Show SENSATION FORMER SECRETARY GARFIELD A STAR WITNESS IN THE BAL LINGER CASE statement made that had no interest in alaskan Ala Alas akan karf coal claims when records showed they had secured options washington wash in agton james it II garfield former secretary of the interior was finally excused from rom the witness stand at the ballinger pinchot investigation late thursday afternoon ills ilia final halt half hour before the committee furnished the sensation of what had been a decidedly dull day mr air garfield Garil eld stated that mr air ballinger after having been commissioner of tho the land office submitted to him on oa september 17 1908 1909 an affidavit signed by clarence cunningham and containing the statement that the heims had no interest whatever in the cunningham group of coal claims in alaska while v alle as a matter of fact the record of a recent hearing before the senate committee on territories shows allows that prior to the making of at the affidavit aff dalt davit the guggenheim syndicate had bad been given an option on a halt interest in all the cunningham claims the former secretary of the interior was examined and cross examined on his administration of at the office which he surrendered to mr air ballinger on march 5 6 1909 air garfield lit in explaining pla ining what lie he did in the matter of tile the withdrawal of lands without beille provision of law declared ho he was working in the interest of tho the people and to prevent control of power sites and consequent extortionate prices to it consumers |