The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-04-30
Says Many Of CLAWS CHARGES
Against Him Are Absolute.
ly False
DECLARES He BURNED ALL
his BRIDGES BEHIND H|M
Severed His Connection With CORPORA.
tions and Dissolved His Law Firm
When He Became Secretary Of the
Interior.

@..An6Sa % OWu StOFy OF Cn0 cause
underlying the now famous Ballinger-
Pinchot conservation controversy was
told today, when the head of the in
terror department again occupied the
stand at the congressional inquiry.
Mr.. Ballinger yesterday afternoon
related his connection with Clarence
Cunningham after he had left the land
office. He said he met Cunningham
about Sept. 4, 1908. through c. J..
Smith. He said Cunningham called
on him for information as to what
steps to take, calling attention to affi-
davits he had made.
He said Cunningham called three or
four times and In the meantime pre-
pared an outline of facts in connec-
tion with efforts to acquire coal lands
In Alaska. He said he did not ex-
pect to represent Cunningham, but,
as he was coming east both he and
Smith asked him to take the affidavit
to Garfield. Mr.. Ballinger said he
took 1t to Garfield at his home in Ohio.
He said he gain saw Garfield and also
bennett in Washington on September
%, and that Garfield had said to him
that II "those people would come un-
der the law Of May %, 1908, they
would get their patents" otherwise
they would not.
Mr.. Ballinger said he received 5000
or $3.50 from Cunningham, which he
said he considered as travelling ex-
penses.
In the Wilson Coal company's
cases. CLAWS had testified that Bal
ltnger had drawn up an escrew
agreement which Would give his client
Watson Allen, right to purchase
four claims after title had been se-
cured. As the claims had not been
proved up, Claws contended perjury
would have had to have been COM
mitted in order to secure patents for
those lands.
Mr.. Ballinger emphatically denied
that he had ever prepared such an
agreement.
'"I bitterly denounce his testimony
In that connection" the secretary ad-
ded. Questioned about Claws state
ment that he met Ballinger in Seattle
in the summer of 1908, and that the
latter told him the Cunningham claims
were in bad fix, Mr.. Ballinger in
terrupted his lawyer impatiently.
"That is a deliberate lie," he ex-
claimed, "and like many other Of his
statements to this committee. 1t is
another contemplate attempt of that
man CLAWS to besmirch my character" !"
Passing on to tie time when he be-
came secretary of the interior, Bal
linger said he burned all his bridges
behind him. dissolved his law firm and
severed all connection with corpora
tions."
Mr.. Vertrees asked Mr.. Ballinger to
explain whether, as charged by CLAWS.
he had changed his mind over night"
about asking Attorney General Wick
ersham for an opinion as to the pro-
per construction of the law of May
% after he had promised to do so at
a conference with CLAWS, Commits
sioner bennett and Chief of Field
Division Schwartz. CLAWS feared As
sistant Secretary Pierce, to whom the
secretary had referred the matter for
an opinion. might so construe the law
as to validate the Cunningham claims.
Mr.. Ballinger said he had not prom
ised to ask the attorney general for
an opinion, but did so subsequently.
He said he spoke to Mr.. Wickersham
after cabinet meeting and that the
latter told him CLAWS already had ap-
pealed to him for an opinion, on the
ground that it was necessary for his
(Ballinger's) protection. as it would
place me in a somewhat delicate posi-
ton to require nj! department to pass
upon it."