The independent-reporter., 1910-02-17

Claws Declares BalIinger Unfit For His Office
Unfailhful to Trust

which . criminal charge could be
predicted. but to my mind It was far
more cowardly for him to do these
things than II q man had actually
stolen something for which he could
have been convicted.
IN July, 1909, when saw Mr..
BalIing6r at his once In Seattle and
told him we had been ordered to pro-
ceed to an immediate hearing, he
knew the weaknesses OF our case.
The greatest weakness was the at
fidavits he had himself prepared for
Cunningham. In spite Of this he
did not take any action to secure q
postppnement Of the hearing.
These statements are all that ]
can recall that show him unfit for
his ONCE, unfaithful to his trust and
not loyal to the people" Mr.. Ver-
trees read . demand which CLAWS
successor made on him for certain
letters that were missing. CLAWS
said he turned all the papers over.
The ones said to be missing, he de-
clared. ought to have been In his Of
fee. ass
Now, isn't It fact that you fur
nished these letters to paper, that
you placed all the papers that had
been called for by your successor In
one Of the boxes In the. grand jury
room which was broken open on the
9Th Of this month, and the letters and
copies found therein?'
"This is absolutely false. 1t is a
| frame-up," cried CLAWS, showing an
ger for the first time. Those letters
didn't hurt me. Why did want
them? They hurt Ballinger. II
wanted to steal those letters do you
think l would leave them where fed
eral ofFicers could get them?"
CLAWS said the letters which ap-
peared In the, weekly paper were
some Of which he furnished carbon
copies to the forest service. He
furnished these copies to the forest
service ~ further means Of safe
| guarding the Alaska coal lands. he
sxplainSd.
when did you frst do this to safe
guard the Alaska coal lands?"
After / saw ths President at Bev-
1 erly Last Septombor. = n,
"DidnH you aay In an article you
wrote = 8 WeokIy paper that the at
torpty tener1i overruled Mr. Pierce
on e5ef3 point and sustained you and
thus seSed The Alaska coal lands r
asked Mr.. yettreee
eyes, roolisd Gl2sis.
] ..AalasAo j soansfai
| ia hiR s4l6ft to fHe Prs1sdenE say
that the memorandum submitted to
him In the preparation Of which you
assisted specifically excluded any
possible consideration of Cunning
ham cases ?"
| II was very much surprised that
he would make that statement" re-
piled CLAWS, because, he had my re-
port on the Cunningham claims be-
fore him, and one of the questions we
submitted to him, l thought, covered
the Cunningham class of cases."
Tuesday Attorney Vertrees request.
ed that the committee issue q sub
poena forthwith for the appearance
of Mr.. Christensen as witness and
also one for G. w. O'Neil, assistant
custodian Of the Federal building at
Seattle, directing the latter to bring
with him the boxes where the letters
are alleged to have been found.
Mr.. Vertrees also asked that the
committee secure from the forestry
bureau all the papers furnished to 1t
by CLAWS.
Mr.. Nertrees and the witness had
direct answers; CLAWS wanted to ex-
plain every answer before referring
to reports. etc.
make 40 many and a. long explana-
then took up the witness accusa-
49, lea - TNrs>
nett, commissioner Of the land Of
fice, Claws had declared that after
hearing n. r. Hartman. one Of the
claimants, make certain admissions
relative to his claim, bennett an
|ywered telegram from CLAWS saying
none Of the claimants had made ad-
missions. Mr.. Vertrees brought out
the fact that CLAWS telegram had
been sent more than q year after the
Hartman admissions and that the
witness knew Of no other admissions
among the 900 claimants.
You paid on yesterday" remarked
Mr.. Vertrees to the witness, that
you regarded Mr.. Ballinger's act in
stating that he was coming to WASH
ington to see what Congress could do
foi the relief Of the Alaska coal
claimants a. one Of the reasons of his
not being At for ONCE. In that con-
necti0n he would like to read the fol-
lowing paragraphs from President
Roossvelt's message to SlSa Goth Con-
gress. He said; The regulations
shonad pssAit4l coal lands to be work
"a IN Suf1cisnt quantity by the sew
e1al corporations. The present limita-
lions Neve been abaurd, excessive,