The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-01-31
WITNESS IN tilt
WITH CHAIRMAN.
Nelson Insists That CLAWS
Replies Be Explicit.
ATTORNEY ALSO WARNED

Lawyer Appearing for Witness eau
toned Against Asking Leading Cues
tions-Name Of Clifford Pinchot
Drawn Into the Hearing for First
Time Since the Probe Began.
Washington, Jan. 31.-When L. r.
CLAWS resumed the stand in the Bal
linger-Pinchot inquiry he was ques-
toned particularly with reference to
several conversations he had with
Commissioners bennett in 1908. Very
few. spectators were in the hearing
room when the committee began it's
! work. Price and Shaw were late in
| arriving and two members of the
committee, Senator Paynter and Rep
resentative Olmsted, were not in their
| Seats. 8..z..<.@@.
''At any of the conversations which
you had with bennett was there any
! attempt to hinder you In your work
in Alaskan cases?" asked Chairman
Knute Nelson. = ...+ .....-..s<.s rs.
WELL" began witness, certainly,
l." $50 r.. esz-
ANSWER the question:" commanded
Senator Nelson. --.--. .,,..- = H.
Il will have to explain matters a
little more -" said CLAWS. ~.r.,
"Oh, answer the question yes or
! no." reiterated Mr. Nelson. 49,
"Well--yes," finally answered G1av-
| Is, there was" M> s's.. i
There were several minor clashes
| between the witness and Chairman
Nelson as the hearing progressed,
! CLAWS showing tendency to wander
{ into long, rambling replies. He be-
came SO involved several times that
! Nelson stopped him abruptly and had
the stenographer repeat the ques-
tiOns
Claws Attorney Cautioned.
Senator Nelson also cautioned At
torney Brandeis against asking lead
ing questions of the witness.
For the first time since the inquiry
started Clifford Pinchot was not in
the first row of spectators. Mr.. Pin
chot's name, oddly enough, was drawn
into the hearing on the first day of
his absence. CLAWS had got to that
point in his story Of the Cunningham
claims where the land office placed
Special Agent Sheridan in charge of
the case to conduct the hearings.
"Sheridan was a lawyer and had
wide experience? inquired Senator
Nelson. ".
eyes, sir,,' replied CLAWS.
! "Was the governments interest
placed in jeopardy :: by his assign.
ment?' .Z
"No, sir; not by that action. He
took the same view of the case that
did" ...- ...
Wasn't 1t the fact that Sheridan
superseded you that made you think
it necessary to apply to .Pinchot to
introduce you to the president and
that so alarmed you as to the status
of these cases?''
"A great many things alarmed me
besides that; that did not alarm me
| NCty muCu dppl1Su " N1I 1uCAOI
after Il had protested against the
cases going to hearing in July. !
wanted first to make field exam1na-
tion.' r-..-.-. -
r.. One Important Development.
| The most important development of
the session was that Secretary of the
Interior Ballinger directed CLAWS not
to obtain from Congressman McLach-
Ian (Rep., Cal) an affidavit as to his
! alleged connection with the Green
group of coal claims in Alaska on the
ground that there had been too much
of that sort Of thing" CLAWS had
testified that he came to Washington
to obtain an affidavit from "a con-
gresham"
"Did you get this afidavit?'" he
questioned. 60. -
NO." answered CLAWS.
"Why?"
because of an interview had with
Judge Ballinger in Washington. He
| told me there had been too much of
that sort of thing in the past and
said: 7 would not see him."
"He told you not to see this con-
gresham. Did you not see him."
| "No, SIR
| "Who was he?"
Representative McLachlan," said
CLAWS, almost in whisper.
did you mention this fact of not
getting the affidavit to any one p
! queried Brandeis.
'Yes,"' the witness responded. II
told H. NJ. Hoyt, the present attorney
general of Porto Rico, about It,"