Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-14
under Cross Examination by
Secy. BaI|inger's Atty. Makes
important Admission.
NO CHARGES OF CORRUPTION
Made Against Anyone In Land Office
Or the Department OF the
Interior.

tary Ballinger, underwent his first
ordeai OF cross examination when the
baiiingcr-Pinchot inquiry was resum-
ed by the joint congressional COM
mittee today.
lie was examined by John Vertrees
OF Nashville. Tenn. attorney for Secy.
Ballinser. Mr.. Vertrees drew from
the witness the fact that he made no
charges of corruption against anyone
IN the land office or in the DEPART
ment of the interior. CLAWS declared
IL he had found evidence OF corrup-
tion he would have taken the matter
to a grand jury instead of to the
| president
CLAWS said he thought the facts
warranted the opinion that Mr.. Ball
niger and Mr.. bennett had acted i'm
| properly and he charged them with
| official misconduct
through a process of elimination,
Mr.. Fertrees had the witness exon
crate all of the other officials or
agents of the land office and the de-
partment OF interior.
MT. CLAWS repeated the statement
he had made on direct examina-
tion that he WAS convinced the
interior department was not In safe
hands and that the peoples interests
were not in safe hands.
When the luncheon adjournment
was taken Mr.. Vertrees indicated he
would try all the afternoon session to
draw from CLAWS definite statements
OF the alleged misconduct of Mr.. Bal
linger and MIR. Bennett.
Tho Ballinger- Pinchot inquiry was
resumed at 1875 a. III. today Louis r
Claws, the principal accuser of Secy.
Ballinger, again took the stand pre-
pared Tor grilling cross s-examina ton
by attorneys representing the officials
OF the interior department.
Attorneys Brandeis and Cotton, re-
presenting CLAWS and occupying the
position OF prosecutors. were opposed
by Attorneys Nertrees and Rasch, re-
presenting Mr.. Ballinger and others
OF the Interior department
When CLAWS was recalled Mr.
Brandels announced that there were
some corrections to be made in the
record of the witness testimony
Chairman Nelson suggested these be
put in later but Mr.. Vertres object
ed saying he did not wish in the
midst of his cross-examinationr to be
met by the statement that it was a
mistake
CLAWS thereupon proceeded to make
the corrections. most OF the mistakes,
l. appeared. having been due to his
drawl and lisp. His "r's" are always
pronounced w. so in one place OF
the record his testimony read: There
Is a parchment reef" CLAWS declar-
ed he said; There is approximately"
etc
Many OF the corrections merely had
to do with typographical errors,
Where the record read entirely
COAL CLAWS declared he had said,
practically ALL"
Where he referred to Francis ].
Heney several times the record SPELL
ed "Heinney"
II was IL o'clock when the last OF
the corrections had been made and
Mr.. Vertrees took up the cross ex-
animation OF the witness. He inquired
first as TO the knowledge Mr.. CLAWS
had as to the amount of coal in
Alaska. The witness said he under
stood the coal areas were large but
had never examined the geological
survey reports
The Cunningham claims he said COW
cred but a small part OF the coal areas
OF Alaska-2bout 30 claims out of 900.
Mr.. Yertrecs drew from the witness
that the Cunningham claimants were
the first of the Alaskan claimants to
pay UP on their claims and that In
numerical order they were entitled TO
first consideration In any Investigation
that was to be made.
you made a report to the president
in September. 1902" Asked Mr.. YER
trees.
''Yes sir"
And on Nov, there appeared an
article In weekly paper entitled The
fpNx oh nf
Guggcnheims in charge OF the depart
mcnt of the interior by J.. r. CLAWS.
Are YOU the author OF that article?"
"Yes, sir; I'm the author of the
article. but ! am not responsible for
the heading or the sub-heads explain
ing the paragraphs
"Did you receive anything for that
article2"
Not a cent
you wrote 1t gratuitously?"
Yes, sir
Your testimony before the COM
mIttee then makes these statements Of
the facts as you understand them"
YES sir
Claws said he had presented the
facts to let people draw their own in
ferenccS
Did you Intentionally refrain from
making any CHARGE?
Yes. sir"
What did you MINK inc tactS SHOW
ed?"
"They proved to me that I did no7
think the interior department was In
safe hands"
"I do not want your conclusions; but
what definite misconduct on the part OF
any one did the facts show?"
There Is no charge OF criminality.'
replied CLAWS, you have to take all
the facts together and form your
opinIon. You couldn't take any one
fact and form right opinion"
Taken all together. the facts then
convinced YOU OF what?'
THAT the land department was not
In safe hnnds and that the peoples
Interests were not being protected in
tho Alaska cascs
what officers did you think were
not protecting peoples interests?"
"BaIlinger and bennett. And Pierce
too, rendering that decision interpret
ing the act OF May 80. 1905,
Schwartz took some action 1 could
not understand
You thought the facts established
misconduct on the part OF Ballingcr
and Dcnnett2'
Yes"
anybody clse?"
"ConciusIveIy as to those two mon,
/ had not formed an opinion as to
the others y.
"Mr. Ballinger and Mr.. bennett"