The San Francisco call., 1909-12-17

vious campaixns hut were unwilling to
do SO mt that time account OF the
investigation of their claims, and urseo
CLAWS not to prosecute his investiga-
tfon further until after election.
In his written report to president
Taft at Beverly, CLAWS stated that a
number of the Alaska coal claimants
are men prominent. in the state OF
Washington, and many of them are per-
sonaI friends of Mr.. Ballinger. This
may serve as a prophecy of the recent
rhetoric of the Seattle chamber Oh
commerce.
Ballinger and Hepburn
Clarence Cunningham lived at Wal
lace, Idaho. at the time. he first be
came interested in the Cunningham
claims. Wallace is the chief town of
the Occur d'Alene mining region. BY
sort of financial manipulation, not
here necessary to explain. the Gug-
genheims control the lead output of the
Occur dAlenes. Wallace is the resi-
dence of Senator w. s. Hepburn OF
Idaho. Cunningham and Hepburn are
and have been for years, friends. In
his affidavit presented by Ballinger to
Garfield, Cunningham says that GER
tain of the claimants failed to come
forward with their subscriptions and
that these expenses were advanced by
A B. Campbell, another Cunningham
claimant and a prominent Occur d Alene
mine owner, who was subsequently re-
fmbursed. John A Finch, CampbelIs
mining partner, is also a claimant. An
other is Charles Sweeney. Occur d 'Alene
mine owner, who f1oated some Occur
dAlene mines and sold them to Stand
ard oil interests. Standard oil. in
deed may get deeper into this story
at some later date For the present II
may interest the reader to know that
LAI <I,<.f Ilal
lingers law firm represented the Stand
ard oil company in three different suits
Senator Hepburn was, at the time of
his election TO the United States sen
ate, the leading attorney at Wallace for
some of the large Occur d'Alene mine
interests. After the hearing on the
Gale bill Senator Hepburn, ON April 23
18OS, introduced in the senate another
bill which would have 1e<alized the
Cunningham claims, and which vouId
have passed but for the intervention OF
Secretary Garfield. In Washington
Hepburn and Ballinger appear to have
acted I'm concert. In issue of Aug
ust IS last. we made reference to a
sort of political partnership between
Hepburn and Ballingcr In certain land
matters, 1t is unlawful for United
States senator to act as attorney for
persons interested In urging claims be-
fore the departments at Washingf0n. II
wns for this offense that Senator Bur-
ton of Kansas and Senator Mitchell of
Oregon were tried and convicted. Hey
burn was elected senator from Idaho
January 13, 1908. In Cunningham's
books, under date Of September, 1903,
nine months after Heyburn's election
as senator, there is an entry which
reads as follows: .sHave agreed with
w. BE Hepburn, In consideration for his
services attorney, to carry him for
one claim of 100 acres In the coal, free
of cost to him, and he agrees to do all
our legal work in procuring titles,
etc, free of expense to u.s. When
Cunningham, on September 4, 1908,
made his affidavit, he knew these rec
ords were in possession of the depart
ment officials. CLAWS had forwarded
them with a letter calling attention to
the Hepburn entry. Naturally Cum
ningham. Ballinger and Hepburn. with
Burton and Mitchell In mind. had ter
rifle scare. In his affidavit, prepared
by Ballinger, Cunningham attempted to
explain away many things. He quoted
letter from Senator Hepburn. dated
October 20, 1905. to himself, in which
Hepburn declares that he has fre-
quently stated to Cunningham that he
did not desire to be interested in the
coal lands in Alaska, and now writes
expressly to inform him again that he
does not desire to participate in, or
be interested in any manner, directly
or indirectly. in acquiring public lands. .'
The letter contains 1S5 words. In those