The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-25
COULD REMOVE ANY
CABINET OFFICER
Letter Read in Ballinger In
vestigation Showing Meth
DDS of Land Grabbers.
SHERIDAN DISCLOSED
GOVERNMENTS CASE
Clifford Pinchot Has Been Sent for
and is Now Ready to Testi-
fy Before Com
mittee.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 2s.-Drawn
By the announcement that Clifford
Pinchot, the former chief forester,
and the party of the second part. in
the hyphenated controversy over con-
servation. would probably take the
witness stand To-day a crowd pack
ed the hearing room OF the congress
sional investigating committee, when
that BODY resumed its sessions.
Half of the audience were ladies,
ana there was q ffutter of exciteme at
craning of necks and a rustling vi
feminine curbeiows. when Pinchot,
accompanied by his, brother, Amos.
appeared In the room. All of the
principals In the controversy. with
the exception of Secretary Bailinger,
and Assistant Secretary Pierce. We're
present when the committee conven-
ed.
c. A. Christensen, who succeeded
l.. r. Claws as chief of the Seattle
field service, had come in response to
a subpoena issued 10y the committee
a week ago.
Christia nsen ID called by the Bal
legged finding of certain official docu-
r,ents, long Thought 10 be missing,
In boxes containing CLAWS effects, at
Seattle Ills testimony will probably
be the signal for hot cross exarni-
nation by Brandeis, attorney for Gla-
Wis, as the latter has characterized
this as a frame up
Delay Evidence.
The COMMITTEES held a short exec
utive session prior to the public
hearing. When they flied into the
nearing room, Attorney Brandeis.
counsel for Pinchot, Immediately
{ arose
Il desire ne said to INTRODUCES
the evidence ra<seutly given ny j. -.
steele and stephen Birch. Hseiaoers
of the Morgan Gnggenheim syndi-
cate. before the Senate Committee
on Territories. relative to the connec-
ton which that syndicate had ~itn
the Cunningham claims.
II was finally decided not to receive
this evidence at this time, but TO call
Steele and Birch 10 testify want
them As my witnesses" said Bran
saeis., chairman Nelson said that
| these two men had already asked 10
testify.
Rrandeis then called Horace Til
lard Jones, former special agent OF
the Land 0ffice and an associate Oh
l.. r.. CLAWS In his Investigation Oh
the Alaska coal cases.
IT was June Il. 1907, that Jones
said ne was first directed TO begin
investigation of th~ Alaskan Goa
cases. BY letter from Acting Com
missioner bennett. On July 5, ac-
cording to his testimony anu docu-
mentary evidence submitted bs
Brandeis. he went to Juneau. Alaska
to Investigate these claims.
Jones said that on July 1897. M
called on Commissioner Bailinger
then In Seattle. In company WIZ
special Agent Love, and talked over
coal land regulations. Subsequent "
Jones said. he had numerous CON
ferences with Commissioned Balltnger
in the latter's law Offices.
Love Hearted.
with tbe AZ, vptinH of one inyes
tication." Jones testified, "aii these
! conferences related 10 the Alaska Goa
/ ea..1.s.
AT one of these told the judge
/ that Love, who WAS associated VIII
me. seemed to he half-hearted in hi
work and told him of q conversation
l Love had With me. In which he sale
/ he was glad that l had the direction
/ OF the work and not himself, becaus'
1 OF his friendship for some of the pee
/ pie involved. told this to Judge Bal
! linxer ana ,aid I didn't think THU
was the proper spirit for an inves
! tigator, and ne agreed with me-"
Referring to an interview which
the witness said CLAWS and himsel
/ had with Ex-Governor Miles Z. Moore
one OF the promoters In the Cunning
! ham group. II heard Moore say,
Jones declared. that if it had no
been for Glalis his people weult
! have had their patents. We feare'
that we would not be able to get al
affidavit from Clarence Cunningham
because Moore might bring pressur
] to bear on him and 20 keep him from
/ talking"
Glavis's testimony relative to effort
! he made to secure criminal proceed
ings for frauu ag;. inst Alaskan claim
ants was also eorroborated by Jones
Read A1RdAyit.
AT this point Brandeis produced
| documur, procured from the interio
| Department.
II have a signed statement by l.
Il. CLAWS and II. T. Jones'" BRANDED.
I said, and then read the agents affi.
davits relative to conversation with
I'D. II. Mckenzie. Of Seattle.
mckenzie came to our ONCE OF
June 2s, 1909. We had stenog
/ rapher. Every once in . while Me
Kenzie would stop, turn TO the stenog
grapher and say. Don't take thi'
down, or. This Ii confidential and
don't want it In the afIldavit.' TheI
4 he stated. In rubstance, that when III
was In Washington endeavoTtng 4
4 get legislation by Congress 70 secur'
these people their patents he on sew
eral occasions had talked with James
r. Garfield. then Secretary Of the In
i terror: that Secretary Garfield ap
4 reared TO be hostile to the Alaska
cases, and during one of the confer
ences he lGsrtie1d) stated that al
the Alaskan claims were fraudulent
that Mr.. Garfield's aeneAnor toward
u these cases was such that they tth'
fleiaimants) brought pressure 10 bea
syipaK senators And mp NsEiit&ttvSa \,
keep him out Of the abinet, and tina
this was the reason for his not beini
I'm the present Cabtnet and that tn,
Alaskan claimants wanted como on
tContinued on Naop1d RagSl