Arizona republican., 1920-05-12
GRAFT PRObE IN STATE DEPT. LOSES INTEREST
Although Playing To Bigger
 Audience on Second Night
 Absence of Oction Makes Spectacle Drag Somewhat

The second night of the open hear ing of the investigation of the land department brought the investigators no nearer to the light than they had been. But the night was not barren of developments, among which was the decision that the whole land depart ment was under inquiry, the members of the board, as well as the commis- sioner, so that the anomaly was pre- senteG of a hearing in which all the parties involved were respondents and the members of the board were sitting both as judges and defendants.
 Several interesting, but not illumi- mating, phases were presented Among the witnesses was Mrs Clara Parker. wife of A. F. Parker, whose name had been mentioned by $. G. Barrows as the probable sender of the letter to which Barrows alleged his name had been forged. The letter was presented to her and she said that the handwrit- ing of the signature or Barrows was not in the handwriting of her husband. The ''B" was quite different from that letter, as formed by him, and the "a, " which more nearly resembled an 70, ' she declared was peculiarity that did not appear in his penmanship. But two letters from Parker to the commis sion were shown her and they disclosed that that was frequent peculiarity of Parker's Spencerian style.
 -hIS kGI cOulu DOL SdS WHSIc iAcA husband was at the date of the letter. |, on the stationery Of the Mansion house at Benson. He was travelling 'in and out" and she could not say where he had been at any fixed time. Tn fact, it appeared that her knowledge of his movements was of the most casual character She promised if she could find among her effects any letters from him to turn them over to the commission for comparison with the signature Of the Benson letter.
 Ahl MeIodrana.
 All this was brought out on the di- rect examination by Mir. Struckmeyer, the cross examination by MT. Bullard and the examination by Mir. Ward, the legal bodyguard of Mr. Barrows.
 Mr. Struckmeyer opened a new lead which was later pursued by Attorney General Jones and practically every body associated with the affair. Mrs. Parker was asked if anything out of inc ordinary had happened to her re- ccntly: that is. if she had been ap- 3Toached by any person and impor- -uned to leave town. She replied that sine had not been; that 1t was untrue hat she intended to leave last night 1r a any time before the end of the school year. During this inquiry the oroverbial pindrop period was tu- multuouS in comparis0I with the still ness that prevailed in the supreme court chamber Here was melodrana, f not tragedy. But the matter re- solved itself into a visit to Mrs. Parker Dy State Treasurer Ross. who, she said. 1a3 called upon her q few nights 'ago and told her that he desired to re- 'rieve d certain letter that had been sent 10 Commissioner Moeur. This etter. he said. according to Mrs. Park sr had been signed by him, the attor- ney general and Mir. Boyce. asking for he commissioners resignation. She said MT. Ross suggested to her that he letter might be recovered through ". R. Eyants, of whom has been heard n connection with this article. i Whether the letter was overtaken did not appear from the testimony, but that was q matter of unimportant detail.
 Mad Enough to Kill" IT. tho course of the conversation with Mir. Ross. Mrs. Parker said he told her that Mir. Moeur was so mad that he would kill her husband on sight. That statement was seized upon by Mir. Struckmeyer as a possible req son for the absence of MT. Parker from 2 hearing into which he was probably 1 capable of throwing a great deal Of light. But Mir. Ross subsequently, 1 modified the language attributed. to aim by Mrs. Parker. He said that Mir. |