Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-15
Unable to Explain How Papers, Miss.
ing from Seattle Land Office, Are
Found in His Possession States
Charges Against Ba|inger.

lin Septembcr, 1902" asked Mr.. Yer
trees.
| yes. sir
"And on Nov. 10 there appeared an
article in weekly paper, entitled The
Whitewashing of Ballinger; are the
Guggenheims in Charge of the Depart
Iment of the Interior? BY l.. r. Claws
| Are YOU the author of that article?"
yes, but / am not responsible for
the heading or the sub-heads explain
ing the paragraphs"
did you receive anything for that
article?"
Not cent"
you have made no direct accusa-
! tions?"
NO sir"
| CLAWS said he had presented the facts
to let people draw their own differences.
Did you Intentionally refrain from
making any charger"
| Yes, sir"
| What did you think the facts showed?"
| "They proved to me that I did not think
the interior department was in safe
hands"
| What definite misconduct on the part
of anyone did the facts show?"
There is no charge of criminality," re-
piled CLAWS You have to take all the
facts together and form your opinion"
Taken all together the facts then con-
WINGED you of what?"
THAT the land department was not in
safe hands, that the peoples interests
were not being protected in the Alaska
cases"
what officers did you think were not
protecting the peoples interests?''
'Ballinger and bennett. And Pierce.
( too, rendered a decision interpreting the
| act of May 30, 1908. Schwartz took some
action I could not understand"
! You thought the facts established Off
cial misconduct on the part of Ballinger
, and Dennett?"
| YES"
Anybody else?"
"Conclusivey as to those two men. l
had not formed an opinion as to the 9TH
ers.'
you say Ballinger, bennett and Pierce
were guilty of misconduct, but you make
no charge of corruption"
eff / had thought the facts warranted
a charge of corruption I would have gone
to the grand jury instead of to the Pres
ident."
''Then you did not believe there We're
any corrupt motives or conduct?'
mo"
"Then the most you meant to say to the
President and to the people was that you
didn't think the affairs of the interior de-
ipartment were in safe hands?"
yes, sir
CLAWS said he had always liked
Schwartz and he believed anything he had
done that was wrong was due to thought
lessness or had been under orders of his
superiors.
Now as to the wrongdoing of Mr.
Pierce began Mr. Vertrees.
CLAWS interrupted: 81 want to make a
correction about Mr.. Pierce. 1 think he
was erroneous in his construction of the
law and that he was not guilty of any
wilful wrongdoing"
That leaves us only Mr.. bennett and
Mr.. Ballinger under accusations of
wronsdoing?"
yes"
At this point the luncheon recess was
ordered.
When the afternoon session began MI
vertrees Immediately began to question
CLAWS as to his accusations of Mr.. Den
nett
The witness repeated his testimony
as to Benefits visit to Seattle and
the funny letters" he said he heard
bennett was writing He also said
bennett denied one day that he knew
| Mr., Behrens, one of the coal claim
ants and the next day the two lunched
together and they appeared to be old
friends CLAWS said he became con-
WINGED that bennett was simply the
tool of Ballinger and would do any
thing Ballinger told him.
Passing temporarily from Commits
sioner Dernett." said Mr. Vertrees.
'let US take up Secretary Ballinger.
What constitutes your declaration of
improper conduct on his part?'
CLAWS proceeded at some length to
sum up the facts which he declared
convinced him MIR. Ballinger was "Un-
fit for his Office and unfaithful to his
trust" He said: THE first action I
would cite is the appearance of Mr..
| Ballinger in the Wilson coal cases.
His action or participation in the
drawing up Of of an escrow agreement
to turn over claims that had not been
proved up and have not been proved
up as q matter of fact, was criminal.
But the statute of limitations has run
and the evidence is not quite clear
Another thing was Mr.. Ballingers
| expressions in the summer of 1907 to
Special Agent Jones, when he knew
that there had been violation of the
coal lands laws, his statement that
he was coming to Washington to see
what Congress could do to help the
claimants get patents.
His next action-One of the most
important going, to show that he is