Bonaparte, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1851-1921

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt agrees with Attorney General Bonaparte’s conclusions in the Standard Oil and Chicago Alton Railroad case. While he thinks Bonaparte’s letter to Henry Lee Higginson is admirable, Roosevelt thinks it best not to publish it and open himself to further attacks by the press. He cautions against attending the conference of attorney generals. Roosevelt suggests how to respond to United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick and handle the situation in New Mexico.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt regards Attorney General Bonaparte’s actions as correct and believes it best he continues to decline interviews by the press, especially since anything he says “is certain to be twisted.” Roosevelt agrees that Special Assistant Attorney General Ormsby McHarg should be kept on.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-17

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt discusses how a letter from Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis changes the possible prosecution of the Chicago and Alton Railroad and Standard Oil cases. He asks Attorney General Bonaparte to investigate the testimony in question.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-17

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt instructs Attorney General Bonaparte to stop investigating the matter involving William B. Sheppard, and to fill out his appointment as the judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Roosevelt has directed Special Assistant Attorney General Ormsby McHarg to continue the prosecution in New Mexico. While Roosevelt feels that McHarg lacks the experience to handle the case, he understands that halting the prosecution would likely result in the statute of limitations coming into play. He hopes to send Assistant Attorney General Alford Warriner Cooley to new Mexico to help take up the matter. Bonaparte should continue insisting on an immediate separate trial for Senator William Edgar Borah. The press continually attacks Roosevelt and Bonaparte.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt enjoyed visiting with Attorney General Bonaparte and agrees with his views of United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick and Senator William Edgar Borah. In a postscript, Roosevelt discusses how Ruick has been “playing a sharp, clever, tricky game” and hopes Francis J. Heney can take over. Roosevelt shares his thoughts on the situation in New Mexico.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt sends an editorial for Attorney General Bonaparte to comment on, as well as a rough draft of his speech for the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, which he asks Bonaparte to read and comment upon as soon as possible. Roosevelt discusses the railroad rate case in North Carolina, bemoaning the “yellow press” coverage of the situation. In the matter of the case against Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah, Roosevelt agrees with Bonaparte and the action that must be taken, but feels obligated to meet with Borah’s representatives.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt agrees with Attorney General Bonaparte in not interfering on behalf of Eugene A. Tucker, but that his lawyer should be punished. He believes that former Illinois Governor Richard Yates could be employed in the powder trust case. In a postscript, Roosevelt discusses how state and local governments use extralegal measures to combat non-governmental entities.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt sends Attorney General Bonaparte a clipping that references the “virility” of the Catholic Church. Roosevelt thinks the author meant “virulence.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt approves of Attorney General Bonaparte’s handling of Japanese seal poachers in the Bering Sea. Roosevelt sends a letter from a reporter to Secretary of War William H. Taft about Senator William Edgar Borah.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-19

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Bonaparte he has been advised that district attorneys should steer clear of having clients involved in the alcohol business as it will put them in close contact with undesirable individuals. This is in response to northern Texas District Attorney William Hawley Atwell’s connection with the Sonnentheil-Holbrook Grocery Company.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt has sent a letter to Attorney General Bonaparte from a man named Spence who expresses his objection to the appointment of Benjamin M. Ausherman as United States District Attorney for Wyoming. Roosevelt says to pay no attention to Spence who is a drunkard, had spent time in a penitentiary, and was implicated of an assault on Senator Clarence D. Clark.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-21

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Bonaparte that Wyoming District Attorney Timothy F. Burke cannot be considered for reappointment based on reports from Milton Dwight Purdy and Alford Warriner Cooley. Burke’s term is almost up and Roosevelt feels that replacing him as soon as possible would be appropriate, but he would like Bonaparte’s advice.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt believes that Judge James Wickersham is to blame for allowing “such a man” as Andrew Holman to remain commissioner, and asks Attorney General Bonaparte if he agrees.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-05

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt encloses a letter from Lyman Abbott, supporting his suggestion that Attorney General Bonaparte write an article on the goals and accomplishments of Roosevelt’s second term.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt writes Attorney General Bonaparte regarding the federal prison employment situation of Joseph L. Merrell. Merrell was the Sheriff of Carroll County, Georgia in 1901 when he stopped a white mob from lynching a black prisoner, and subsequently lost his reelection bid as a result. Georgia Representative Charles William Adamson brought the situation to Roosevelt’s attention. Roosevelt secured Merrell a position for “$1200 a year as custodian of the grounds of the Federal Prison at Atlanta,” and hopes to get him a raise if he has done well at his job.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

Memorandum from Stanley Wellington Finch to Charles J. Bonaparte

Stanley Wellington Finch informs Attorney General Bonaparte about Special Agent William E. Johnson’s action regarding liquor traffic in Indian Territory. The Department of the Interior does not want to withdraw Johnson from his current work and would not do so unless requested by President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-13

Letter from Ruel Rounds to Charles J. Bonaparte

U.S. Marshal Rounds acknowledges several messages Attorney General Bonaparte has sent pertaining to the trial of Senator William Edgar Borah. Borah’s friends believe he will not receive a fair trial. Rounds says he is confused by this concern and explains that he has done nothing to prevent Borah from receiving a fair trial. Rounds requests that Bonaparte begin an investigation to satisfy himself about the truth of the complaints.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-07

Letter from Frank Sigel Dietrich to Charles J. Bonaparte

Judge Dietrich informs Attorney General Bonaparte he had asked for a large panel of seventy jurors and informed the U.S. Marshal to avoid any appearance of bias. Dietrich also reports on developments regarding the judge to be appointed for the Idaho land fraud case. He reached out to several judges before eventually deciding on Judge Edward Whitson, an outside judge which will give the appearance of fairness. The decision was “entirely satisfactory to all parties here.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-07

Letter from Frank Sigel Dietrich to Charles J. Bonaparte

Judge Dietrich reports to Attorney General Bonaparte on discussions he has had with the parties and special government counsel regarding the outside judge to be appointed in the Idaho land fraud cases. All parties agreed to Judge Edward Whitson, but Dietrich is not sure all would agree to Judge William Henry Hunt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-06

Letter from John E. Wilkie to Charles J. Bonaparte

Secret Service Chief Wilkie decodes and forwards two telegrams from Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch to Attorney General Bonaparte. The first confirms the present parties and the forthcoming report. The second confirms that District Attorney N. M. Ruick is behaving, and asks that Bonaparte wait for further information before asking Judge William B. Gilbert to send another judge.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-03