The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-20
MAYOR MILLER ALSO BREAKS
INTO FAMOUS CASE - SENSA-
TIONAL LETTERS FROM SEAT.
TIES CITY ENGINEER READ.

Washington, D. c., May 2O.-The
prediction that George W. Perkins,
of the ]. P. Morgan company, would
be called as a witness was feature
of the Ballinger investigation today.
Letters marked personal" and CON
f1dential'' on record before the COM
mittee, show that Ballinger, soon
after he became secretary of the in
terror department, was in communi-
cation with Perkins concerning the
plans Perkins and R. H. Thomson,
city engineer of Seattle, had made
for trip to Alaska last summer.
That Thomson also will be called to
the stand is considered probable.
The correspondence, which was
brought out by Frederick NJ. Kerby,
former stenographer for the interior
department, shows that Ballinger
wrote a personal letter to Thomson
May 9. 1909. telling of visit of the
secretary to Perkins.
81 was a guest of Perkins at Yon-
kers last Sunday" Ballinger wrote.
Perkins is the head Of the Morgan
company.
Perkins told me he had arranged
for special boat to take himself and
his party, including his family, to AL
aska, to investigate the feasibility of
exploiting Alaska in railroad con-
struction and other lines in which he
is deeply interested. He will sail
from Seattle about the middle of
July.
Wanted an Engineer Recommended.
Perkins is insistent that | recon-
mend an engineer to accompany him
who is connected in no way with any
Alaska interests, railroad or other
private concern which might influence
his judgment I could think of no
one so we'll equipped as you, and as
the trip is one of Importance, great
pleasure and profit, it occurred to me
you might enjoy this form of vaca-
/ ton. | hope you will not understand
by this suggestion I have in any sense
abandoned hope about securing your
services in the matter about which
we conferred at Seattle. I anticipate
that no later than September I will
be able formally to present that mat
| ter"
Thomson replied in a personal let
ter to Ballinger:
II have just wired, Can arrange
northern trip, but may interfere with
Spokane congress.
(The Spokane congress to which
he referred was the irrigation con-
gress held in the Washington city,
John F. Miller Very Curious.
"On receipt of your letter." Thorn
sons answer continued, 81, of course,
went to the mayor with reference to
possible leave of absence. 1 said
to him that you had asked me to
make a trip for an unknown purpose
with unknown parties to an unknown
part of Alaska beginning about the
middle of July. Much to my surprise
this worked upon his honor's curl
osity in a most fonderful way For
| two days he tried to see If he could
| lead me. to tell something that would
reveal the purpose of the trip. He
said to me late this afternoon he had
made up his mind that you wanted
! to catch a bunch of thieves and he
would like to help, and would like to
know who they were. He said, You
wire Judge Ballinger you can go but
will miss the irrigation congress.
Under these conditions. judge, please
write me a blind letter which I can
show him to satisfy his request if not
his curiosity. I must confess that
considerable disappointment and curl
osity have been manifested. If you
will only say I have been chosen to
be taken on a vacation trip visiting
Alaska this statement will be salts
| factory to the mayor"
Thomson's letter said that he ex-
pected to visit various irrigation
works in a day or two
On June 2, 1909, Ballinger wrote
Thomson asking him to find an en-
gineer to accompany Perkins, who,
after learning of the inadvisability of
'our going, was quite insistent that
you assist him in getting a man"
'He probably will be in Seattle
about July f." the letter continued,
"and will call on you. In the mean
time, you write George w. Perkins
confidentially. His address is New
York, care of the Morgan company,
and you can state that you have writ
ten at my request. Any further in
formation that you want from him
he will give without hesitation. T
have assured him he could place i'm
plicit confidence in any statement
you may be willing to make"
Also in Confidence.
Ballinger ended his letter by say
ing: 81 am sending you under sepa-
rate cover, also in confidence, a copy