The Detroit times., 1911-07-15
bEMs. THREAT { n
| TO IMPEACH
/ W|CKERSHAM
with Half Dozen Serious Charges
Members Of House Take Up Their
Attack on Attorney
General.
They Object To His Attitude on
Alaska Coal Claims and DR..
Wiley Case.

WASHINGTON, July lb.-Witn
half a score OF serious charges In
hand, the Democrats of the house to-
day tok up their attack on Attorney
General Wickersham, with impeach-
ment proceedings as the possible out
come.
Three house committees settled
.own to probe the department OF JUS
tice, with the new charges filed with
judiciary committee as the center OF
ATTRACTION.
The judiciary committee decided 70
report TO the house resolution call
ing for all documents In the case OF
Capt. ID. H. Jarvis. agent IN Alaska
for the Guggenheims.
During hearings on the resolution
Delegate Wickersham. OF Alaska, as.
serted that over year ago he furnish.
ed the attorney-general with informa-
tion warranting an indictment against
Jarvis.
He charged that the administra-
tons legal officer deliberately allowed
the statute Of limitations to run
against the offense. Jarvis commit
I'D suicide the day after the Wlckers-
ham resolution calling for the papers
was introduced. Delegate Wickersham
produced an affidavit showing that
through the connivance of Jarvis, and
John II. Bullock. OF the John ]. Sesnor
Coal Co., the government was defraud
ed out OF $4,000 on coal contracts
The two men formed an agreement
between the competing coal compan-
les. the delegate charges; increased
me price on coal, and, having mo-
nopoly, forced the government to buy
The companies then divided profits,
| he says
House Democrats significantly
pointed out today that the judiciary
committee Is the body which must
originate impeachment proceedings
against government officials
In q lengthy statement this after
moon, AttoFney-General Wickersham
vigorously denied the charges pre-
ferred by Delegate Wickershafn. He
declared that the department had
made every EFFORT to prosecute and
asserted that the only basis for the
lcontroversy was letter which he
had written the delegate expressing
the opinion that criminal prosecution
was probably barred by limitation.
The attorney-general stated that
subsequently he had decided that de
spite the statute OF Limitations, PROSE
cutions were possible II the govern
ment could secure sufficient evidence
but that his agents had so far been
liable to obtain IL.
- According to the stenographic rec
ord OF the hearings of the judiciary
committee, made public today, Dele
gate Wickersham alleged that former
Secretary of War Wickinson and his
Secretary of War Dickinson and his
ignored his charges that the govern.
ment was being defrauded on Alas
kan coal contracts.
This afternoon Delegate Wicker
sham declared that more than a year
ago he had submitted papers to the
attorney-general, which he alleged,
Indicated that a United States legal
officer In Alaska had been paid s3..
. 900 by the Katalla company, a sub
sidiary OF the Guggenheim Alaska
syndicate.
Chairman Moss of the house com
mittee on expenditures in the 1e-
apartment OF agriculture today began
his preliminary examination OF the
papers In the case of the attorney
general against DR.. Wiley. The pure
food expert Is hard at work aiding
the committee, which is distinctly
favorable to him.
Meanwhile the mousse committee on
expenditures In the department OF
Justice is busy. Chairman Beall
(Dem., Texas) has already found. he
asserts. that the attorney-general
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