The San Francisco call., 1910-01-29
SAYS BAILING[R
STOPPED INQUIRY
CLAWS Declares Secretary of In
terror Wanted Investiga=
ton Dropped
Claimants, Angered at Failure
to Patent Lands, Refused
Campaign Contributions
Continued from Page o

indicate that President Taft and At
torney General Wickersham were mis-
/ taken when they reached the stated
conclusion that BaHinger's participa-
tion in the matter had been merely for
NAL.
Among the letters read was one from
Special Agent II. T. Jones, calling at
tention to the alleged fraudulent char
4 acter of the Alaskan claims
That Letter was written before CLAWS
came into the matter in any way?"
questioned Senator Nelson.
YES" replied Brandeis.
! Then you don't claim CLAWS origi-
nally called attention to these claims ?'
| NO; in addition Jones report there
had been supplemented by one from
Special Agent Love-"
Didn't Love recommend the Cum
ningham claims for clear listing?"
asked Representative Madison.
1T didn't amount to a recommends
tion, exactly" replied the counsel.
CLAWS Again Quizzed
The examination of CLAWS was then
resumed. He told of a visit to Wash
ington in December, 1907, when he took
up with officials of the land office the
matter of the Alaska claims. He told
Schwartz that people in Seattle We're
saying there would be no further in
vestigation of the claims in Alaska and
the patents would be granted
Il said there was great danger of an
other big scandal equal to that in Wy
oming and Colorado, where the investi-
cation of the coal land cases had been
suppressed declared CLAWS,
who suppressed those investiga-
tions? ?" demanded Senator Paynter CD.
1T was testified at Salt Lake that
former Commissioner Richards did
Ballinger had no connection with it.in
any way
why We're people in Seattle saying
they would get. their patents?" asked
James CD.
Il don't know replied CLAWS; u
know of no reasons they may have
had"
"who made these statements?' in
quired Olmstead.
There were number of claimants
in the Hunt group l can't recall the
names"
CLAWS Given Charge
After his interview with Schwartz
CLAWS was conducted to Ballinger's of
fee and as a result of his visit to
Washington and the story he told was
Immediately placed in charge of all the
Alaska cases.
What did you say to Ballinger?"
Il told him ! thought we could cam
eel all the Alaskan claims; that lot
of prominent people had formed a pool
and that the evidence would prove it,
What did BaIlinger say to you?"
He said a number of the claimants
were friends and former business as
sociates of his and that there had been
a lot of talk that they would get their
patents"
Now, Claws he said. when you
get back to Seattle want you to let it
be publicly known that you have start
ed this investigation and I want 1t to
be thorough, no matter who it hurts.
You are to go right after them, wheth-
er they are friends of mine or not
Did he mention names of his
friends?n
Yes. he spoke of H. C. Henry and C.
j. Smith, both of whom were in the
Cunningham group
CLAWS said he went back to work
happy and satisfied that there was to
be thorough investigation and that
he had worried unnecessarily about a
possible scandal.
CLAWS declared it was December 49,
1907, he had his interview with Com
missioner Balinger. January Z, 1908,
less than a month after he had been
directed to make the investigation, a
letter was addressed to him by Bal
linger, stating that the Cunningham
claims had been clear listed" from the
investigating division for patent.
January %, 1908, CLAWS sent a tele
gram and letter protesting against the
clear listing of the claims and they
were withdrawn and sent back to the
investigating division.
Order Is Held Up
Brandeis read further from the
printed record to show that the first
order to clear list the Cunningham
claims was issued by the mineral di
vision December 26, 1907-just 1S days
after the CLAWS interview with Com
missioner Ballinger. The order how
Schwartz
One order for clear listing, so far as
the mineral division was concerned, had
been issued December s, 1907. prior to
CLAWS visit to Washington, but this
too was held up by Schwartz.
AT the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion Attorney Brandeis offered in evil
dence the journal of Clarence Cunning
ham of Wallace, Idaho, agent in all the
Cunningham claims.
The journal contained under date of
1903 an agreement among the Cunning
ham claimants to form a. company, each
claimant to give Cunningham an eighth |
of his stock in return for services rem
dered.
CLAWS told further of his investi
cation into the alleged fraud OF the |
Cunningham group and said when he |
first approached Cunningham the latter |