The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-01-07
W|CKERSHAM is FOR
Concluded from First Page).


remaining three in October, 1907
payments aggregating s52,S0o being
made and covered into the treasury
Fourth. CLAWS claim that he pre-
vented the government from being
defrauded by procuring reference
to the attorney general of the Ques
tons of law involved, and the over
ruling by him of an opinion written
by Assistant Secretary Pierce, which
would have enabled the Cunningham
claimants to procure patents on thei,
claims, is absolutely disproyed BY
the record, which shows: Cd That
the letter submitting the questions tC
the attorney general, the form Of
which was prepared by Mr.. Schwart.
in conference with CLAWS and was IL
part suggested by him, by its very
terms excluded any possible refer
ence to the Cunningham claims; and
CD that with the explanation of the
somewhat ambiguous phrase "initia
ton of the entry" used by Assistant
Secretary Pierce, his construction 81
the statute did not differ from that
given to it by the attorney general
in his opinion.
Fifth. The intervention of the For
estry Bureau, procured by CLAWS, is
shown by the record to have ben en-.
tirely unnecessary to the protection
of the interests of the United States
1t was even unnecessary to secure a
.postponement of the hearing on the
Cunningham claims, as Special Agent
Sheridan of the Land Office, who had
been sent to conduct the hearing on
the claims, after conference with
CLAWS, concurred in the ACCESSIBILITY
of a postponement until after the com
pletion of eldfi examination, al
although for reasons differing from
any which had been previously ad
vanced by CLAWS, and SO advised the
General Land Office.
Sixth. Claws report" and sum
mary abound in contradictions anl
misstatements, They omit to de
gree that amounts to absolute sup
preston letters, kilograms, and otheI
documents, some of which were in hi.
possession, and others which wer,
available to him and which completely
rebut differences he seeks to hav,
drawn from those which he does sub
nit.
Seventh. The act of eayh and ever,
official OF the Land Office referred t
in CLAWS charges appears to hav,
been inspired by the perfectly prope
desire to bring to a conclusion an in
vestigation which was prolonged be
yond all reason, and which, II 1t hat
been prosecuted with due diligence
and if CLAWS had properly availed O
the assistance placed at his dispose
by the Land Office, should have beer
completed and ready for trial no
later than the autumn of 1908. TIL,
Claimants were entitled to have the
objection to their claims formulated
and brought to hearing with reason
able promptness, and the interests o.
the government did not require ans
were not advanced by the prolonged
delays and inactiOn of Special Agent
CLAWS, In this connection it may BIZ
pointed out, as an example of CLAWS
habitual representation that al
though pursuant TO his request O
April IL, 1908, to forward him all the
original papers relating to Alaska
coal entries and declaratory state
ments upon his representation that
the statute of limitations would pre-
vent criminal prosecutions after the
following October, and the cases musi
therefore be presented during the
month of May, all such original pap
ers and documents were, by direction
Of the General Land Office, immedi
ately transmitted to him by the
Juneau office, no proceeding whatever
was taken by him to bring these Grim
inal prosecutions or to take any steps
in connection Herewith.
CLAWS actions appear to have beer
founded upon wholly exaggerate(
sense Of his own Importance, and {
desire for personal advancement
rather than on any genuine desire tt
protect the interest of the govern
ment, and this species of megalo
mania has finally led him to submit
to you charges of improper motive!
and conduct against his official su
periors, which, in my opinion, are 81
unjust and unfounded as to merit hi
immediate separation from the ser
vice.
Respectfully,