Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-19
MALICE
AS CLAWS
MOTIVE
IN BAJLINGER
TRIAL GRlLLS WITNESS
long Questions and Longer An
swerS Feature of Yesterday S
Session Of Inquiry Which
Promises to Last Weeks,


lBy Morning Journal sDecini Ieassd wIrel
Washington. Feb. lS.-Lonis r..
CLAWS was under cross examination
all day before die liailngor-Pinchot
INVESTIGATING committee ana wnen adj
iournment was taken until tomorrow
morning, there was no Indication that
John Nertrees counsel Cor Secretary
Ballincer. was approaching the end OF
his constant fire Of interrogatives
The scope Of the testimony given by
CLAWS and the latitude allowed by
the committe in his cross-eXamination.
are almost without precedent The
cross examination particularly is one
Of long questions ana longer ans
wers. lusuallN the questions have to-
do with the construction 10 be placed
upon letters, telcprams etc. that have
been read into the record II freqn-
emily is necessary 10 go over those doe
uments several times in the day aud to
quote freely from thcm
Some idea of the latitude given To
AIR tilavis may be gained from the
fact that including The two sassions to-
day the printed testimony of this one
witness alone covers nearly one thou-
saud pages.
AIR Nertrees and Air CLAWS had sey-
cral LONG wrangles in the afternoon
'as to the meaning OF many letters
and tolesrums IN the record. \ typi-
cal instance was q telegram from Mr.
Balneer. Ia reply 10 Il message from
Mr. Dennct Of the land office. in
which the secretary stated his raiuc-
lance to act in the Alaska eases and
suggested that Mr.. Dcnnet made the
necessary orders himself as To post
poninp the hearings
Mr. Norttens sought TO show that
this meant Alr Rallinger was not tli-
reeting the Alaska eases In any way
whatsoever AIR. Gmyis on the other
hand insisted thnt the only constitute
ton hr could put npon tie telegram
was that il showed that none Of the
officials in the department dared 70
do anvthng In the cases without first
consulting the secretary MIR CLAWS
contended that the telegram con
veved Il specific order by Secretary
Ballinger
Mr. Nertrers az the morning session
drew from the witness the important
fact that nt the time the CUNNINGHAM
claims were ordered "clenr listed in
January 1908. ana In fact up to the
time Mr. Ballinger left the service as
commissioner OF the land office on
March 4 1908 there had been no
adverse reports on these claims aud
that the Cunningham journal, which
contained the first evidence OF alleg-
ed agreement among the claimants,
had not then been destroyed. The late
afternoon session was devoted to an
inquiry into the motives of Mr. CLAWS
in seeking the Assistance Of clifford
pinchot CLAWS said he went to him
hpcause he had faith in him apd felt
that ne was absolutely sincere AIR
Nortrees explained several of his long
today by the statement that
ne was searching out the motives oi
ihe witness To determine whether they
were malicious.
AZ the afternoon session Nh Vert
rccs called attention to the fact that
in his original testimony Mr CLAWS
oppressed surprise that Special Agent
sheridan who succeeded him in
chnrge of the Alaska eases should
not have reached the same concMs-
ion he had
why were YOU surprised demand
ed Mr Nprtrecs
Wen hc had ii letter Of instruc-
tions and think they expected
different report, otherwise they would
not have sent him out there.
Whom do you mean by they
"Whoever wrote the letter Mr..
schwartz
MIR Verrees then read the letter
into the evidence
ilUlllH hiI lNt iilllN hI MNi' ~ wv I
service la charge OF the Alnska cases
did you feel you had the confidence
OF your superiors and did they not
go express themselves To you I'm com
munications from time 10 time ask F,
ed MIR Nertrees
Yes sir
,"And sou say there was no harm 7
done TO the government hy the delay
in 1905 when you were temporarily /
a t.4 flrYgfgfi f
"No. sir there was no harm.
and YOU always had plenty ~ /
help %"
Yes sir
Claws would not admit tlat Secre-
tnre lmlllnger ANA commissioner pen- \
net acted on Shcridan's reeommen-
daiion in postponing proposed hear
ing of thc ease in the summer OF
1903
4 cross-oxamination of the witness
of his meeting With clifford 'inehoi
in Spokane last August then began
CLAWS said he told his story to Alr
pinchot and that the hitter called in
eN-Governor Pardcc of california.
.'I.ut up To- IN" time OF your meot
ue Mr. pinchot nll that you wanted
lad hcen granted had IL not
''fes.
what WAS there tao bc gained in
presenting the case to AR Pinchot
Tn. forester had already interviewed
md your requests had an been grant
.l had they not o."
a thought that in pieN of AN the
.acts and the difficulties I had in sct-
ina hearing and in view of the
etters written hy Dcnnei and his uc-
ions throughout the proceedings il
would hn aull "a little while until
h.so eases were brought mp again q"
le decided before either Mr. nnnuct
,r Alr Hailiuger and ! did Not think
hes we've fit people 10 render 90 de-
.isiuu.
Chairman Nelson. Did you thiuk
he forestry. could act in These cases
no sir
What were YOUR reasons for s"-
NJ r."
Il did not think that the heads pi
ht other departments ana land office
rrrc mon vino could be depended ur-