The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-09
DEFENSE BUSY IN
 BA[L|NGER CASE Testimony Is Given About the Missing Glavis Letters A MASS OF EVIDENCE Alfred H. Brooks, q Coal Expert, Testi- fes That A1aska's Coal Supply Is
 Very Great But That It
 Needs Developing
A MASS OF EVIDENCE

Washington, April S.-The Ballinger- Pinchot investigation dragged along weari- ly to day with more testimony about the alleged discovery of 24 missing let ters among Glavis' effects left in the federal building at Seattle before the in- qusition.
 The defense is evidently laying great stress upon the discovery and the hear ings for the last three or four sessions have been given.over practically in their entirety to this subject. A mass of doc umentary evidence was put in the case while Andrew Christensen, Glavis' sue cessor as chief of field division at Seattle. was on the stand.
 Attorney Brandeis of the prosecution was admonished concerning his method of cross-examination by Senator Suther- land. Alfred H. Brooks, mineral expert of the geological survey, took the stand later in the day to testify regarding the value and extent of the coal resources of Alaska
 It was evident from his statement of the case that the value of the coal fields has quite generally been over-estimated MT. Brooks said the coal in the ground in the Katalla field, where the Cunning ham claims are located, is not worth more than # cent a ton. The House members of the committee deserted the afternoon session in order to vote on the two bat tleship plan which was reached during the consideration of the naval bill today.
 Protest By Brandeis
 When the committee was called to or der, Attorney Brandeis read a protest against the letters written Secretary Bal finger last week complaining of the nu- merous wholesale calls for papers made upon the interior department by the att torney for the prosecution. The Secre- tary characterized MT. Brandeis course as an "obliQue attempt to control the manner in which the evidence should be presented, a mere fishing profess"
 MT Brandeis declared that at first the secretary did not even want counsel, Test 1t hinder the committee in search for the truth,'' but that afterward MT. Ballinger employed counsel and now was protesting against the production of papers.
 The committee adopted a motion call ing upon the Secretary of the Interior to produce, with all due speed,' papers called for by the committee.
 Andrew Christensen, chief of the field division of the land office, who succeeded Giavis at Seattle, was the first witness. Christensen said that Glavis took a bundle of papers away with him and de- clined to let Christensen have them until Glavis had made copies. Christensen then made a demand in writing, and in re- sponse Glavis returned some papers. After this the witness said he found that 24 letters mentioned in a receipt of papers were missing from the files.
 Search for Letters
 Mr. Christensen told of the search among Glavis effects in the Federal building in Seattle in February for the missing letters. His account coincided with that of Assistant Custodian ONeill. At the time he discovered the papers the witness said he was searching for other papers requested by the investiga- ton committee.
 The witness then was turned over to MT Brandeis for cross-examination.
 When you telegraphed Schwartz on February 8 about the finding of the let ters you made certain false statements, didn't your" asked Brandeis
 "I did not" fiared back the witness. ''The only thing in the telegram that was a mistake was that the box in which the papers were found was broken open. AS a matter of fact the top of the box was loose. The telegram was prepared in a hurry. We broke open several other boxes. It is easy to make a mistake like that
 "It is easy to lie." shouted Brandes
 Senator Sutherland protested against this. saying it was not only offensive to the witness, but to the committee as well.
 Attorney Vertrees said he desired to protest against MT. Brandeis' methods with witnesses. He declared that no member of the committee had ever ob- served such an "unseemly, reprehensible or improper course"
 ''Either the witness should be protected or allowed to protect himself" concluded MT Vertrees.
 Mineral Expert Called
 Christensen thereupon was excused and Alfred H. Brooks, mineral expert ot the geological survey, was called to the stand to testify as 10 coal conditions in Alaska.
 MT. Brooks said the total area of Alas