The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-15
SAYS PAPERS
WERE STOLEN

| ecr-Plnchot congressional INQUIRY DC
gan TO brlstle with interest today
when John j. Vertress. counsel FOL
Secretary Ballinger, undertook the
csoss-examination of Louis r. CLAWS
principal witness for the ''prosecu
ton
a climax was reached late In the
afternoon when MI Vertress an
nounced that a box belonging To Mr
CLAWS and left with the grand jury
al Seattle had been broken open 4
few days ago and that a number OF
letters missing from the files Of the
land office In Seattle, copies OF which
have recently been published In
weekly paper, were found therein.
CLAWS anerily declared that IL any
letters had been found In his belong
lngs a frame up" had been prepared
against him His denunciation OF
federal officials who would stoop TO
such n trick to win favor with their
| superfors cf.lled out q demonstration
Of applause s-om the spectators
| Chairman Nelson anl.o,.r ced that rep
etition OF the outburst wouiu ssult in
| the room having to be cleared.
| Throughout the hearings the sympa-
! thies of the spectators, a great ma-
| jority of whom were women have
| clearly been with CLAWS and they
| have laughed with satisfaction as he
| made points against his questioners.
Long Wranee Caused.
MIR. Vertress announced that A.
Christiansen. Claws successor as the
chief OF field division, will be called
to testify TO the finding Of the letters,
and he offered in evidence a letter
from Christiansen giving the details
OF the alleged discovery This caused
long wrangle as TO whether the let
ter should be received In evidence at
thie time. The matter was put over
for consideration IN executive ses-
sion.
AT the morning session Mr.. Vertrees
drew from the witness the fact that
he made no charges OF corruption
against any one In the land office or
In the department of the interior
Claws declared that II he had found
evidence of corruption he would have
taken the matter TO a grand jury in
stead of to the president He said
ne thought the facts warranted the
opinion that Mr.. Ballinger and Mr..
bennett had acted improperly and he
charged them with Official miscop-
duct
Through a process OF elimination
the witness cleared all the other
points of wilful wrongdoIng He said
he was fully convinced that the facts
he had offered In evidence warrant
ed the judgment that neither Secre-
tary Ballinger nor Commissioner Den
rett were III 10 hold offices of trust
AS to Assistant Secretary of the In
tcrior Pierce, CLAWS declared he had
rendered an erroneous Interpretation
of the coal land law OF May, 1908, and
that this decision. while not an act
OF wrongdoing indicated that he was
not fit to fiji the office he now holds
bennett, CLAWS declared. was nothing
more than a tool for BallInger and
would do anything Ballinger said
AT the afternoon session CLAWS, In
response TO a question by Mr. Yer
trees, summed up the specific acts OF
wrongdoing which he charged against
Secretary Bainger. His statement
was long one. but was listened %
With intense interest, and really for
the first time gave a definite state
mont Of the prosecutions" case.
Mr. Vertrees indicated today that
his cross'eXaminatlon will be a thor
ough ono. The inquiry Will proceed
tomorrow and 1t Is expected for some
time to come daily sessions will be
held
Taken all together. the facts then
convinced you OF WHAT"
That the land department was not
in safe hands and that the peoples In.
terests were not being protected In
the Alaska cases"
What Officers did you think we're
not protecting the peoples interests?"
Ballinser and bennett. And
Pierce, too. rendering that decision
interpreting the act of May so. 1908.
Schwartz took some action [ could
not understand
You thought the facts established
misconduct on the part of Ballinger
and Dennett?'
Yes"
Anybody else7"
'Conclusiyely as to those two men.
| had not formed an opinion as to
the others"
Whom did you want to accuse7"
Mr. Ballinger and Mr. bennett"
Mr. Ballinger being the secretary
of the interior. Mr. bennett, commits
sioner Of the land office and Mr.,
Pierce being first assistant secre-
tary?"
Yes
No Corrupt Motives.
You say Ballinser and bennett and
Pierce were guilty of misconduct. but
you make no charge of eorTuption?"
IF had thought the facts warrant
ed a charge of corruption | would
have gone to the grand jury instead
Of TO the President
Then you did not believe there
were any corrupt motives OF con
duct?'
No"
And the most you meant to say
to the President and people was that
| you did not think the affairs Of the
interior department were in safe
| hands,"
Yes, sir"
And that was all YOU did mean?"
Yes. sir"
Judgment, their not protecting the in
terests of the people,"
no; the facts showed 1t was intcn-
tional"
Mr. Nortrees carried the witness
! through the list of the names OF all
the land office people mentioned Ia
/ the case and CLAWS said he eXonerated
every one of misconduct except Bal
linger. Pierce and bennett
| AlWays Liked Schwartz