The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-15
STOLEN LETTERS
FOUND In HIS BOX
Documents Missing From Land
Office Files and Contents Pub
lished, Alleged to Have Been
Left by Him in Grand
Jury Room at
Seattle.

The Ballinger-Pinchot inquiry began
to bristle with interest to-day, when
John E. yertrees, counsel for Score
tary Ballinger, undertook, the cross-
examination of l.. Il. Claws. principal
witness for the prosecution.
The climax OF the oay was reached
late in the afternoon session. when
Mr.. Ncrtrees announced chat box
belonging to Mr.. CLAWS and loft In
the grand jury room at Seattle. had
been broken open Il few days ago
and that a number of letters missing
from the iiles OF the Land Office in
Seattle. copies OF which have recently
been published in @ weekly paper. were
found therein.
Scents n "F'ramc-Up.''
CLAWS angrily declared that IL any
letters had been found in his belong-
against him. His denunciation OF Fed
eral officials who would stoop to such
trick to win the favor of their sr-
periors called out a demonstration of
applause from tiae spectators. which
caused Chairman Nelson 10 announce
that a repetition OF tho outburst would
Mr.. Vertrees announced that C. A
Christensen. Glavis's successor as
chief of the field division, would be
called to testify to the finding Of
the letters.
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
the Department of the Interior CLAWS
declared that if he had found evidence
OF corruption he would have taken
the matter to a grand jury instead of
TO the President.
Through a process of elimination the
witness cleared all fas the other of1i-
eials of any wilsa. Tronedoing. lie
asserted that he was fully convinced
that the facts he had offered in evil
dence warranted the Judgment that
| Commissioner Dennitt was fit to hold
an Office of public trust.
Not Fit for Office.
AS to Assistant Secretary of the
| Interior Pierce. CLAWS declared tina,
he had rendered an erroneous inter
pretation of the coal land law of May
l9eS, and that decision, while not ar
act of wrongdoing, indicated that ht
| "do IVI LII W 4lAI ttC OItSC lIC nOW
| holds
Dennitt. CLAWS declared, was moth
ing more than tool' for Baliinger
AT the afternoon session CLAWS. in re-
| sponse to a question by Mr.. Vertrces
summed up the specific acts of wron:
doing. which he charged against Sec
rotary Ballinger. His statement wa
a long one, but it was listened to Will
| intense interest, and really, for th
first time, gave definite statement O
the prosecutions case.
Cannon Raps Newspapers.
Washington. D. c., February 14-'I
we lose sight of our own inlportanc
and OF our own POSITION for the tim
being, there will come in our place
lose sight of the necessity to provid
for an orderly procedure under whc
a majority can work it's will''
Uncle Joe" Cannon, laying asid
his gayel and speaking to-day frol
the floor of the House. merely as 9Th
gentleman from Illinois," sounded thi
: warning 10 his colleagues.
Representative Cannon" arose 70
the purpose of presenting his approx,
, TO the pending rivers and harbors ap
preparation bill, but during his speec
), he took occasion to refer lightly t
magazine and newspaper criticism an
to telling the minority members thu
i the power Of the majority was futil
, unless enforced by we'll oiled ma
, chinery.
1t was while Representative Fit;
!, grald, Democrat, OF New York, ha
: the floor that members were su.
!, prised to see the Speaker rise fro
tI,at, ia,
"Will the gentleman from New Yor
e yield to me?"
/, II will yield to the gentleman
. believe from Illinois, replied Mr.. Bit;
: gerald, smilingly.
e Voted for Bill.
S Mr.. Cannon told the House how I
had voted for a river and harbc
bill during Arthur's adnintstratio,
and explained that he had voted
7 pass the measure over the President
s veto. He said he had had some troub
2 in justifying that vote before his cor
stituents. but he, had done so.
Referring to his trip down tho Mi
J sissippi with President Taft in co,
nection with newspaper attacks /;
that time, NIr. Cannon said.
when l turned to come hack fro,
: New orleans the criticisms receive
! and that many others received, n,
founded upon correct Information
) made me wonder whether was afo,
! or horseback; whether was
somebody elso.
II expect We will continue to II
! ceive all kinds Of correct and 1fal
: information that is fished for he,
i and there continued the Speaker. !"
order that our great metropolita
journals may continue. some Of tho
y to make their papers from day to ia
9 like the Yankee made his razors,
q sell. But desire to say to tho 90,
), tlemen on both sides OF tho IIou
y that In the last analysts, out OF Il
two great organizations. the n,inori
! from time to time putting. the majori
y on its good behavior. seekine, u, Il
g come the majority. will cone enrre
legislations and correct approprIatio
e for the greatest good 81 tba ~ !,