Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-16
letter before Sheridan received the
original.
Afternoon Session

letter before Sherluan fecelNeu III
original.
Afternoon Session
Mr.. Vertrees devoted the latter par
of the afternoon session to shoWln
that when the land office ordered IN
Cunningham claims to be clear llste'
for patent in January, Special Agen
H. X, Love, who had had charge o
the cases, had made two reports tina
We're regarded as favorable.
CLAWS would not admit that the re
ports We're favorable, but insisted tina
| they warranted further investigation
In his original testimony Claw!
/ made the statement that a field exam
| ination of the claims was necessary
| because of the construction of tun
mel bv joint fund made up by the
| claimants and tapping various Goa
veins of the Cunningham group.
/ MIR. Vertrees read into the evidence a
letter from ]. IL. Fimple, assistant
| commissioner of the land office, dated
February 26, 1906, to Clarence Cunning
| ham, advising him that the construc-
ton of the tunnel in question would not
| imperil the rights of the entrymen to
patent.
CLAWS said that he knew of this let
ter at the time he directed Andrew
Kennedy a coal expert of the land
office, to go to Alaska to make physi-
cal examination.
Didn't you also send Gabriel Win
gate up there to make an eXamina-
tion?" asked Mrh Vertrees.
No" replied Mr.. CLAWS, "Wingate
was sent up there by the forest SER
vice"
"But you gave him the directions
under which he was to act, didn't you?'
Yes
Mr.. Vertrees read Mr.. CLAWS letter
to Mr.. Wingate into the record and
questioned him further along this line.
An adjournment until p, m. to-
morrow was announced.
Interest Heightened
Interest in the congressional inquiry
into the Ballinger-P controversy
was greatly heightened as a result of
yesterdays examination of Mr..
CLAWS by John j. Vertrees, counsel for
Secretary Ballinger, and a crowd even
greater than yesterdays record-break-
ing attendance was at the committee
room this morning. The seating ca
pacity of the room has been enlarged
from time to time until now the spec
tators entirely surround the witness,
and the attorneys almost enclose the
committee itself.
CLAWS fenced with the attorneys skill
fully and apparently is a match for all
of them. He parties their questions,
and when directed to answer Eyes" or
mo" stands upon the right that has
been accorded him to follow this up
with an explanation which may run on
for five minutes or more and in the
course of which he usually takes adj
vantage of the opportunity to say that
he was thus convinced that "Balinger
is unfit for the office he holds, is un-
faithful to his trust and not loyal to
the interests of the people.
The appearance of counsel for both
sides has tended to enliven greatly the
proceedings and has also tended to
bring about some pretty lively discus
sions among the members of the COM
mittee as to the admissibility of tes-
timony and regarding protests from
CLAWS that Vertress cuts off his an
swers before he is fairly started with
them.
Vertrees disclaims any such inten-
ton. but asserts that instead of di-
rectly answering him, the witness
branches off into argument or express
sion of opinion. In these committee
discussions the Democrats thus far
have always been found on the side OF
the accusing witness. Mr.. Madison,
the insurgent member from Kansas,
also has taken up the defense of Claws.
These little incidents, as well as the
apparent general temper of the COM
mittee, have led a number of persons
who are following the case already to
predict that the final outcome will be
q. majority and minority report, one by
the Republicans, one by the Demo-
Gratis and possibly a third and in
dividual report by Mr.. Madison.