The Washington times., 1911-07-15
WICKERSHAM PUT
. ON THE DEFENSIVE
House Committee Votes to Force Attorney General to Ex
plain Why He Didn't Prosecute Alaska ~@
".% Fraud Cases. ~ ..


Another Alaska scandal, linked with
the Controller Bay grab and the general
scheme OF Alaskan spoliation, loomed
athwart the Administration horizon to-
day, and, In addition to the part he
tplayed in the BaIlinser-Pinchot contro-
versy and the more recent DR.. Wiley
incident, the Attorney General Is
charged with deliberately Withholding
prosecution of Alaskan coal conspira-
| tors until the statute of limitation had
run in their favor. ..
This latest charge was given official
tone today by the House Committee
on Judiciary.
1t voted to report fsvorably a resolu-
ton introduced by Delegate Wicker
sham of Alaska demanding that the
why he did not proceed against agents
of Alaskan coal companies who are said
TO have conspired to defraud the Gov
ernment by fake bids when the United
states purchased coal for the military
posts in Alaska.
The evidence, Delegate wickersham
charges, was placed in the hands OF
Attorney General Wickersham more
than a year before the statute of limi-
tation applied to Capt D. H. Jarvis
and John H. Bullock. presumably rep
resenting rival companies. As soon as
the statute Of Limitation had run, the
Alaskan Delegate says, he received
letter from the Attorney General say
ing that he could not act because OF
the Limitation act.
Three House committees today are on
the trail of the Attorney General, and
If half Of the serious charges against
him are proven, II would not be sur
prising If somS OF the Democratic in
vestigators should recommend impeach--
nent.
krvis' Suicide.
The judiciary Committee has taken
cognizance Of the Attorney Generals
alleged breach in the Jaryis-Bullock
case. A sensational chapter to these
charges is that Captain Jarvis commit
ted suicide the day after Delegate
Wickersham demanded an investigation
in the delay of his prosecution.
The House committee on expendi-
lures in the Agricultural Department
took up the part the Attorney General
has played in recommending the dis
missal of DR.. Wiley. This committee
will attempt to reconcile Mr.. Wicker
shams opinion that DR.. Wiley should
be dismissed for hiring a $500 ex-,
pert with the fact that the Attorney
General himself saw nothing wrong
in paying his own experts sums run
ming in the thousands. Frank B. Kel-
logg, for instance, received $4,000 in
fees and 1000 in expenses, in lump
~
The committee on expenditures in
the Department of Justice, spurred to
additional activity by the DR.. Wiley
brought out by the House Judiciary
Committee, determined today to take
tration Of the department. for several
years back and to overlook no trans
action Of the Attorney General, large
or small
Committee Astounded.
With such a costly trust busting force
on the payroIls. the committee is as
founded at the charges Of lack Of pros
ecutions such as has been brought
against the Attorney General by the
Delegate from Alaska.
According to the testimony offered by
the Alaskan Delegate, at q secret ses-
sio nof the Judiciary Committee. he
placed in the hands of the Attorney
General in May. 1910, an affidavit sign
ed by H. J. Douglas, charging a con-
spiracy among agents of the Alaska
syndicate to defraud the Government by
making fake bids on its coal supply
contracts. The Delegate from Alaska
says that he urged an immediate prose-
cution Of the syndicate agents, and
wrote the department several times fol-
lowing the fling of the affidavit, which.
by the way, was signed by the former
auditor of the syndicate.
Not until June 13. l91-a few weeks |
ago-according to the testimony of Del |
egate Wickersham, was he able to |
get any enlightening reply from the At |
torney General. of the same name. On |
that day Attorney General wickersham |
wrote the Alaska Delegate. he says, |
that no prosecutions could be had be |
cause the statute of limitations has ap- |
piled"
81 want the committee to have all |
the facts SO that 1t may be shown |
whether the Attorney General has de- |
liberately shielded these people from |
said Delegate Wicker