12-01
In the Hearing of the Utah Goal Land
 Fraud Investigation
What His Opinion of the Interstate Commerce. Commission Really is, is in Fair Way to be Jade Public.

Salt Lake. Nov. 3o.-The statement of
 Department Chief Geo. F. Pollock of the Interior Department. which was given to the Associated Press in Wash ington Thursday. was read into the rec
 ord of the interstate commerce com
 mission here today. Just before the
 morning adjournment of the commit
 tee, Attorney Williams for the Union
 Pacific, read a newspaper clipping in
 which Mir. Pollock denOunces as false
 the affidavit Of Special Agent Meyen- dorff that Pollock had been instru- mental in suppressing evidence against the Union Pacific Coal company MT Williams asked that the telegraphic statement be received as evidence. Commissioner Clark assented and J. T. Marchand, attorney for the govern ment was also permitted to place on record news interview in which MT. Pollock is quoted as calling the inter- state commerce commissions investi- gation piece of impertinence."
 Today's testimony related chiefly to the methods by which the Utah Fuel and Pleasant Valley Coal company dis couraged competition in the Utah field.
 The afternoon session of the commis- sion was enlivened by a story in which rifles, threats of violence and corporate revenge figured. Arthur A. Sweet tes- tified that he had protested the loca- ton of tract of coal land by Charles Mostyn Ewen, who filed on it as az ricultural land When he went to take possession he encountered F. NJ. Vince ling and a Mexican, both armed with DfCTQfra rff mo hnf that there was no coal on the land. he went on to the property. As he pro- ceeded, he heard a gun fired. The armed men followed him to his claims and told him he had to leave. They asked him if he would go "at his pleas ure" or by force. He consented to go at his pleasure. Afterwards he said. he secured two injunctions restricting the fuel company from interfering with kim, but the injunctions were contemp- tuously disregarded. Finding that he could secure no capitaI. no rates and no cars. Mir. Sweet said he finally dis posed of his claims to J. H. Judson for 5000 and they soon afterward passed into the hands of the coal company.
 But this did not end Sweets troubles. He said he had secured employment on the Rio Grande Western Railway. but was discharged through the influ- ence of the coal company officials who also exerted pressure on a New York bonding company to have his bond can celled. He said that while he was working as agent and operator in the office of the Pleasant Valley Coal com pany at Cotton. Utah. he had instruc- tions to copy from the commercial wires of the Western Union Telegraph company, all messages affecting the interests of the company. This act was called to the attention of the president of the Western Union. and the wires were removed from the office.
 State Sena tor Geo. B. Whitmore told Halliday's property by Robert Kirker. and other armed men. Senator Whit more said he had coal land of his own but did not work it because the rail- road company demanded 8 a ton for hauling it to market.
 They said Mir. Whitmore testified. that they could sell me the coal cheap CT in Salt Lake"
 The last witness of the day was Attor- ney Edwardson. counsel for the Utah Fuel company. who gave testimony Go prove that the contested oil land near Evanston. Wyoming. had been legally awarded to the Union Pacific after a hearing before a special agent from Washington.