Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-03
FISHING PROCESS ALLEGED
Letter to Chairman Nelson of In
vestigating Committee.
PROGRESS OF THE INQUIRY
witnesses Examined Yesterday in
Behalf Of the Secretary-Discov-
cry of Missing Letters.

the forestry service against the demands
of Attorney Bra for records Of his
department as "an oblique attempt to
control the manner in which the evidence
shall present shall be introduced
Under date Of March % Mr.. BaIlinger
| wrote to Chairman Nelson stating that
the requests OF Mr. Brandeis fok papers
since the inquiry begun shave been SO
numerous and extensive as to result in
great inconvenience and expense"
THAT which may be described as the
prosecution in these proceedings has now
| rested" continues Mr.. Ballinger, land
evidence is now being introduced by
counsel representing me. From this
statement it is obvious that the demands
of Mr.. Brandeis can no longer be re-
garded as in the furthcrance Of a proper
| inquiry, but as being made as mere
| fishing process.
Wants Demands Restricted.
CAS- the prosecution has rested. and
as all papers heretofore called for have
| been furnished, it is respectfully submit
| ted that demands upon this department
for records made hereafter should not be
allowed unless % they relate 10 some
| matteS to which the evidence now being
presented in my behalf relates and which
records have not heretofore been pre-
scented, CD or the nature of the evidence
desired to be set out, together with
statement of what the records Will so
show, and the names of the informants
upon whom the applicant relies for in
| formation to support the demands SO
made.
further protest is made by Mr. Bal
| linger in a letter under date of March
81 in response to Mr.. Brandeis' request
! for affidavits in possession Of Chief OF
Field Division Christensen.
II repeat that in these applications
| made now, when the evidence OF the
prosecution had closed and ours he's
been entered upon, / see nothing else
| than an oblique attempt to control the
manner in which the evidence / shall
present shall be introduced. OF course,
| ] stand ready, in SO far possible, to
comply with all orders of the commit
/ tee made after matters to which
| hare referred have been made the sub
| ject Of consideration.
Loves Startling Statements.
| The most startling feature OF yestcr-
days session of the inquiry was the
| eclaration made by II. *. Love. for
merly a special agent Of the land Office,
while under DISCRIMINATION by AT
| torney Brandeis. that John w. Dudley,
| former register of the land Office al
Juneau, Alaska, had told him in juneau
last February that an agent of Colliers
| Weekly had intimated to him that 1T
would be worth from $4,000 to $4,000
| to him to come to Washington and
testify.
The committee appeared SO anxious
| to ascertain whether any improper at
! tempt to influence testimony in the IN
curry had been made that ii was de-
| cided to subpoena Mr.. Dudley to tell
what he knows about the matter
Witnesses for Ballinger
Four other witnesses took the stand
for the defense" during the dag.
| Frank L. SpaldinE, former disbursinS
agent in l.. r. CLAWS office at Seattle,
was called to testify that CLAWS had
| tried to induce him to cut out of an
expense account an item of $50 for
typewriting In Chicago report con
| tanning his charges against Mr.. Bal
| llnger ne was preparing for President
| Taft Mr.. Spalding admitted under
cross-examination that CLAWS had eN-
planned that he intended to reIlburae
the government because he wanted fer
himself two of the three copies he had
had made.
Miss Shartell, q stenographer in CLAWS
office at Seattle, testified she had made
for CLAWS three copies of the twenty
four missing letters that were afterward
shown.
George A. Parks. special agent or min
eral land inspector testified that ne eX-
amined CLAWS box stored jim room In
the federal building at Seattle in search
ing for a notebook Christensen. who was
CLAWS successor. wanted in connection
with another matter.
Exonerates Christensen.
The circumstances of the discovery OF
the papers was related by Garrett w.
O'Neill. assistant custodian of the build
ing, who was the only other person pres
ent. He expressed confidence that Chris
Jensen did not place the letters in the
box. CLAWS has testified that the letters
were put there without his knowledge,
charging that it was "frame-up ar
ranged by his enemies.
The committees adjourned until next
Friday. Attorney Fertrees saiu Chrlsten-
sen would be called next. He declined to
saw when Secretary Ballinger would take
the stand explaining that he had great
many more witnesses and that it was inn
possible at this time to announce definite
ly when Mr.. Ballingsr would be reached.
Copied Letters for CLAWS.
Miss Shartell had been in the Office
while CLAWS was chief of division. She
told of having made for CLAWS two or
three copies of the twenty-four missing
letters that were afterward found. it is
alleged. In box belonging to him. Mr..
Vertrees put two sets OF the copies In
evidence. One came from the forestry bu-
reau where the letters were sent by
CLAWS. and the other set came from
Special Agent Christensen. who Is said
to have made the discovery of the miss
ing letters
Miss Shartell identified her initials on
both sets of copies. Mr.. Vertrees said
there was still a third set already on file
with the committee with the originals.
Miss Shartell also Identified her initials
OH the third set.
Depended Upon Official Files.
On cross-examination Miss Shartell
said that in looking for the twenty-four
missing letters in the Office at Seattle
she confined her search to the official files
and did not look in the desk occupied
| Jointly by Mr.. Christensen and Special
| Agent Sheridan. When Mr.. Christensen
| came into the office February 8 last and
| said he had found the letters in CLAWS
| box he remarked to Special Agent Parks:
| II guess you didn't look very we'll"
Parks she understood, had made a
| search for the papers about a week be-
| fore. In fact, he told her he had made
| a search through the boxes and found
nothing. and she telegraphed Mr. Chris
nrise when the papers were found. Miss
~, c1,n Iii NOT lvno rHrfC