Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-15

| Pinchot congressional inquiry began tC
| bristle with interest today when John
| J, Eertrees, counsel for Secretary Bal
| finger, undertook the cross-eXamin-
alton for Louis r. CLAWS, principa
witness for the Prosecution"
| The climax of the day was reached
| late in the session when Mr.. Ncrtrees
announced that a box belonging to Mr.
CLAWS and left in the grand jury room
at Seattle, was broken open a few days
ago and a number of letters missing
from the files of the land office in Seat
| tie. copies Of which have recently been
| published in a weekly paper, were
found therein.
| CLAWS angrily declared that if any
letters were found in his belongings. "A
| frame-up" had been prepared against
him. His denunciation of federal Off
Gals who would stoop to such trick
| to win the favor of their Superlors
caused applause among the specta-
| tors, which caused Chairman Nelson
| to announce that a repetition of the
| outburst would result in the room be-
| ing cleared
| Mr. Nertrees announced that C. A
| of the field division. would be called
| to testify about the finding of the let
| tcrs He Offered, in evidence a letter
| from Christensen describing the al
| legged discovery and the committee got
| into a long Wrangle over whether OF
not it should be received in evidence
| The matter was deferred until tomor-
| rows executive session.
At the morning session, Mr.. Nertrees
drew from the witness the fact that he
made no charges Of corruption against
anyone in the land office or the depart
| ment of the interior. CLAWS said that
| if he had found evidence of corrup-
ton he would have taken the matter
| to grand jury instead of to the Pres
| ident. He said he thought the facts
warranted the opinion that Mr.. Bal
| linger and Mr.. bennett acted I'M
properly and he charged them witt
| official misconduct
| The witness cleared all of the Othel
officials Of any wilful wrongdoing.
AS to Assistant Secretary of the In
terror Pierce. CLAWS said he made az
| erroneous Interpretation of the Goa
land law of May. 1908, and that thi:
decision. while not an act of wrong
doing. indicated that he was not fit t
fill the Office he now holds. bennett
| CLAWS declared, was nothing more
| than "tocl' for Ballinger and ''Woult
do anything Ballinger said"
| At the afternoon session, Claws, il
response to a question by Mr.. Nertrees
| summed up the specific acts of wrong
! doing which ne charged against Sec
rotary Ba!linger. His statement wa
| a long one. but was listened to will
| intense interest, and for the first tim'
| gave point to the prosecutions case.
Mr.. Vertrees indicated today that hi;
| cross Examination would be thorough
| one The inquiry will proceed tomor
| row.
Secretary Ballinger said tonight tina
| the hearing was progressing YER!
satisfactorily" but he declined to com
ment on the testimony of Mr.. Claw:
brought out by the cross-examination
| Washington. Feb. 1.-THE Ballinger-
| Pinchot inquiry was resumed this fore
noon. Louis r. CLAWS. the principa
accuser of Secretary Ballnger agar
took the stand, prepared for a Srillini
cross examination by attorneys repre-
senting the officials of the interior de-
partment.
The committee room where the hear
ing was held. was crowded Most OF the
spectators We're elderly women. TIL,
open sitting of the committee was pre-.
ceded by an executive session of half az
hour. Attorneys Brandeis and Cotton
| nro,,ny-ircy = Ia
position of prosecutors. were opposed
today by Attorneys Nertrees anC
Rasch, representing Mr.. Ballinger and
others of the interior department.
| When CLAWS was recalled to the
stand Mr. Brandeis announced there
were some corrections to be made il
the record of the witnesses testimony
| Chairman Nelson suggested that thes'
be put in later but Mr.. Nertrees OBJ
| iected saying he did not wish. in the
midst of his cross examination to be
met by the statement that it was {
mistake.
Mr.. CLAWS then made the corrections
most of the mistakes, it appeared, hay
ing been due to his drawl. and lisp,
i When the last of the corrections ha(
been made Mr.. Nertrees took up the
cross examination of the witness. HI
inquired first as to the knowledge Mr.
CLAWS had regarding the amount Q
coal in Alaska. The witness said he
understood the coal areas were large
hut lie had never examined the geo.
logical survey reports.
The Cunningham claims, he said
covered but small part of the Goa
areas of Alaska-about 30 claims on
! OF 900. Mr.. Vertrees drew from the wit.
ness that the Cunningham claimant:
were the first of the Alaskan claimant:
to pay upon their claims and that il
numerical order they were entitled tx
first consideration in any investiga
ticn that was to be made.