Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-27
AFTER FACTS.

Atty. Farley l.. Williams, as counsel
for the Union Pacific Coal company,
at this point entered strong protest
against what he called the besmlrching
Of the names and characters OF gov
eminent officials.
do you represent Mr.. Richards?"
suavely asked government counsel
mo, SIR" came the response with
Mr.. Williams best dramatic effect, II
protest as an American citizen"
Just when 1t looked as though
things were about to get decidedly
tropical Commissioner Clark poured
Gil on the troubled waters by assert
Ing that IL was not the purpose of the
investigation TO inquire specially into
tho land office management. He pro-
missed that indefinite charges should
not be made and IL there were any
charges they would be specific. what
we are after are the facts" he affirm
cd
Witness Spence said that he heard Of
this star chamber" session while IN
Omaha on business. He returned 10
Evanston IN December, 1905, and at
once filed supplementary protest, ana
IN due season he received answer from
Washington That the protest was out
OF tho land office jurisdiction because
the patents on the lands had been de-
llyered. Witness said that these pat
ents were not delivered until IL days
after his supplementary protest on be-
half OF his client Clark had been filed.
ATTITUDE OF U. p.
Changing the line Of questioning, Mr..
Marchand then took up the subject OF
She Union Pacitics attitude in regard
10 the discovery OF oil I'm Wyoming.
Mr. Spence said that oil was first dis
covered by the Union Pacific while
boring for water at a coal camp near
the Aspen tunnel AT the depth of $50
feet oil was encountered and the we'll
was plugged up wire fence was
built around the well by the Union Pa
cific, and people We're prohibited from
investigating the find.
Some employees Of the Union Pacific
Coal company then dug a trench and
filled 1t with powder, and this mine was
left In charge OF a man named Will
liams, who was instructed to touch
off the mine should any representatives
of the American Consolidated OIL Co.,
which had been incorpora ted by Spence
and associates to develop the property
under the placer act, approach with
well-boring apparatus.
After vainly appealing TO the officials
for aid, the oil company eventually
secured the services OF the sheriff OF
the county, and the mine was ordered
fred An employee OF the coal COM
pany touched off the trench with the
result that big hole was blown IN
the ground, making the approach to the
property on the side hill impossible.
cRoss-EXAMINATIoN.
AT this juncture Farley l.. Williams
took hand IN cross examination and
drew from witness that many OF his
statements were based on hearsay.
The attorney then asked II IAN
this lurid literature your client signed
and which has been read here, was
drawn up By your"
Witness stated that he wrote the
document that cast aspersions on the
characters OF certain government and
corporation officials
Mr.. Marchand arose at this juncture
and asserted that nothing could be
accomplished by Mr.. Williams line of
cross-examination.
Mr.. Williams took a decided opposite
view. He said that he wanted to show
that witness was filling up the records
with lot of hearsay evidence.
Mr.. Marchand then stated that wit
ness experiences as related with the
United States land Office were any
thing but hearsay; as TO other matters
he admitted that the testimony was
OF hearsay order.
Atty. Allison then took hand and
tried to get witness to admit that the
Wyoming oil fields had been abandoned
because there was not sufficient oil 10
justify exploitation.
PLENTY OF OIL.
Both witness and counsel got rather
warm under the collar. the former
stoutly maintaining that the old fields
had not been abandoned and there was
plenty OF oil In Uintah county, Wyo.
Witness wanted TO tell counsel why the
oil fields were not developed, but coun-
vel slde-stepped. He drew from Mr..
Spence, however that he had a lot of
oil stock for sale cheap.
Witness on direct examination stated
that Prest. Butler of the American
Consolidated Oil company stated to him
that just as soon as his company could
get the foot of the Union Pacific rail-
road off their necks they would resume
operation. Witness said the local rate
TO the Florence refinery was too high.
Mr.. Williams took umbrage at this
statement and asserted that there had
been commodity rate In effect at that
time.
Yes, undoubtedly said Mr.. March,
and, 1.-The railroads have habit OF
putting In rates just before an investi-
CATION"
With this parting shot the lmelight
was shifted. Witness was excused and
the investigation of tho methods OF the
Utah Fuel company. Denver & Rio
Grande and kindred corporations in
Utah were taken up.
State Senator Geo. N, Lawrence was
the first witness called in the opening Of
the Investigation OF the Utah Fuel COM
pany and the Denver & Rio Grande
railroad.
LANDS UNDER ENTRY.
Witness detailed the fact that he had
held coal lands near Sunnyside. Utah,
under entry.
He had hardly started before Atty.
Allison arose and objected. He az
iirmed that there was nothing In the
resolution of Congress calling for the
investigation now being held that per-
mittcd an Inquiry into the manner OF
the acquisition Of coal lands. "If"
said counsel, the inquiry went into
the question OF acquisition OF lands the
witnesses on every entry, proceeding
that would consume months" Coun-
sci affirmed that the commission by
so doing would inhame the public mind
against individuals. who, according TO
the public press. were now being in
vestigated with the object OF criminal
prosecution.
Mr.. Marchand then read section 3 Of
the resolution and stated that he pro-
posed to show that the Utah Fuel com.
pany, the Rio Grande and kindred COM
panies had entered into a conspiracy
to acquire monopoly OF the coal lands
Of Utah.
Counsel admits that there Is a mo-
nopoly." said Mr.. Thomas. who took
the floor at this junct,lre, "and We must
find out how this monopoly was ec-
auired, or else how Is this commission
TO make n recommendation to Con-
grass .a rpauired bv thfa vooolutf,t, 80