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President Roosevelt supports the decisions Attorney General Bonaparte outlined in his last letter. Roosevelt believes he will have to admit Oklahoma to the Union, as the pros outweigh the cons. Roosevelt also wants to discuss the placement of William H. H. Llewellyn with Bonaparte.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-21
President Roosevelt thinks that the Landis-Sims-Wilkerson matter will gradually resolve itself after they confer with the judge. He does not understand Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch’s telegram and asks Attorney General Bonaparte whether Burch is proceeding against all of the defendants or only Senator William Edgar Borah.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-07
President Roosevelt agrees with Attorney General Bonaparte on the appointment of Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch in the Idaho land fraud case. On the New Mexico issue, Roosevelt details Attorney General William H. H. Llewellyn’s rise as an attorney. In light of Judge James H. Beatty’s letter, Roosevelt feels there is no need to be involved. Although Roosevelt does not trust rumors, it does seem based on recent behavior that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis may be suffering a breakdown. In a post script, Roosevelt comments on William Randolph Hearst’s recent supposed sympathy toward Bonaparte after his siding with Wall Street. In Roosevelt’s view, the recurrent rumor about Bonaparte resigning to appease financiers has actually shown the public that Bonaparte alarms those who are corrupt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-31
President Roosevelt has sent William Allen White’s letter to Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte and he encloses the reply. He assures White that District Attorney N. M. Ruick has been taken off of Senator William Edgar Borah’s case and it has been given to Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch and Assistant District Attorney Sylvester R. Rush, who will treat it fairly. If Ruick resigns, the letter sent to him will likely be published, but nothing is certain yet.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-30
President Roosevelt follows up on several issues with Attorney General Bonaparte, including United States District Attorney Marsden C. Burch’s devotion to United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick, hiring Tracy C. Becker at the Department of Justice, the appointments of David J. Leahy and Ira A. Abbott, and the situation in Oklahoma.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-29
President Roosevelt finds Attorney General Bonaparte’s letter to United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick admirable. Unfortunately, Francis J. Heney is unable to take the case. Roosevelt encloses a letter from Idaho Governor Frank Robert Gooding. The press has turned its attention to Secretary of State Elihu Root, who has been in poor health.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-27
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on various matters before the Department of Justice, specifically pertaining to the cases of William Edgar Borah and N. M. Ruick. Bonaparte also goes into great detail about the case of the People of Puerto Rico vs. the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church in Puerto Rico. He encourages Roosevelt not to get involved but instead to let the courts work it out. In a postscript, Bonaparte discusses the political considerations of federal appointees who run for elective office.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-15
Attorney General Bonaparte forwards President Roosevelt a telegram he received from Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch regarding the misconduct of District Attorney N. M. Ruick. Bonaparte asks Roosevelt to wire him with any instructions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-13
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on several political matters. He believes the evidence that could be brought against Senator William Edgar Borah is not enough to convict him, but it is likely that Borah knew about the conspiracy. Bonaparte also wants to talk with Roosevelt about what is going on in the New Mexico Territory and the charges made against William H. H. Llewellyn. Finally, Bonaparte mentions a letter he received from W. Hall Harris about whether he should resign the postmastership in order to accept the nomination for a judgeship in Baltimore, Maryland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-11
Attorney General Bonaparte informs President Roosevelt about a variety of telegrams he has received pertaining to current issues, such as the trial in Idaho concerning Senator William Edgar Borah, the work of Special Assistant U.S. District Attorney Grace Humiston (Mrs. Quackenbos), and a revised constitution for the Territory of Oklahoma.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-10
Attorney General Bonaparte acknowledges receipt of William Loeb’s letter regarding enforcement of the law regarding alcohol sales in Indian Territory. Bonaparte also lists his thoughts regarding the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company immunity. If the action is deferred until after a decision in the court of appeals, it would cause a delay of many months. Bonaparte informs President Roosevelt that he is willing to read the entire testimony if Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis assembles it. At the end, Bonaparte includes a copy of a telegram he received about another instance of a request for immunity.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-09
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.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-07
Attorney General Bonaparte sends President Roosevelt letters from United States Attorney Edwin Walter Sims and Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch along with a clipping about Special Assistant U.S. District Attorney Grace Humiston (Mrs. Quackenbos). Bonaparte thinks his statement will suffice until he gets to Chicago, but the press will likely attack them anyway. It puzzles Bonaparte that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis does not see that going back on the matter the would be exactly what Standard Oil wants.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-05
Attorney General Bonaparte tells President Roosevelt that District Attorney Edwin Walter Sims has asked for a postponement in Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis’s case, perhaps due to Landis’s behavior. The press covering Secretary of State Elihu Root and Thomas Fortune Ryan has been sensationalized, and Bonaparte feels it is unfortunate that Root is taking the blame on the whiskey situation. Bonaparte will get an update from Department of Justice Agent Peyton Gordon about Agent Ormsby McHarg. As he will be traveling, Bonaparte sends his forwarding address. He encloses telegrams from Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch regarding Judge Frank Sigel Dietrich.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-04
Attorney General Bonaparte has heard from Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch that Judge Frank Sigel Dietrich has asked Judge William B. Gilbert to bring in another judge for the senator’s trial. Judge William Henry Hunt has been suggested. Bonaparte asks for President Roosevelt’s input before he responds to Dietrich.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-04
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-03
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on Judge Frank Sigel Dietrich’s statements regarding Marshal Ruel Rounds, and on the situation in Idaho. Bonaparte thinks the lumber men could appeal to the Interstate Commerce Commission about the railroad rates, but he will have to look into the matter further. Many of the employees involved in the land fraud cases think highly of District Attorney N. M. Ruick and feel Senator William Edgar Borah is guilty, but the secret service men dislike Ruick. In Oklahoma, Bonaparte is still waiting for the election and the results of the census, and will give Roosevelt his feedback on the constitution after he has more information. William Randolph Hearst and the financiers have taken up rumors of Bonaparte’s resignation in the press again, perhaps because of Republican National Committee member Frank B. Kellogg’s visit to Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-01
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on matters regarding United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick, the prosecution of the International Harvester Company, and affairs in Oklahoma. He is greatly concerned about reports of Secretary of State Elihu Root’s health. Territorial Governor of New Mexico George Curry intends to appoint David J. Leahy as assistant attorney general of the territory. Bonaparte feels obligated to inform Roosevelt of this appointment as Leahy is possibly “one of the persons about whom there has been complaint by the Interior Department.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-29
Attorney General Bonaparte shares with President Roosevelt his thoughts about what to do with United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick. He sends a copy of the telegram he sent to Ruick, and notes the reasoning for his approach. The remaining question is that of the special counsel for the trial. Bonaparte will contact Francis J. Heney and provides several alternatives if Heney is unavailable. He asks Roosevelt for further suggestions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-25
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on the progress of the Idaho land fraud cases. He forwards Roosevelt his telegram to Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch demanding that N. M. Ruick take no part in the case. Bonaparte updates Roosevelt on other matters and suggests the two schedule a meeting.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-28