Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-26

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general TO direct him to take up the mat
| ter at Seattle"
Jones corroberated what CLAWS had
| testified to a. TO the statement made by
Donald A. Mckenzie that the reason James
r. Garfield was not retained in Mr.. Taft
cabinet was because OF his hostility to the
! Alaska coal claims The affidavit made
. by Jones and CLAWS as to the conversa-
/ ton with Mckenzie described by CLAWS as
lobbyist, was introduced in evidenSb and
| read.
Fight on james n. Garfield.
Mckenzie, according to the affidavit
| said he talked with Mr. Garfield in Wash
Iington and that his hostility to the Alaska
claims was such that they brought pres
sure to bear upon senators and others to
! prevent his being retained in the cabinet
and that was the reason he was not re-
tained by President Taft They wanted
some one in the cabinet who understood
the needs OF Alaska"
Jones said he and CLAWS felt that II
Mckenzie and other claimants In Alaska
had power enough to remove a cabinet
officer, they themselves would be removed
, II their reports didn't suit"
/ The witness next sharply criticised the
conduct OF Special Agent James NJ sheri-
J dan. who was sent by the land office
I to supplant CLAWS as the man to conduct
hearing on the Alaska cases before the
commissioner appeared to take testimony.
Jones said he attempted to assist Sheridan,
but he would not listen to anything
/ "He Just went in and at the beginning
OF the hearing threw the Cunningham
/ Journal and all our affIdavits on the table
and said that was a prima facie case The
/ other side Immediately asked for a recess,
during which they examined all our evil
dence, every bit Of our case and then
when we resumed the hearing the witnesses
all denied they meant what they
/ said in the affidavits. sheridan's conduct
was such as to give the others the advant-
/ age Of knowing In advance all the evidence
we had"
Sheridan is Not Competent.
| As to Sheridan being competent and ex-
perienced lawyer as the land offices
claimed, Jones said Sheridan was grad
uated only a year or two ago from a law
school in Washington.
Jones gave some incidents Of the hear
ings which he claimed indicated that sheri-
| dan was not competent to handle such a
big case, especially when he was opposed
by two Of the leading attorneys of Seattle.
Sheridan at the time was receiving sal
ary OF 81, 200 or $500 year,
Jones said the affldavits were intended
for use in cross-examining witnesses Sheri-
dams conduct of the case nullified the af-
fidavits.
Senator Fletcher said:
do you mean to say to this committee
that there had been no serious prosecu-
tions Of these cases up to this timer
TT was serious to the extent of the abil-
ity Of the prosecutor 1 don't mean to say
there was any purpose or intent to smooth
the cases over"
"Did you indicate to the department your
objections to the manner in which the case
was being conduoted2"
NO" replied the witness, and then
added. amid laughter: They might havs
thought 1 was insubordinate."
Jones said it would have been absurd for
a claimant to say he had not intended to
combine with others, for it would not have
been possible for anyone to work a single
claim of 16o acres.
''T'hen why should anyone take up these
claims If they can't work them themselves
and 1t is unlawful to have intent TO COM
| pine Win otn6Tb
| That's what I've been trying to find
out" replied the witness.
Returning to Sheridan, Jones said he sug-
gested many questions to Sheridan on
which to cross-examine witnesses. but he
would not ask them. saying You can go
on the stand at the finish and rebut all you
want to-"
Record OF shCridan's Competency.
Attorney Brandels said he had received
from the forestry bureau a copy of the
record of the Cunningham hearings and
he desired to introduce It In evidence ito
show the incompetency OF Mr.. Sheridan to
conduct so important a case"
The attorney wanted printed only such
excerpts as he should indicate to show his
inoompetency."
Senator Root declared that where there
was a general charge Of this character, the
whole record ought to be printed.
1T is not so much charge against Mr.
Sheridan as it is a serious reflection on
his superiors," interjected Brandes, "for
having selected a man of so little expert
ence to try such case. 1t was not Mr..
Sheridan's fault"
serious charge against Mr.. Sheridan and
the whole record Of his conduct Of the
cases should go in," said Senator Root.
1t was so ordered by the committee
''Do you mean to charge that Sheridan
was incompetent or corrupt" demanded
Senator Nelson of the witness.
II think he was unwise in his conduct
OF the case. think he is bright and COM
petent. 1 don't believe he was corrupt"
The witness detailed more about Sherl-
dams conduct OF the case. Once, amid
laughter, he said that when Sheridan was
cautioned against leading a witness he re-
piled: Il wasn't leading him; 1 was only
trying to indicate to him what his answer
was expected to be-"
At the conclusion of his references to
Sheridan the witness naively added:
But don't mean to crlticise."