Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-15
CLAWS SCATHES
ACTIONS OF FOE
DEPOSED FIELD CHIEF DENIES
THEFT OF PAPERS
pENoUNcEs FIND AS A CHEAP
POLITICAL "FRAMEUP"
Vertrees Holds Former Forester Under
Severe Cross Fire All Day.
Spectators Cheer
Witness
lcontinued from Page Onel

tee then makes IneSe SldtelleHCs VI
the facts as you understand them?"
Eyes, SIR"
CLAWS said he had presented the
facts to let people draw their own in
ferences
''Did you Intentionally refrain from
any charges?"
yes, sir"
what did you think the facts
showed?"
'.They proved to be that I did not
think the interior department was in
safe hands,"
II do not want your conclusions. but
what definite misconduct on the part
of any one did the facts show?"
"There is no charge of criminality," :"
replied Glavis "You have to take all
the facts together and form your opin-
ion. You couldn't take any one fact
and form a right opinion"
Taken all together, the facts, then,
convinced you of what y
What Facts Show
aThat the land department was not
in safe hands and that the peoples in
terests were not being protected in the
Alaska cases."
what officers did you think were
not protecting the possible interests?"
"Ballinger and bennett. And Pierce,
too. rendering the decision interpret
ing the act of May 80, 190S."
"You thought the facts established
misconduct on the part of Ballinger
and Dennett?"
Eyes"
Anybody else?"
"ConclusiveIy as to those two men.
I had not formed an opinion as to the
Others"
"Whom did you want to accuse?"
"Mr. Ballinger and Mr.. bennett"
"Mr. Ballinger being the secretary of
the interior and Mr.. bennett commits
sioner of the land office and Mr.. Pierce
being first assistant secretary"
yes"
''You say Ballinger and bennett and
Pierce were guilty Of misconduct, but
you make no charge of corruption?
"If 1 had thought the facts war
rcnted a charge of corruption l would
have gone to the grand jury instead of
the president"
"Then you did not believe there were
any corrupt motives or conduct?'
mo"
"And the most you meant to say to
the president and people was that you
did not think the affairs of the interior
department were in safe hands?'
Eyes, sir"
And that was all you did mean?"
Eyes, sir"
''Did you think it was an error of
Judgment. their not protecting the in
terests Of the people?'
Wrong Intentional
mo; the facts showed it was inten-
tional'
"Yet you say it was not corrupt
perhaps you and 1 don't hold the
same view of the meaning of corrupt" ."
"Give US your view"
'I think when a man acts corruptly
when he acts criminally. There are no
charges of criminality here"
Mr.. Vertrees carried the witness
through the list of names Of all the
land office people mentioned in the
case and CLAWS said he exonerated
every one of misconduct except Bal
linger, Pierce and bennett.
CLAWS said he had always liked
Schwartz, chief of the field service,
and he believed anything Schwartz
had done that was wrong had been
due to thoughtlessness or had been
under orders of his superiors.
Now as to the wrong of Mr.. Pierce
- began Mr.. Vertrees.
CLAWS interrupted. 81 want to make
a correction about Mr. Pierce. I think
he was erroneous in his construction
of the law and not that he was guilty
of any wilful wrongdoing."
Then you make no attack on his
official integrity"
mo, SIR"
And there is nothing else against
Mr.. Pierce?"
mo, sir"
And that leaves us only Mr.. Den
nett and Mr.. Ballinger under accusa-
tions Of wrongdoing"
Yes"
At this point the luncheon recess was
ordered Mr.. Vertrees examination of
81, int aI nv
Representative Graham (Democrat),
who declared the attorney was cutting
the witness off in the middle of his
answers. He said Claws speech was
slow as to amount almost to q defect.
Mr. Vertrees apologized and said he
had only meant to interrupt the wit
ness when his answers were going far
ther than the question warranted.
Afternoon Session
At tie afternoon session S. Fl.
Schwartz of the land office sat with
counsel for Mr.. Ballinger. Mr.. Yer
trees Immediately began to question
CLAWS as to his accusations OF Mr..
bennett.
TN your original testimony you said
Mr.. bennett was crooked. What did
you mean by that?"
81 said I thought from his actions
in Seattle he was crooked" corrected
CLAWS.
well what did he do at Scatter"
"T made that statement before the
committee"
"Well state it again."
The witness repeated his testimony
as to Dennett's visit to Seattle and the
funny letters" he said he heard Den
nett was writing. Copies of these let
tiers which CLAWS obtained from Dem
nett's stenographer already are in evil
dence.
He said bennett denied one day
knowing Mr.. Behrens one OF the coal
claimants, and the next day they
lunched together and they appeared
to be old friends.
CLAWS said he became convinced
bennett was simply the tool of Bal
linger and would do anything Ballinger
told him.
passing temporarily from Mr.. Den
nett" said Mr.. Vertrees, '1et us take
up Secretary Ballinger. What consti-
tutes your declaration Of improper
conduct on his part2"
CLAWS proceeded at some length to
sum up the reasons which he declared
convinced him Mr.. Ballinger was "un-
fit for his office and unfaithful to his
trust"
He said
''The first I would cite is the ap-
pearance of Mr.. Ballinger in the Will
son coal case. While that was a long
time ago and people may have looked
at things differently, his action or par
ticipation in the drawing up of an
escrow agreement to turn over claims
that should have been proved up and
were not proved up as a matter of