Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-02-18
BALLINGER'S ACCUSER SAYS HE
WAS VICTIM OF "FRAME-UP" ON
PART OF OFFICIALS.
MISSING PAPERS ARE FOUND.
Documents Which Were Not Turned
Over to Successor Discovered IN
Seattle, Wash.
WITNESS CLEVER ON THE STAND.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 10
After an executive session of forty min
utes in regard to admitting at this time
of a report from Seattle giving the de-
tails of an alleged discovery of twenty
four letters which had been missing
from the official files of the land office
there. and were said to have been found
in the effects of Louis r. CLAWS, cher
accuser of Secretary Ballinger, the con-
gressional investigating committee today
ordered subpoenas issued for A. CHRIS
Jensen. chief of the field division at
Seattle. and also for the assistant custo-
dian of the federal building where the
boxes belonging to CLAWS were stored
The list of prospective witnesses IS IN
creasing daily, indicating that the IN
quiry will be an extensive one
Mr. VertreeS questioned CLAWS further
today about the memorandum CLAWS as
sisted in preparing and on which Assist
ant Secretary Pierce rendered construc-
ton of the new coal land law OF May
1908. CLAWS testified Monday that this
opinion. to his mind, showed Mr.. Pierce
to be unfit for his office.
The Cunningham Claims.
Mr.. Vertrees sought to show that the
Cunningham claimants having decided TO
stand for patents under the old law,
were specifically excluded from consider
alton in the Pierce opinion, The attor-
ney also sought to show that Attorney
General Wickersham did not overrule
Mr. Pierce. but substantially sustained
him in every essential particular.
All Mr. CLAWS would admit in this
connection was that he certainly did not
intend to exclude the Cunningham
claims from consideration, and that
may have construed the law as Mr..
Pierce did, the witness did not think
But you condemn Mr. Pierce on your
construction Of the laWF
Yes, sir
The session had not proceeded far
when Mr.. Vertrees and the witness had
rect answers; CLAWS wanted to explain
every answer by referring to reports.
etc.
Mr. Vertrees once arose with: IF
your honor, please, then he corrected
himself by saying, Mr.. Chairman" The
many and as long explanations as he
desired.
Il don't think they are relevant" said
Chairman Nelson. but go on"
Mr.. Vertrees then took up the accusa-
lions of misconduct against Fred Den
CLAWS had declared that after hearing
H. r. Hartman, one of the applicants,
make certain admissions relative to a
claim, bennett answered a telegram
from CLAWS saying none of the claim
ANTS had made admissions. Mr.. Yer
trees brought out the fact that CLAWS
telegram had been sent more than a
year after the Hartman admission and
that the witness knew of no other admis-
Isions among the 900 claimants.
! Yet you condemn Mr.. bennett as an
improper official from this?
/ Not from that alone" replied the wit
ness.
Gravis admitted that an affidavit he
made June 20, 1909, as to certain state
iments which a claimant named Melon
aid had said he had made to bennett,
may have been too broad If it was the
witness said he was anxious to correct it.
What else did bennett do?' asked
Mr.. Vertrees.
well. he wrote those funny letters
from Seattle and Portland"
How did you get copies Of those
letters ~
I Special Agent Spalding acted as Den
netts stenOgrapher and told me about
the letters and l asked him to furnish
me with copies"
You ordered him to do so, didn't
tyou?'
81 was his superior officer
He refused and you ordered him?''
He hestated. He said the letters
were private. But they were mailed I'M
der frank and | thought that made
them official
You used that argument to Spalding
didn't your
II don't know that | did,
Mr.. Vertrees went into the letters in
some detail. They were written by Den
nett to H. H. Schwartz, chief of the
field service. and have heretofore been
introduced in evidence.
CLAWS fences with the attorneys skill
fully. and apparently is match for all
of them. He parties their questions, and
when directed an answer yes" or mo-
he always stands upon the right that has
been accorded him to follow this up with
an explanation which may run on for five
minutes or more, and in the course of
which he usually takes advantage of the
opportunity TO say that he was thus con-
WINGED that Mr.. Ballinger is unfit for
the office he holds, is unfaithful to his
trust and not loyal to the interests of
the people.
The appearance of counsel for both
sides has tended to enliven the pro-
ceedings greatly and has also been an
influence to bring about some lively dis
cussions among the members of the com
mittee as to the admissibility of testi-
mOny and regarding protests from Gla-
Wis that Mr. Vertrees cuts off answers
before the witness has fairly started to
reply. Mr. Vertrees disclaims any such
intention but asserts that instead of di-
rectly responding CLAWS branches off
into an argument or into an expression
of opinion as to what might be consid-
cred right or wrong. In these commit
tee discussions. the Democrats thus far
have always been found ON the side of
the accusing witness. Mr.. Madison, the
.insurgent member from Kansas, has
also taken up the defense of CLAWS.