Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-30
.BALL|NGER CALLS
|. l. R. CLAWS 'L|AR!'
WEEPS At LETTER
Denies the Accusations of Others
and Defends Actions as
Cabinet Officer
CITES PRAISE OF ROOSEVELT
Many Prominent Washington
Women Attend Hearing
and Show Interest
CITES PRAISE OF ROOSEVELT
tAssociated Press1

" ASHINGTON, April 29.-Indig-
w nantly denying he had been
guilty of any wrongdoing, Rich
ard A. Ballinger, secretary of the in
terror, made a bitter attack upon his
critics while a witness before the Bal
linger- -Pinchot investigation committee
today, and characterized many of the
sworn statements of his principal ac-
cuser, L. r. CLAWS, as 'wilful and de-
liberate lies"
Led on by his attorney, Mr.. Vertrees.
the cabinet officer, answered one by
one the indictments of those who would
destroy MIN. He referred with ap-
parent pride to Theodore Roosevelts
oft-repeated high estimate of him, par
ticularly the former presidents state
ment, when he (Ballinger) was com
missioner of the land office, that he had
secured a $685. 900 man for $5000" He
wept when he started to read a letter
he had written Garfield.
He defended his conduct in connec-
tion with the Cunningham coal cases,
and stated emphatically he would take
the same action today as he did when
at the head of the land office, if he had
the same record before him.
After leaving the land office, Mr.. Bal
linger declared his only connection with
the Cunningham cases was in bringing
east from Seattle an affidavit of Cum
ningham and giving it to Secretary
Garfield For this service, he said, he
had received 5000 or $3.50, which he re-
garded as travelling expenses.
He said when he became secretary of
the interior he refused to pass upon the
claims in any way.
WATER POWER SITES NEXT
Attorney Vertrees still has to ex-
Uo1 ha cuhiaof Of
water power sites before Mr.. Brandeis,
counsel for Claws and Mr.. Pepper,
counsel for Pinchot, begin their cross
examination,
The seeretary's testimony today dealt
almost exclusively with the CLAWS
charges tomorrow it will embrace his
attitude toward conservation and the
beginning of his controversy with
Forester Pinchot.
In the Wilson company's cases CLAWS
had testified Ballinger had drawn up
an escrow agreement giving his client,
Watson Allen, a right to purchase four
claims after patents had been secured.
AS the claims had not been proved up.
CLAWS contended perjury would have
had to have been committed to secure
patents for those lands.
Mr.. Ballinger today emphatically de-
MED he had ever prepared such an
agreement, and characterized the story
as "another case where this man CLAWS
deliberately attempted to build up a
case to besmirch my character"
II bitterly denounce his testimony in
that connection" added the secretary.
Questioned about CLAWS statement
that he had met Mr.. Ballinger in
Seattle in the summer of 1908 and that
the latter told him the Cunningham
claims were in a bad fix, Mr.. Ballinger
interrupted his lawyer impatiently.
CALLS 1T DELIBERATE LIE
"That is a deliberate lie," he ex-
claimed, "and like many other of his
statements to this committee. 1t is a
contemplate attempt of that man
CLAWS to besmirch my character"
Passing on to the time when he be-
came secretary of the interior, Ballin-
ger said he burned all his bridges be-
hind him, dissolved. his law firm and
severed all connections with corpora
tions."
In reply to an inquiry from his law
yer as to whether he and Garfield had
parted friends, Mr.. Ballinger said:
YES" and started to read a letter
he had written to Garfield after he had
returned to Seattle.
my Dear Jim," he began.
Then his voice broke and he stopped.
Mr.. Vertrees took the letter from him
and read while Mr.. Ballinger recovered
himself
There was a reference in the first few
lines to Mr.. Ballinger's mother who is
still living, but very feeble, and this
reference caused Mr.. Ballinger to be-
tray emotion.
A social event would hardly have at
tracted a larger proportion Of women
than attended the hearing today. Mrs.
Ballinger was there, accompanied by
Mrs Wickersham, wife OF the attorney
general. Mrs. Pinchot, mother of the
former forester, and Mrs. Justice Lur-
ton also were there.
1.-The defense hopes to conclude by
noon tomorrow. If this hope is realized
Mr. Brandeis will have Mr.. Ballinger
in hand all afternoon.