The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-26
NEW SENSATIONS
IN BALL|NGER CASE
Special Land Office Agent Jones
Makes Charges Against Sue
ceSSOr of CLAWS.
TIMBER DEALER BARR
ADDS TO THE INTEREST
Chiefly Noted for Lack of Mem
Ory Concerning Some Deals
With CLAWS.

WASHINGTON, Feb 25.--Thc
charge os Horace Tillard Jones. spc-
cial agent OF the land Office. that james
NJ Sheridan, who was seuL by the au-
thorities AT Washington 10 take charge
Of the hearings in the Cunningham coal
eases, practically threw the govern
mcnt's case away by giving counsel for
the claimants an opportunity to examine
all evidence collected by special agents
working under Louis H.. CLAWS, fur
nishcd the sensation today at the Bal
lingcr.Pincbot inquiry
Jones made bitter attack upou the
competency of Mr. Sheridan. who re
placed Claws in charge of the cases.
and declared that. although CLAWS was
no lawyer. he knew more law than did
Sheridan,
Why No Protest.
Asked why he failed TO protest 10
Washington regarding tho alleged IN
competent presentation of the case,
Jones replied scornfullv that he might
have been deemed inSubordInatc. INC
witness worked with GlJNis on the Alas
ka eases aud snid he felt II was re-
llcctiun npon Mr., CLAWS that sheridan
should hve bccu sent out TO relieve
him
On direct examination Jones proved
most effective witness. Under cross"
examination ne proved stubborn and de
iiani 0luaing curt answers at commit
iCcmcm and counsel alike.
Aside from Mr. Jones the interest Of
the day cenlcrcd IN i young man named
W. W Barr, a timber dealer. brought
from Seattle to testify for Mr.. CLAWS
i ,I.,sI at hsII
four missing letters from the govern
mcnt Giles had been found in q box be
longing to CLAWS and stored 10 the
govcrnmeu, building at Seattle.
Barr Badly Muddled.
On cross examination Barr became
! badly tangled. He said he had sug.
gested to- CLAWS to telephone his sue
cessur at Seattle 10 see if the latter
had found the papers that Claws had
turned over following his discharge from
the service. Barr said he listened at an
new chief OF division. rcphed that
everything was 90. K. He said nc
! did this 10 protect CLAWS.
Asked tp detail the conversation the
witness declared he could only rcmcm
! Der that Christensen said everything
WIS O. *. He told also of visiting the
storage room with CLAWS. but said thai
| nN.Nu'l III uta '4sAN - llN "HN ''NbNi-
! In the box.
Weak as to Details.
Ii was brought out on cross-exam-
ination that CLAWS was assisting Barr
! TO oct possession of some timber lands
claimed BY the state of Washington, bui
to which Barr says the state has NJ
! right. CLAWS is TO share equally IN
! the profits The witness could not de
til exactly all that CLAWS had agreed
TO- His memory was bad. and tho
memorandum of agreement had beer
! left in Seattle.
Although he and CLAWS had beer
chums FOR some wears, ard be had beer
d dealer iu timber lands for sever
wears, Barr denied that CLAWS had cvcl
given him any benefits of his connec
tion with the field service of the lanC
office.
he said GIavis picked out land:
which he and Barr arc trying TO obtaln
Barr said ho proposed 10 pay for tht
lands with script issued BY the gov
ernmcnt TO Northern Pacific and th'
lands pussed back from the railroad int,
forest reserves.
Pinchot Comes Next
Andrew Kennedy was the third wit
moss of the day. icstfving 10 what h'
know OF tho box in which the alle2e,
mining letters were found. He sand thr
box had been left partly open all th,
time it was iu the federal building. Tbi
testimony was introduced by Mr.. Bran
deis in advance Of the testimony tba
is fo he offered by the defense as to th
finding the documents.
The prosecution will proceed tomor
row with the likelihood that Giffor
Piuchot will be the "starH witness
He will tell Of his experiences with Nh
Eailinger in relation to tho conscrva
ton Of natural rCsonrccs.