The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-02-15
THE bA[[|NGER-
P|NCHOT FIGHT
GETTING WARM
CLAWS Declares He Is the Vic.
tim of a Frameup by the
Officials
CLAWS CHARGED WITH TAKING
LETTERS OF THE GOVERNMENT
Copies We're Found in Box Left I'm
Grand Jury Room ut Seattle by Gla.
yis-Goyernmcnt Will Investigate
Frameup Charge.

Washington. Feb. 15.-Interest in
the congressional inquiry into the
Balinger-Pinchot controversy has been
greatly heightened as the result of
yesterdays cross-eXamination of Louis
r. CLAWS by John ]. Vertrees, coun-
sci for Secretary Ballinger. Antici-
pating continuance of the rapid fire
of questions, the crowds even greater
than yesterdays record breaking at
tendance sought admission to the
committee room this morning. The
seating capacity of the place has been
enlarged from time to time until now
the spectators entirely surround the
witness and attorneys, and almost en-
close the committee itself. CLAWS
underwent his first ordeal of cross
examination with the same cool self
possessed manner that he displayed
whe ngiving his direct testimony.
The members If the committee,
among whom are many we'll known
lawyers. declare that rarely in their
experience have they seen a more
clever witness than CLAWS. His coun-
sci MIR. Brandeis, sits by with a broad
grin during most of the time that the
! dismissed field agent is answering or
arguing with Mr.. Vertrees and is ap-
parently confident that the witness
| needs no assistance.
Mr.. Vertrees questioned the witness
further about the memorandum Mr..
CLAWS assisted in preparing and on
which Assistant Secretary Pierce
rendered the construction of the new
coal land law of May, 1908. CLAWS
testified yesterday that this opinion,
| to his mind, showed Mr.. Pierce to he
unfit for his Office.
| Attorney Vertrees sought to show
by the letters and kilograms in the
record that the CLAWS charges that
the requests for delay in hearing the
Cunningham cases had not been fa-
vorably received by Fred bennett,
commissioner Of the land Office. were
not substantiated by the evidence. In
one telegram read bennett wired Mr
Ballinger suggesting that the latter
| authorize the delay until certain evil
dence could be secured. Ballinger in
reply said that in view of his per-
sonal reluctance to direct the pro-
ceedings in the Alaska cases, Den.
nett himself should give the neces-
sary directions to Schwartz. "That
convinced me-" said CLAWS, ''tha,
Ballinger was personally directing
the cases. for in all my experience
with the interior rdepartment, l never
heard of it being necessary for a COM
missioner to appeal to the secretary
for permission to delay q hearing.
Mr.. Vertrees read into the record an
extract of a letter from bennett to
Schwartz in which he said: If more
time is necessary we will have tc
grant it, but it seems to me that No.
vember is putting the matter off rath.
er lond."
The committee held an unus"ally
long executive session this morning
and it was 10:40 o'clock when the
public hearing was resumed. CLAWS
again tok the stand for a continuance
of his cross-examinetion.
To ascertain whether or not CLAWS
was the victim of a frame up" in con.
nection with the finding of the various
missing official papers. Attorney Yer.
trees requested that subpoenaes be
issued forthwith for A. Christensen
CLAWS successor, G. w. O'Neill of Sc
attle, Miss Ella NJ Shartell Of Seat.
| tie, Special Agent Frank l.. Spaldine
of Cheyenne and W. w. Barr of Seat
tie.
When Mr.. vertrees began to cross.
examine CLAWS yesterday on his &C.
cusations of official misconduct, the
committee soon got into quite an up.
roar. CLAWS complained to the chair.
man that Mr.. Vertrees was cutting
of his answers and that he had to
make certain explanation.
Answer the questions as they are
asked. directed Senator Root.
! Mr.. Vertrees reverted to Assistant
Secretary Pierce's construction ol
the law Of May. 1908. CLAWS said:
"lf 1t was not rendered under the
influence of MIR. Ballinger. his con-
struction of law showed him unfit for
his Office. If he did render 1t under
the influence Of Mr.. Ballinger 1t still
shows he ought not to be permitted
to hold the Office he does."
Mr.. Vertrees next questioned CLAWS
as to incidents connected with the
turning over Of his Office to his sue
cessor when CLAWS was dismissed
from the service. CLAWS said he had
!eclined to give up some of the pa
,ers until he had made copies OF
lem because. he said. he was con-
inced that mean and treacherous
.!ings might be done."
Mr.. Vertrees read demand which
CLAWS successor had said he turned
over the papers over. The ones that
were said to be missing, he declared
L A~L