Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-03-02
NEW SENSATION
IN BALLIhGER
PINCHOT PROBE
SPECIAL AGENT JONES TESTI-
FIEs, DUPLICATING JAMES
NJ. SHE RTDAN.
CLAWS, ATTORNEY BECOMES IN
vOLvED in QUARREL WITT
SENATOR NELSON.

Washington, ID. C., Feb. 26.-Ihe
Bauinger-Pinchot inquiry took an I'M
expected turn yesterday when Special
Agent Horace T. Jones of the land Of
fee took the stand for the ''prosecu-
ton" and made a sensational attack
on James NJ. Sheridan, who has sent
by the land office to Seattle last year
to take charge of the governments
case in hearings on the Cunningham
coal claims in Alaska.
Jones declared that Sheridan had
been graduated in law only year or
two: that SheTidan's conduct OF the
case was incompetent, and that Sher-
idan had opposed to him two OF the
leading lawyers of Seattle. Testify
ing for an hour or more as to the con.
duct of the case and giving instances
from which the witness wished the
committee to draw conclusions, Jones
said that he did not desire ito cTiticise
Sheridan in any way He said that
Louis r CLAWS was not lawyer, but
knew more law lldu ROhCi ulNl.
Jones thought it was a reflection upon
CLAWS TOR the land office to send Sher-
idan out there to take charge of a
case which CLAWS had worked up.
Witness Is Defiant.
Under discrimination Jones APP |
peared defiant and aggressive to mem
bers OF the committee and counsel !
alike, and said he did not care what !
differences were drawn from his tes
timony.
Jones was still under cross-examin- !
alton when the luncheon recess was
taken, and it appeared that Clifford
PinchOt would not be reached as F!
witness until late in the afternoon.
Attorney Brandeis said he had re- /
ceiyed from the forestry bureau !
copy OF the record of the Cunningham !
hearings, and he desired to introduce
it in evidence, ito show the incOm- /
potency of Mr.. Sheridan to conduct /
so important case" The attorney
desired printed only such excerpts as
he should indicate to show Sheridan's ,
alleged 'incOmpetency."
Senator Root declared that where
there was a general charge of this
character, the whole record ought to
be pri4sted
1T is Eot so much a charge against
Mr.. Sheridan as it is 2 serious refiec-
ton on his superiors. interjected
3randeis, for having selected man
OF so little experience to try such a
case. 1t was not sheridans fault"
you have made a charge and a
serious charge against Mr.. Sheridan,
and the whole record of his conduct of
the cases should go in" said Senator
Root
IL was ordered by the committee.
, Inc witness detailed more about
Sheridan's conduct of the case. Once,
amid laughter, he said that when Sher.
1dan was cautioned against leading
witness, Sheridan replied: Il was not
leading him; I was only trying to IN
dictate to him what his answer was
expected TO be,
AT the conclusion Of the references
10 Sheridan the witness naively add
ed:
But l don't mean to criticise."
Jones said he was a lawyer himself,
and that lawyers often differed about
the conduct of case.
If Sheridan had not been sent out
there to present this testimony Mr..
CLAWS would have presented it,
wouldn't he?" asked Representative
Olmsted.
Yes, sir.
AND do you think he has had more
experience as a lawyer than Sheri- |
Gan?'
Mr.. CLAWS is not lawyer, but he /
knows more law than Sheridan"
The witness said he considered it a
reflection on CLAWS or the depart /
ment to send Sheridan out to take
charge Of case CLAWS had worked
m