The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-07-27

ana tne ul|SClOuSuTe Oh Tue real per-
sons in interest. | was induced i'm
properly and for the promotion OF
their private gain, TO make the
order.
Horlhcr Ignorant OF II.
The statement in so lar as my
brother is concerned-and that is
the chief feature of the postscript
is utterly u%nfounded. He never
wrote to me or spoke to me in ref
erence to Richard S. Ryan or on the
subject of Controller Bay or the
granting Cf any privileges or the
making of any orders in respect to
Alaska. He has no interest in
Alaska, never had, and knows
nothing of the circumstances con-
nected with this transaction. He
does not remember that he yer met
Richard S. Ryan. He never heard
of the Controller Bay Railroad I'M
til my cab!egram of inquiry reached!
him, which, with his answer, is in
the record.
MIR. Ballinger says in Il tele-
gran in answer to my inquiry, both
of which are in the record. that he
never received such a postscript and
shat he was in Seattle on the date of
July 10. when it was said 10 have
been Written.
Mr.. Richard S. Ryan. in a letter
which ne has sent me without solici-
tation, and which is in the record,
says that he never met my brother,
Mr.. Charles p. Taft, and that so far
as he knows. Mr.. Charles p. Taft
never had the slightest interest in
Controller Bay, in the Controller
Railway & Navigation Co, or in amy
Alaskan company, and he utterly
denies writing or signing the alleged
postscript. The utter improbability
OF his writing such a postscript TO
My. Ballinger at Washington, when
the latter was away for his vacation
for two months, must impress every
one.
The fact is that MI. Rallinger
never saw the letter of July is,
1910, TO which this postscript is
said to have been attached. 1t Was
sent to me by MIR. Carr, Secretary
B~allingcr's private secretarN at
Beverly, Oh July 1.-THE next day
read the letter at Beverly in Aug.
ust with other papers and sent them
to the White House. 1t was place
upon the White House files and re,
manned there until April %, 1911
when it was, by request of Secretary
Fisher. for use in connection witt
his answer to a Senate inquiry. re
turned to the Interior Department
and it was after this that the cor,
responded is said to have e tho
letter with the postscript attached
Mr.. Carr saw no such postscript
when he sent the letter to me. | die
not see it when | read it. No ono
saw it in the Executive Office, but il
remained to appear as Il POSTSCRIPT
when it is said that the correspond.
ent saw the letter in April OFT Ma!
on the files of the Interior Depart
ment. All Others We're denied tn,
sight.
All Files Inspected.
The person upon whose state.
ment the existence of what has been
ing postscript is based, is a write,
for newspapers anGt magazines, who
was given permission by Secretar,
Fisher, after consultation with me
to examine all the files in respect tt
the Controller Bay matter-and thi.
under the supervision of Mr.. Brown
then private secretary to the Secre
tary of the Interior. After the eN'
animation at which it is alleged thi.
postscript vas received from the
hand of Mr.. Brown, the correspon.
dent perepared an elaborate article
on the subject of this order ant
Controller Bay, which was submitted
to Mr.. Fisher. and which was dis.
cussed with MIR. Fisher at length
but never in the conversation be.
tween them or in the article sub.
mitted did the correspondent men
ton the existence Of the postscript
Mr.. Brown states that ther was nc
such postscript in the papers whe.
he showed them to the correspond:
ent and that he never saw such g
postscript. Similar evidence is Civ.
en- by Mr.. Carr and other custodians
of the records in the Interior De.
partment.
stronger evidence of the falsity
and maliciously %slanderous char.
acter of the alleged postscript could
not be had. Its only significance is
the light it throws on the bitterness
and venom of some of those ..whc
take active part in every discussion