The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-15

I
| the attorney general should act on 1t,
| and after instructing to prepare a
| letter TO the attorney general for him TO
| sign he deliberately changed his mind.
| for some reason, and turned the matter
| over to a subordinate OF his own depart
ment.
Not Essentially Criminal.
None OF these are things upon which
but To my mind II was far moro coward
" for him TO do these things than II
a man had actually stolen something for
which he could have been convicted.
'In July, 1909, when saw Mr. Balm
ger at his office In Seattle and told him
we had heen ordered TO proceed to an
Immediate hearing. he knew the weak"
nesses of our case The greatest weak
ness was the affidavits he had himself
prepared for Cunningham. In spite OF
this he didn't take any action TO bring
about a postpouement OF the hearing.
'Thesc statements are all that | can
recall that show him unit for his office.
unfaithful To his trust and not loyal to
the people,
Committee in Uproar.
When Mr. Vertrees began to cross -ex-
anime the witness on these accusations
the committee soon got into an uproar
CLAWS complained to the chairman that
Mr.. Vertrecs was cutting off his answers
and that he had TO make certain ex-
plantations.
answer the questions as they asked"
directed Senator Root.
Mr. Nertrees reverted to Assistant Sec
retary Pierce's construction OF the law
In 1905 CLAWS said;
"If it was not rendered under the In
fluence OF Mr., Ballinger. his construction
II he did render 1t under the influence
of Mr. Balllngcr, 1t still shows he ought
not to be permitted to hold the office he
does"
Mr. Vortrees. next questioned Claws
as to Incidents connected with the turn
ing over of his office to his successor
when CLAWS was dismissed from the
service, Claws said he had declined TO
give up some OF the papers until he had
made copies OF them because, he said;
he was convinced that mean and
Mr., Fertrees read demand that
Glaviss successor had made upon him
for certain letters that We're missing.
CLAWS said he turned all the papers
over The ones that were said be miss
Ing, he declared, ought 10 have been In
his office.
CLAWS Enters Denial,
Mr.. Vertrees then read some letters
published recently In a weekly paper
CLAWS said they were included in the list
his successor had prepared as missing.
Didn't you furnish these letters TO
this paper?'' asked the attorney.
NO. sir, did not"
Didn't you leave some OF your effects
In boxes in the grand jury room at
Scatter"
"Yes, some bearskins and camping out
fit"
Now. isn't 1t a fact that you did
furnish these letters TO this paper, that
you placed all the papers that had been
called for by your successor IN one ol
the boxes In the grand jury room Whlcn
was broken open on the Sth OF this month
and the letters and copies found there
in?'.
,nl -hn
first time. Those letters did not not hurt hurt
me, Why did l want them? They hurt
Ballinger."
Claws was interrupted with a question.
Roast for Officials.
Walt" cried CLAWS, Il want to fin
do YOU think / would leave them where
federal officers could get them? 1t
makes me indignant TO think that gov
ernment officials. TO gain favor with their
superiorS, would stoop to such a thing.
The crowd in the courtroom broke into
applause Chairman Nelson said such
another demonstration would result In
the room being cleared
Claws said that the letters which APP
peared In the weekly paper were those
OF which he had furnished carbon copies
to the forest service, He had Lurnlshca
these copies to the forest service as
further means OF safeguarding the
Alaska coal lands.
when did you first do this to safe
guard the Alaska coal IaIuS
After / saw the president at Beverly
last September"
The last hour of the afternoon session
was taken UP with an examination OF the
witness as TO the construction he had
placed upon the opinion rendered by At
torney-General Wickersham after Claws
had protested against the opinion by AS
sistant Secretary Pierce.
Who Saved Coal Land?
Didn't you say in an article you wrote
In a weekly paper that the attorncy-gen-
eral overruled Mr.. Pierce on every point
and sustained you and thus saved the
Alaska coal lands?' asked Mr.. Fertrees.
Yes" replied Claws.
And doesn't the attorney general, In
his report TO the president, say that the
submitted TO him, In the
OF which you assisted. .spe-
excludes any possible consider
alton OF the Cunningham cases?
"I was very much surprised that he
would make that statement. replied
CLAWS "bccause he had my report on the
claims before him. and one
of the questions we submitted TO him,
I thought. covered the Cunningham class
OF cases.
The examination was proceeding along
this; line when adjournment was taken
until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.