Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-23
eRANpEIS ATTACKS
Understands Summary Of CLAWS Case
At eaiIinger Hearing.

Washington, April 22.-After attack
ing certain statement in Attorney Cen
eral Wickershams summary of the
Louis r. CLAWS case during cross-ex-
animation of a witness before the Bal
linger- Pinchot investigation today, At
torney Brandeis, counsel for CLAWS.
broadly limited that the document was
dated two months earlier than 1t had
been prepared to make 1t appear that
President Taft's letter of vindication
to Secretary Ballinger. was based on
alleged facts it contained.
At the White House and the depart
ment OF justice it was said that neith-
er the President nor the attorney gen.
eral would comment upon Brapdeis' in
timations.
Comparatively little progress was
made with the inquiry today, despite
the apparent growing Impotence of
the committee and the general desire
of the members to bring the hearing
to a close The committee probably
will act tomorrow on the proposal to
hold hearings three days each week.
E. c. Finny. assistant to the secretary
| of the interior. was under cross-exami-
nation almost the entire day. He admit
ted, under questioning by MIR. Brandeis:
that some of. Mr.. Wickersham's state
ments were Inaccurate. but insisted that
| they were unimportant.
1t was near the end Of Flnney's exam
ination that Mr.. Brandeis surprised the
committee. Mr.. Wickershafn says In his
summary that the suggestion that It was
unknown for Mr.. Ballinger to have any
personal relations with Cunningham
claims because of his previous incum-
bency of the Office of commissioner Of
the land office was based on Section 100
of the Revised Statutes. and he cites
authorities to show that Mr.. Balinser
did not violate that law. Mr.. Brandeis
asked the witness IL ne did not know
that CLAWS accused Ballinger Of vioiat-
ing that law. for the first time In q state
ment published In November number oe
Golfers Weekly. Mr.. Finney was not
certain of that point, whereupon Mr.
Brandeis demanded II 1t was not fact
that the statement which purports to
| have been made on Sept. II, 1909, was not
made until more than two months after
that time. Mr.. Finney responded that he
did not know It to be fact and did not
| believe 1t was.
Having come all the way here from
| Alaska at the behest of tho committee
to tell whether he made the statement
| to Marshal II. Love. that an agent Of
Golfers told him IT would be worth
5000 to $4,000 for him to come to WASH
ington to testify" John w" Dudley, the
dismissed register Of the land Office at
Juneau. took the stand and said Mr.. Love
| misunderstood him.
Mr.. Dudley said Editor Russell Of a
Juneau paper sought to act as an inter-
| mediary between him and Golfers and
Russell wanted him to prepare an article
supplementing Claws charges for which
he was to receive the sum mentioned.
He told Love Of this offer from Russell
and supposed Love did not understand.
He said he did not take kindly to Rus
sells proposition and Golfers would not
agree to 1t further than to pay Dud-
ley's expenses to New York to talk the
matter over. He said Russell did not
pose as Golfers agent and that nothing
was said about his testifying before the
Investigating committee. 800
Members of the committee and council
on both sides questioned Mr.. Dudley at
length and apparently satisfied them.
selves that no effort was made improper
ly to influence intimacy between the
committee. Attorney yertrees. counsel
for Mr.. Ballinger. said tonight that he
still had more than dozen witnesses to
examine