The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-23
CLAWS HEARD IN
CUNNINGHAM CASE
Former Special Agent Reiter-
ates Some of His For
Tner Statements.
WAS GUILTY OF DECEPTION
HIS ACCOUNT OF THE ALLEGED
STOLEN LEDGER.

Washington. March 22-Louis r. CLAWS.
former chief of the field division of the
general land office, testified before Spe-
cial Commissioner William J. MCGEE to-
day In the inquiry conducted by the in
terror department into the question of
the validity of the Cunningham coal
claims.
Mr.. CLAWS said OrviIle D. Jones of
Wallace. Ida, one of the claimants, had
told him in March, 1908, when he secured
his affidavit that the claimants had al
ways understood and agreed among them
selves that when they got title to the
lands they would form q company to de-
yelop them.
He stated that r. r. Johnson and Cush-
ing Moore, both of Wallace, Ida, had cor
roborated Mr.. Jones' affidavit, but that
Henry White. another claimant at Wall
lace, had denied there was any such un-
Outstanding. He said the affidavit5 Sc
cured from the entrymen were written by
the agents If the general land office as a
rule. As drawn up these affidavits would
be examined and then sworn to by the
entrymen if found satisfactory.
Cunningham Consented.
The witness said the Cunningham jour
nal ard ledger were shown TO him by
Special AgeH Horace D. Jones and C1ar-
ence Cunningham and that the books
were taken from the Cunningham resi-
dence to their hotel for examination with
the aequiescence of Mr.. Cunningham
He explained that he decided to make
the statement because he understood Mr..
Cunningham had stated that he stole the
journal.
Mr. CLAWS said the journal contained
evidence he considered material to the
case and of which he thought the govern
ment should have a copy. He admitted
under oross-examination he had deceived
Mr.. Cunningham as TO why he wanted TO
take the books to his hotel. He told him
he wanted to check up the statements
of other claimants and desired to famfl--
iarfze himself with the situation, while
lie acknowledged his real purpose was to
have a copy made of such portions of the
ledger and journal as seemed important.
Deception Acknowledged.
He returned the ledger in the afternoon,
but as the copying of the journal had not
been finished he obtained permission from
Mr.. Cunningham to take it to Portland.
although he said he again deceived the
claimant He told Mr.. Cunningham he
had other papers in Portland which he
wanted to check up with the journal,
ing OF the book finished The book was
later returned to Mr.. Cunningham.
Attorney Gray endeavored to wrest from
the witness the admission that when he
started the investigation of the validity
of the claims he considered the alleged
interest of the Guggenheims one of the
important matters to be probed, but Mr..
CLAWS maintained the investigation had
satisfied MIN the Guggenheim interest
was all right, because he believed IL had
been entered into after the entrymen had
re ceived their final certificates.
He said the claimants apparently were
frank in their statements to him and an
swered all his questions, although he
added he could not be certain they told
him all they knew about the claims.
Former Special Agent II. K. Love, who
originally investigated the Cunningham
coal claims, will be called as witness
tomorrow.