The Washington times., 1910-05-27
Attorneys Brandeis and Pep
per Make Their Closing
Arguments.
CLAIM THEIR CASE
HAS BEEN PROVED
Letters and Afhdavits Presented In
Refutation of Tes-
timony.

Before a crowd that packed every inch
Of seating space and overfowed into the
corridors was enacted today the begin
ming Of the end in the Ballinger Con-
gressionaI investigation
Attorneys l. D. Brandeis and George
Wharton Pepper began their closing ar
guments for the prosecution" in the
behalf OF L r. CLAWS and Gifrord Pin
chot, respectively, a summing up OF the
evidence TO date and citation Of points
on which they claim their case against
Secretary BalIinger has been proved.
When the committee met, Chairman
Nelson read q letter from G. p. Con-
molly, Of Golfers, branding as "a fabri-
cation out OF whole cloth the state
rnent made before the committee by
oscar Lawler. Assistant Attorney Cen
eral for the Interior Department that
Connolly was the man who trampled
? omen and children IN the republic
disaster" Connolly declared that he
had never been on the republic and was
not the man.
SAYS Charge Was Disproved-
Representative James then read let
ter from James B. Connolly, who de-
clared that he had been charged win
cowardice on the occasion OF the Re-
public disaster by a steward-a charge
which was subsequently disproved com
pleteIy. He said that he had been un-
able to prosecute the steward because
the latter had fed 10 Canada.
On behalf Of r. A. Branln, formerly
employed by the Forest Service and VINO
was IN charge Of the forestry work done
on the Menominee Indian Reservation
CWis). Attorney Pepper lntroduced
lengthy affidavit. During the presenta-
ton Of evidence for the defense by At
torney Vertrees, a report by two lnte-
rior Department agents was introduced
In evidence condennlhg 6Illl5il ,-e,gIt.5 49,
and declaring that he had wasted
more than 100000 Of the Government 5
money there.
Braniff, who is now in private busi-
ness at Seattle. took the train for Wash
iuRton when he heard OF these charges,
expecting to take the witness stand
When he arrived he found that the TAX
ing of testimony had been concluded
claring that these charges were aoso-
lutely unfounded and baseless-
Coulter Is Denounced.
Braniffs affidavit, which the commit
tee decided TO admit hotly denounces
Special Agent Coulter, who charged him
with reckless expenditure OF Govern
roent money. In IL he said;
.'His estimate that S73l,7SO has been
lost to the Menominee tribe, through
NV nismanagenent.' is made up
partly by contrasting what l spent
with what Coulter's guess is what l
ought to have spent To this ne ados
10000, 600 feet of dead timber, whlcn
he charges against me at 80 per thou-
sand feet, whereas 1t had no actuaI
value when logged"
Pranfff declared that when he took
charge Of the MenOminee Work the
lob mad been almost hopelessly mess
eq, eq,,f4s 5ec1s-es that under Indian
Office administration the Menomlnee
enterprise will fail
iThe work Of forest service was
done in the face of indifference and
obstructfonism" from the Interior De-
partment he says, and notwithstand-
ing that the record Of the lndlan bu-
reau in logging on the reservation
had for forty years been record OF
mistakes and failures
Ballinger Letter introduced
Attorney Brandeis introduced let
ter written by. R A Ballinger to
Secretary Garfield, dated September
13. in which the former asked
Garfield for a conference. II was
at this meeting. at w est MENTOR
Ohio that Ballinger presented the
Cunningham affidavit TO Garfield The
letter could not be located up TO
few days ago. In 1t Ballinger says;
- am at present involved in the pleas
ureable labor Of assisting Judge Tafts S
candidacy
Brandcis opened the argument for the
prosecution" None Of the principals
in the famous controversy was present
Pinchot is abroad and Claws is on his
fruit farm at White Salmon, Idaho-
Mrs Pinchot mother OF the former
Forester, who has been faithful In her
(Contfnued on PaCe Twenty)