The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-08
KENESAE MOUNTAIN Lands
THE JUDGE BEFORE WHOM
ROCkEFELLER VAS EXAMINED.

WASHINGTON. July Judge Kenesaw
trot Court at Chicago. before whom John
ID. Rockefeller was examined yesterday.
10 only 40 years old. His father was
wounded In the battle of Kenesaw Noun
tain. hence his name. According to the
usual story told of how he came to bear
this historic oognomen. he was born on
the day Of the battle. As a matter OF fact
he did not Soc the light until nearly two
years after the civil war had ended.
Judge lands Is picturesque In appear
ance and manner. He was private secretary
to Secretary of State Walter Q. Gresham
from 1893 to 1896. Judge Gresham had
commanded the regiment in which Judge
Landis's father served, and there had
always been a warm friendship between
Gresham and the Landis family. When
Judge Gresham was starting for Washing
ton to become Secretary Of State In the
Cabinet Of q Democratic President and
asked young Lands to go with him as pri-
vate secretary. Landis turned Democrat
and accepted. He had prsctised law in
Chicago. but clients were few and the chance
Of an Official experience in the nations
capital was too alluring to resist.
The State Department woke az when
Landis came. His manner was new. his
style OF address original, and his seeming
profundity was intermixed with a humor
that left the uninitiated In oub az to
whether the young man was a joker or n
person of great depth.
There was much important work done in
he State Department while lands vas
there. The Cleveland policy to put back
Queen Iiliuokalani on the Hawaiian throne
was undertaken. the Bering Sea arbitration
was on, the Venezuelan boundary contro-
versy with England was conceived and
the Allianca affair occurred. Many people
have forgotten the Alliance affair probably,
but ii was a stirring question mt the time.
The Alliance, an American passenger
vessel. was o~verhauled 10y a Spanish gun
boat when outside the three mile limit of
Cuban jurisdiction and searched on sns-
picion of being loaded with munitions of
war for the Cuban Insurgents. The gun
boat fired shots to make the Allianca pull
TO. When the news got to this country
there was a great bubbub. and a strong
sentiment was developed in favor Of de-
msnding an apology from Spain.
Ii was said about that time that lands
came near TO running" the State Depart
ment. Secretary Gresham was too i'll to
come TO the Department and President
Cleveland had gone down the Potomac
on a duck hunting ex expedition. Mr.. Cleve-
land had failed to leave his address and
there was no wireless telegraphy in those
DAYS. Meanwhile the country cried out
for action in the Allianca case. Edwin II.
Uhl of Michigan was acting Secretary of
l.-A IT. $500. III -, 40. a.. - ..L.s a.. a.
but finally yielding TO the popular cry Of
" is there an American in the State Depart
ment9" he wrote a telegram to Hannis
TAYLOR. the United States Minister at Madrid
instructing Mr.. Taylor to demand an apology
Of the Spa nish Government, and in accord
ance with custom he signed it: "Uhl-
acting" =.
BY the merest accident Private Secre-
tary Lands saw the telegram before IL was
sent. lie took the responsibility Of with
drawing il from the Departments tele-
graph operator and hurried with il over TO
MIR. Gresham Under I.andis's advice MIR.
Gresham scratched out "Chle, Acting"
and signed his own name. A few days later
this telegram got into the newspapers with
Mr.. Gresham's name attached and the
diving Secretary of State was praised from
one end of the country to the other. Ac-
cording to Landis's view the responsibility
was Gresham's, and to him belonged the
credit. When President Cleveland returned
home and learned what had occurred he
was furious. lie declined TO sanction the
demand for an apology and redress, and
il looked for a while as II he would haul
Lands over the Goals.
There we're news leaks in the State De-
partment in that stirring period. These
leaks disturbed MIR. Cleveland. The impor-
tant information hat Minister Willis at
Honolulu had been instructed TO put the
crown on Liliuokalani's head again got into
the newspapers before Mr.. Willis received
administration had demanded the recall
OF Lorrin NJ. Thurston, tho Hawaiian Min
lister in Washington, was printed prema-
turely.
When the ~wspaper got hold OF the
Thurston incident MIR. Cleveland decided
to do something. He made inquiry and
found ont that and was a frequent WISH
tor at the local press club. This excited his
suspicion. and he told Secretary Gresham
that Lands would ave to 90. Mr.. Gresham
responded that Lands was innocent and II
Lands was dismissed Mr.. Cleveland would
have TO find q new Secretary OF State.
Mr.. Cleveland wouldn't nave II that way
aud both Gresham and lands remained.
As a matter Of fact Lands was entirely
innocent Of any connection with the Thurs
tOi SlOly hooNs
Later on Mr.. Clevelnu nd became attached
to the young private secretary and offered
70 send him to Venezuela as Minister. But
lands had seen enough Of diplomacy to
know il was not to his liking and he de-
clined. He preferred law and politics.
When Gresham died Lands went back TO
Chicago to practise law. He formed n
pa RI nership with Mr.. Thl, who had been
Ambassador to Germany after leaving the
State Department. and Frank Jones, who
was First Assistant Postmaster-General
in Mr.. Cleveland's second administration.
As the youngest member Of the firm
lands was supposed to go ont and get
business. After "A While lands withdrew
from the partnership. He was asked IA
10 what had happened. "Oh, J inst called
in Uhl and Jones' and discharged them"
was his way of uniting IL. II" was along
about - years old then.
Two Of Judge Iandis's brothers are
Charles b. and Frederick Cha rles is a
member of Congress from Indiana and
Frederick served in the House for forr wears
up 20 last March. He was defeated in the
election OF 1905. Another brother, Walter,
is the postmaster AT San Juan. Porto Rico.
The remaining brother. John. a physician,
has never held a Federal office. After
lands was appointed a United States
Judge a man from Washington was int ro-