The Washington herald., 1910-05-18

Frederick NJ, Kerby, the stenog-
rapher who was dismissed by Sec
retary Ballinger because Of his
charges in regard to the so-called
Lawler memorandum, took the
stand before the Ballinger-Pinchot
investigating committee yesterday
and embellished his statement. Os-
car Lawler, the Assistant Attorney
General for the Interior Depart
ment, who was designated by Pres
ident Taft to write the exoneration
letter as if he himself were Presi-
dent, also was on the witness stand.
and between the two they produced
the greatest stir that has occurred
at any session of the committee.
The Presidents name was fire.
quently drawn into the controversy.
the lie was passed, members Of the
committee clashed, a witness was
compelled to apologize for intem-
perate language, and women spec
tators were aroused to a demonstra-
ton which led to a call for a Capt.
tOl policeman to maintain order.
EACH A STUMP SPEAKER.
Stump speeches from the witness stand
from attorneys and from the committee
table, were common occurrences. and so
intense was the feeling aroused over the
attempt Of Attorney Brandeis to dis
credit President Taft that Senator Root
was twice stirred TO the point where he
thumped the table vigorously and de-
nounced the attack.
Kerby testified that Mr.. Bauinger had
planned 10 supplant +. II. Newell, di-
rector Of the Reclamation Service. bv r.
H. Thomson, former city engineer Of
Seattle. This testimony furnished the
preteXt for calling for letters that had
passed between Mr.. Thomson and Mr..
Ballinger. and between Secretary Ballin-
ger and George w. Perkins. OF the firm
Of J. p. Morgan & Co
The letters showed that Secretary Bal
linger had endeavored to get Engineer
Thomson 10 accompany George w. Per-
kins on an Alaska trip last summer. This
trip, as Secretary Ballinger outlined # in
confidential communications. was for the
purpose Of exploiting Alaskan mining and
railroad properties. Later. however. as
shown by the correspondence. Secretary
Ballinger advised Thomson not 20 GO but
arranged with Thomson to recommend
another engineer TO accompany Mr..
Perkins.
Charge Is Emphasized.
II has been the contention of the
Glavis-Pinchot combination that Secre-
tary Bauinger was playing into the
hands Of the Morgan-Guggenheim syndi-
cate I'm the matter OF the Cunningham,
Alaskan coal claims, and the introduction
Of yesterdays letters is a sharp move ~,
the part of Attorney Brandeis 70 en-
phasize this charge. Among other letters
introduced IN evidence was one I'm which
Secretary Ballinger declines an invitatiop
from George w. Perkins TO have his son
accompany Mr. Perkins on the Alaskan
trip.
Young Kerby declared again and again
that he was a martyr 10 the truth He
Is a level-headed young man. and held
his own IN fencing with Senator Root
and other able lawyers on the committee
Assistant Attorney General Lawler was
spectacular. rhetorical, and denunciatory
and made poor impression as n wit
ness. II was after Lawler had accused
Garfield and Pinchot Of having corrupted
the youthful stenographer that the women
supporters OF the former Secretary Of the /
Interior and the former Forester Kissed.
RetOrt for Women.
This irritated Lawler TO such a degree
that he turned on them with this re-
mark: Snakes and geese make noises
like that"
Kerbys own testimony tended 70 show
that Garfield and Pinchot had both had .
a hand IN obtaining from him informa- /
tlon which he had got in a confidential /
capacity as stenographer to Secretary /
Ballnger kerby admitted that he had |
met Garfield in Pinchots home. but he /
denied that he had been induced by either
TO give information.
1t was here that Kerby took up the cor
between Secretary Ballinper
and George w. Perkins and also between
Mr.. Ballinger and r. Il. Thomson. OF
Seattle.
One letter written by Secretary Bal
.inger to Mr.. Thomson early in May Of
last year describes a trip which Mr.. Per
Sins was about to make to Alaska, and