The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-10
Documents Needed By the Ssn- ator In Defense of Charges
 Are Gone
PULLMAN IS CONFIDENT
 OF PROVING HIS CASE
Another Chanrc Is Brought Against the Senator In the Matter of Send ing a Typewriter Through
 Mail on a Frank.

Washington, January 9.-(Special.) )-- Senator Benjamin R. Tillman charged by President Roosevelt with partici- pating in land frauds. made the sen sational announcement this afternoon that valuable private documents bear ing upon the affairs had mysteriously disappeared from his desk.
 Explaining the loss of his papers. Senator Tillman said:
 q had big envelope locked in my desk last spring and in that envelope were the letters and telegrams that I received from Reader & Watkins. and also several maps and other documents. This envelope is gone. Of course I do not know where 1t has gone, but there is a certain place where those docu- ments may have been wanted" The firm of Reader & Watkins Is mentioned in the Presidents letter to Senator Hale as the one with which MT. Tillman had correspondence last winter concerning the purchase of gov ernment land grants, and against which MT. Tillman persuaded the Postmaster General to issue a temporary fraud orr der, barring it from the use of the United States malls.
 TilIman Not Afraid. 'I am not afraid of the outcome of this matter" said the senator from South Carolina. The President has thrown his bomb and I am not even jostled. Before this thing comes to an end the President will find himself hoisted with his own petard. Meantins I hope the public will suspend judg- ment."
 The news of the loss of Senator Till- mans private papers has created stir at the capitol Senators grzvely dis cussed the matter in the cloak rooms 1 this afternoon and the hope was held out that there Is a mistake somewhere and the missing papers will eventually turn up.
 It is pointed out that the fac similes which accompany the Presidents com munication to Senator Hale were all photographs of letters written by Sen ator Tillman and not to him, and the inference Is clear in the connection that these documents were such as were written to men in the west from whom the postoffce inspectors received the reproductions.
 Additional Evidence.
 Additional evidence against the ac- cused senator was made public today in the shape of charge that he was In collision not long ago with Post master Barnes of Washington through an effort to frank a typewriter ma chine through the mails. Postmaster Ra was franked and sent Senator Tillman a bill for $16 for postage, holding up the typewriter in the meantime.
 Senator Tfllman refused to pay the bill, saying the typewriter was a government machine and that If MT. Barnes wanted to do so he could sell it. Senator Till man explained to MT. Barnes that ho was doing no more than other members of Congress in this regard and that he had not knowingly violated any laws. So far known the typewriter is still 1t the postoffice in Washington.
 Use of the Frank.
 Senator Tillman said this afternoon in regard to the typewriter incident that he had been sending typewriter to his home ir South Carolina and back for 14 years He said that the machine that had been so sent son his frank belonged to the govern nment and had been used by him for official business One of the Presidents charges against Tilman is that he used his frank to carry on the correspondence relative to the land deal in Oregon.
 The Senate appropriation committee met this morning and turned over to Senator Tilman such parts of the papers which tie President had sent to Senator Hale in response to the Aldrich resolution as related to Senator Tillman. Senator TIL man will be allowed to keep these until 4o l,t a0h Ina Anar Ma.fs. day.
 Despite his assumption of confidence it is plain that the South Carolnian Is deply pertured. Probably for the first time since he has been a member of the Senate he will write out the speech In ad- vance and read 1t to the Senate. This will take place on Monday immediately after the reading of the journal
 Clear Field for TilIman.
 Eepator Foraker was to have addressed the Senate on Monday on she President's cctlon in the Brownsville affair. But in. order that Tillman may have, a clear stage Mir Foraker has agreed not to call up the Brownsville incidents until Tuesday. As the rumor goes Tilman will occupy about four hours with his address. whereupon some senator will take up the cudgels in behalf of the President and reply to Till man.
 Members of the Senate absolutely de- olined today to discuss the case for publi- cation The invariable reply to any ques- ton was: a
 Let us hear Senator Tillmans defense first"
 Nevertheless there was serious shak- irg of heads whenever the subject was mentioned Senators are more ready al ways to pardon fragrant wronsdoing than they are violations of the delicate GUS toms of the body And Tillman has ap- parently been caught lying to his fellow- members. Even his friends admit that the President has made out strong case against him and that it will be difficult for him to explain away his denial on the floor of the Senate that he had any intention of buying lands in the west. when only four days earlier he had sent word that eight quarter sections should