Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-01
Two California Representatives. and
Gov. Gillett Own Claims.
sTATEMENT OF MR. LACHLAN
he Says the Proposition is Entirely
and Legal.
GLAvIs sTnL on THE sTAND
Democratic members Ask Questions
Insended to Aecentuate Certain
Points AIrendy Tes-
titled To.
pTrOm staff oorrsaponaent.)

Grrom a Staff corrsspondent)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3i.--tspeciai TeIe-
gram.) -Representative NJ p Kinkaid
whose Same has been dragged into the
Ballinger-P -Pinchot Investigation. through
the testimony OF Louis n. Claws, Is con-
siderably annoyed thereat but Is frank
enough IN saying that he did have few
extra dollars IN the bank and made an in
vestment OF his surplus money in an
Alaskan coal claim He asserts that his
investmens was an absolutely legitimate
one In every case. such as any honorable
man might seek as an outlet for surplus
money.
Judge Kinkaid. in explaining his connec-
tion with the transaction said today, II
did contract for the purchase of an Alas
kan coal claim in the summer Of 1905 The
owner resided at Seattle. hence the pur-
chase was consummated there. BY letter,
written TO him from my home in Me-
braska, I employed Judge Ballinger to pass
upon the title and otherwise represent me.
1t was an ordinary, straightforward busi-
ness transaction, which will be conclusively
established by evidence before the investl-
cation shall close"
Mr.. McLRchlan's Statement.
Explaining his connection with Alaska
coal claims, as brought out In the Bal
linger-P Pinchot Investigation report, Mr.
McLachlan OF California today mentioned
Governor GiHett and Representatives
Knowland and McKiniay of California as
Icing Interested in the proposition with
.hfnsef and Representative Kinkaid of Ne
braska and number of others.
Mr. McLachlan declared that the propo-
Bition' was entirely legal and ethical one
A mn ma af
interested In what was known as the
Green group" he said. He did not recall
the names Of all OF his associates. Speak
ing OF the Green claims, Mr.. McLachlan
said:
''lf there has been any violation Of law
in this matter ] am not rware of It. II
went into the proposition two or three
years ago at the suggestion of Mr.. Green,
and have paid out so far about $4,000 in
surveying and developing my claim. The
land was taken up In the ordinary manner
OF filing on mineral lands.
I'm the beginning 1 purchased the right
of the original entryman. and do not
know anything about the manner in which
his filing was made. II there was anything
wrong with IT, 1t occurred before 1 went
into it. 1 don't remember the name OF
the man from whom 1 bought the filing
right.
willing to Sell Out.
II have not yet applied for patent from
, the government because / have been busy
with development work We have found
coal on the land, but I do not know how
much. A magazine article just published
says my claim is worth s19OO.OOO, but If ]
can get my $4,000 out of 1t will be glad.
In fact, would sell out for less than the
amount put in It.
'"rhe law provides that the army and
navy can have all the coal 1t wants from
our claim at price to be fixed by the
government. IL our claims are sold to a
rust or monopoly the whole property re-
gerts under the law TO the government.
mot more than 160 acres can be held
BY one person ana that is the amount OF
my claim. The law provides also that
there can be no consolidation of claims ag.
yregating more than $500 acres. The grour
represented by Governor Gillett and Rep
,esentative Mckinley, Knowand, GiIlett
md myself Is within that limit"
CLAWS stilI ON stand.
When the Ballinger-P -Pinchot Investigate
Ing committee adjourned late today until
next Friday morning at 10 o'clock Mr.
CLAWS was still on the witness stand
He will be further questioned at tina
by several members OF the committee. tn,
democrats, taking by far the more promi
nent part in the questioning and framing
their interrogatlons in way which ellie
ited answers tending to accentuate Ger
tain parts of testimony already given b!
the witness.
AT the close of the hearing Senator Mel
son called attention to the fact that tn
committee was proceeding "feebiy" ant
blindly, as there was no one present L
eross-examine as the representative o
sthe other side" Personally, he said, h,
had no desire to question the witness mere
II was thought best that CLAWS remain il
the city until certain documents calle,
for In the Interior department have ar
rived and ben examined.
In connection with these document
Senator Root moved that they should al
be printed before being introduced. At
torney Brandeis, representing CLAWS an,
others, said that many of the document
he had asked for might prove to be irrele
want
senator Root remarked that so far a.
he oculd see there waa nothing irrelevan
to this inquiry.
BnIIinger Favors BiII.
Cross-oxamined by Senator Fletcher .
Florida. CLAWS said today that MIR. Bal
nnger while commissioner OF the lau,
office, had appeared before the committe
OF congress and by his testimony had IA
vored a bill which would validate ali o
the Alaska coal claims. He also said tina
affidavit filed september 4, 1905, b,
Clarence Cunningham had ON II backing
which bore the firm name with whicl
Judge Ballinger was connected. Claw
said that at the time Mr.. Baliinger aske,
hins not 10 proceed with his investigator
OF the coal claims until after election be
cause az the slowness OF campaign con
tribntions. no one was present 20 over
hear the conversation.
The name Of Donald A. Mckenzie wa
drought prominently into the inquiry thi
kCternoon when CLAWS testified MckenEl