The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-17
CLAWS ROUSBS
VERTREES' IRB
THRUSTS OF BRILLIANT TEN
NESsEAN OFTEN PARliIED.
Efforts OF Veteran To Pin Down
CLAWS TO Definite Statements
Without Explanations.
WAS NOT SURE OF ANYTHING


and then adjourned over until FRI
day morning at 10 o'clock. Mr.. Yer
trees, the attorney for Secretary BAL
linger continued his cross-examin.
alton of Louis r. CLAWS, but made
little or no headway. He had sew
eral arguments with the witness on
tho subject of direct answers and
during one of these Representative
Graham of Illinois. Democrat. and
Senator Nelson. of Minnesota. chair
man of the committee. had quite "A
warm colloquy.
MIR. Vertress read into the record
number of letters and kilograms
dealing with the calling in of the
forest service by CLAWS. During
the cross-examination of the witness
IL was shown that before he was
called on the Alaska coal land cases,
In May. 1908. he had telegraphed
the department at Washington that
the United States attorney at Port
land had urged the necessity OF clos
ing up about thousand acres in
Oregon, where a hearing had TO be
held almost Immediately and the
full field service would be needed
Three days later CLAWS was taken
of the Alaska cases and assigned TO
the Oregon work CLAWS testified
he got no orders to resume the Alas
ka cases until October. 1908.
Vertrccs Opens Fire.
A brief executive session preceded
the resumption OF the hearing this
afternoon. MIR. Nertrees began Inn
mediately TO question CLAWS as to
the alleged necessity for a field ex-
animation OF the Alaska coal claims
prior to his making final reports.
CLAWS had declared that he had
not been given time to make these
examinations lie admitted. how
lever, that he had been instructed
THAT the results OF the field examin.
lations could be put into the records
latter the evidence on other features
OF the cases had been taken.
| CLAWS said he felt the results OF
1.-THE field examinations should 20 In
first and delayed his report lie said
the field examinations would enable
the government To make a pr.ma
facia case and to force the claim
ants on the witness stand.
Mr.. Vertrees and CLAWS got into
a wrangle because when Mr.. Yer
trees would ask: Were these not
the facts" etc. the witness would
reply:
Yes. but my opinion as to that
was based on this" and 50 on.
"You Just answer my questions
and Wen get along better" com
Imanded Mr. Vertrees.
1t seems to me that you should
answer the questions" directed
Chairman Nelson.
Too Much Lecturing.
II suggest that there Is too much
llecturing OF the witness" suggested
Representative Graham (DemD.
THE witness" stated MIR. Yer
trees. tries to lug In an argument
TO countervail any statement OF facts
he thinks I may be developing"
Proceed. drawled the chairman
Now. Mr. Claws" resumed Mr.
vertrees. please permit me to re-
quest you to answer my questions
and not add anything unless Il Is
necessary TO explain your answer.
will be greatly obliged II you will do
that for me-"
The examination proceeded quiet
ly for a time.
| MIR. Vertrees sought 10 draw from
the witness the admission that when
he telegraphed the department that
he could not submit a report on the
Cunningham claims because OF addi-
tional evidence available. he did not
know that any evidence could be Sc
cured. CLAWS insisted that he
thought evidence might be secured
in Alaska. lie was not cure. how
ever.
Mr.. Vertrees asked MIR. CLAWS
when he first received word that he
was to be supplanted. lie said July
1, 1903.
A humber Of letters and kilograms
dealing with the calling In of the
forestry" we're read by Mr.. Yer
trees. Copies of three letters were
received from forestry today.
In a letter dated July l6, 1903
and addressed by CLAWS to former
Assistant Law OFFICER A. A. Shaw OF
the forestry service. CLAWS said the
land office probably would. for
obvious reasons turn over certain
papers to the forestry"
Documents Suppressed.
But | have copies of them" he
continued, "and they will make
mighty interesting reading to you.
The reasons for my request for de-
lay will be apparent from my re-
ports" In a telegram which Shaw
sent to the district forester at Port
land. the latter was instructed to
assist CLAWS and make his tele-
graphic report "full and strong"
Mr.. vertrees next turned to the
charge CLAWS has made that he was
called of the Alaska work in May.
1908, and get no orders to resume
until October of that year. The wit