The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-27
Before Congressional Commit
tee for Public Lands Bureau
Agent Begins Interesting
Recital.
CLIFFORD PINCHOTIS
ONE OF SPECTATORS
But Secretary Ba|Iinger, the
Defendant, Was Not Pres.
ent-GIavis Was Represent
ed by a Counsel.

washington, Jan. 2I.-Ihe con
gressional investigation of Richard
Achilles Ballinser, secretary of the in
terror. which promises to be a eau
Gus celebre. began yesterday.
A committee room in the new SEN
ate office building is the scene of the
inquiry and the hearings are public.
All of the seating capacity and every
inch of standing room space was oc-
cupied. The members of the investi-
eating tribunal were seated around
the long table. Mr.. Ballinger, the de-
fendant in the proceedings. was not
present, nor was he represented by
counsel. Clifford Pinchot, Overton w.
Price, now associate forester, and A.
w. Shaw, late assistant law officer
of the forest service, were interested
spectators.
Louis r. CLAWS, the deposed special
agent, who made the original charges
against Ballinger. was first called. He
build, who is not more than 2S years
old. He made a capital witness. He
is slow and deliberate and has a slight
impeachment of speech, which adds to
the impressiveness Of his recital He
has marvellous memory and was able
to recall dates and events with uner-
ring precision
CLAWS Testimony Convincing.
He did not display the slightest an
linus, but gave his evidence in a
plain, matter of fact way that was
convincing. His testimony is regard
ed as of the highest Importance in
the determination Of the case and he
probably will be on the witness stand
during several successive hearings.
After ne had been examined at con-
siderable length several of the law
yers on the committee concluded it
would be best to have a statement
from his attorney as to exactly what
he proposed to prove. CLAWS there
upon was withdrawn from the stand
and his counsel, Louis F. Brandeis. a
keen and sharp-witted lawyer from
Boston, proceeded to outline chrono-
logically what the prosecution expects
to show.
Not once in his speech did Brandeis
impute dishonesty to Ballinger, though
he did maintain that the secretary of
the interior has been guilty of con-
, duct that should not be tolerated in
a public official When Representa-
tive DENLY of Michigan asked Bran
Geis in regard to a certain proceed
ing in which Ballinger's name was in
vOlved. if he proposed to try to show
that there was corrupt motive,
Brandeis replied:
You will observe, Mr. Chairman,
| that ! have not used the word cor
rupt' in my statement.
srandeis Sums up Charges.
In his enthusiasm over the actual
beginning of the inquiry and as the
result OF a tendency to argue his view
of the testimony to be adduced, Mr.
Brandeis had some difficulty in re
ducing his statement to a brief recit
al of the charges, but finally he sum
med up the case for the prosecution
in this way:
That prior to entering the govern
ment service in any capacity, r. A
Ballinger acted as attorney in drawing
up an agreement in escrow and deeds
in the Wilson Coal company cases IL
Lewis county, Washington, these
cases being an alleged fraud upon the
land laws. Mr.. Ballinger's name die
not appear in the court records of the
case.
That Mr.. Ballinger, as commission
er Of the Land Office in 1907, did no
alleged frauds connected with the Gun
ningham coal land claims in Alaska
that he had knowledge of all the cir
lcumstances surrounding these claim.
and, in spite of this. entered the EN-
ploy of one of tn claimants after leav
ing the land office and before becom
ing secretary of the interior: that b.
ordered these claims to be clear list
ed for patent without due investiga
ton and that they would have gone t,
patent if CLAWS and others had not in
tervened.
1T is not any one act. but serie
Of acts and circumstances" declared
Mr.. Brandeis. adding that it was TO
the committee to determine whethe
or not the lands which should be hel,
for the benefit Of the people and o
posterity, ARE in safe hands"
| Alaskan Trip Planned.
Scores Of others will be examined
and the committee, or at least por
ton of it, will probably make a tril
through the west and to Alaska durinl
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