Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-16

reau all the papers FURNISHED 10 IL ny
CLAWS.
The committee held an unusually
long executive session this morning and
it was 1O40 o'clock when the public
! hearing was resumed. CLAWS again
took the stand for a continuance of his
cross examination.
M. NertreeS questioned the witness
further today about the memorandum
he assisted in preparing and on which
Assistant Secretary Pierce rendered
construction of the new coal land law
of Nav, 1905. CLAWS testified yesterday
that this opinion, to his mind, showed
Mr.. Pierce to be unfit for this office.
Mr.. Vertrees sought to show that the
Cunningham claimants having decided
to stand for patents under the old law
were specifically excluded from consid-
Grafton in the Pierce opinion.
All CLAWS would admit was that he
certainly did not intend to exclude the
Cunningham claims from consideration
and that while Attorney General Wick
erslam may have construed the law as
Mr.. Pierce did, the witness did not
think so.
Mr. Vertrees and the witness had
another clash when the attorney want
ed direct answers; CLAWS wanted to
explain every answer before referring
to reports, etc.
The committee ruled to let CLAWS
make as many and as long explana-
tons as he desired Mr.. Nertrees then
took up the witness accusations of
misconduct against Fred bennett, COM
missioner of the land office CLAWS had
4 ~ l.at 10. l,oo ,.iy a
riman, one of the claimants. make GER
tain admissions relative to his claim.
bennett answered telegram from
CLAWS saying none of the claimants
had made admissions. Mr.. Nertrees
brought out the fact that CLAWS tele-
gram had been sent more than a year
after the Hartman admissions and
that the witness knew of no other adj
missions among the 900 claimants.
What else did bennett do?" asked
Mr. Nertrees.
well, he wrote those funny letters
| from Seattle and Portland"
| Mr.. Nertrees went into the letters in
| some detail They were written by Den
nett TO II. H. Schwartz, chief of the
| field service and have heretofore been
| introduced in evidence.
Mr.. Nertrees sought to show by let
| tecs and kilograms in the record that
| CLAWS charges that his requests for
| a delay in hearing the Cunningham
| cases had not been favorably received
! by Mr.. bennett We're not substantiated
| by the evidence.
Mr.. Nertrees requested that Miss Ell
la NJ. Shartell of Seattle, a stenogra-
| pher. De summoned as witness.
| While you are about it, Mr.. Chair
man. interrupted Attorney Brandeis.
please also summon Special Agent
Frank Spalding from Cheyenne and
| w. w. Barr from Seattle"
Mr.. Nertress also read into the re-
| port part of the letter from Schwartz
to Special Agent James Sheidan, put
| ting the latter in charge of the Alaska
coal cases in place of CLAWS The let
ter was dated July 81, 1909. and said in
| part:
| Every report received from CLAWS
! in the case concludes with some state
| ment or observation as to what future
and further investigation will develop
| and leaves the report in status which
! prccludes this office from taking any
action and he has been advised from
| time TO time 1t is the purpose and in
| tention of this Office that there shall
be full and complete investigation and
advice prior to the final action upon
| these entries
at this point the luncheon recess
was ordered.
With the beginning of the afternoon
session Mr.. Vertrees took up with Mr.
CLAWS the character of his !nstruc-
tons as to the Investigations of the
| Alaska coal lands. Mr.. CLAWS said it
was his purpose to examine all the 800
or 900 cases before reporting any.
Mr. Nertrees then read from the rec
ord Mr. Ballinger's original instruc-
tons to CLAWS which were to file in
dividual and separate reports from
Continued on Page Four)