The New York herald., 1922-12-13
TAFT LETTER CITED
AGAINST DAUCHERTY
Read as House Committee
Opens Impeachment
Hearings.
ATTACKS w. J. BURNS
Filed to Show His Appoint
ment Violated Public
Interest.
FIRST SESSION STORMY
Keller Wins Initial Skirmish
-Wickersham to Be a
Witness To-day.
FIRST SESSION STORMY

WASHINGTON. Dec. 12.-Hearings on
impeachment proceedings brought
against Attorney-G General Daugherty
by Representative Keller (Rep.,
Minn.) opened to-day before the
House Judiciafy Committee, were
marked by frequent clashes between
members of the committee and Jack
son r. Ralston. counsel for Mr.. Keller,
first as to the method Of procedure
and second as to relevancy Of testi-
mony.
The Minnesota Representative won
the first skirmish, the committee vot-
ing in executive session, after an hour
and a half Of wrangling in the open.
to hear evidence first on three of the
fourteen specifications designated by
Mr.. Keller instead Of taking the
charges up in the numerical order.
Another decision was against summon
ing Chief Justice Taft, whose presence
had been requested by Mr.. Ralston, TO
confirm letter Mr.. Taft wrote In, 1912,
while President, to the then Attorney
General. George w. Wickersham. The
letter was read into the record. The
committee held confirmation would be
unnecessary.
Letters Read Into Evidence.
This letter and one to Mr.. Taft by
Mr.. Wickersham constituted the prin-
cipal evidence submitted to-day. Both
dealt with pardon for Willard N.
Jones. convicted In Oregon In 1907 of
alleged land frauds, and referred to
alleged activities of william J. Burns.
appointed last year by Mr.. Daugherty
as chief of the Bureau of Investigation
Of the Department Of Justice, in con-
nection with the. drawing of the jury in
the Jones case.
The letters were introduced. Mr.. Rails
ton explained. to support the charge that
Mr.. Daugherty had appointed to posi-
tions "of great Importance" men who
"are untrustworthy. corrupt and danger
Gus to the liberties of the people of the
United States
The Wickersham letters set forth that
Mr. Burns, then employed by the
Government under Francis j. Heney as
special prosecutor in the land fraud
cases, obtained list of prospective
Jurors In the trial. and that after 600 Of
the $500 names had been found satis-
factory from his standpoint these names
had been allowed to stand.
President Taft. In replying to Mr.
Wickersham and approving a pardon
for Jones. declared the methods described
ms faA ha,. "a. n
fair use of all the machinery for draw
ing a jury" which had been disclosed
10 him in all his long experience In the
Federal courts. He added that this
condition gives sufficient reason TO
justify a pardon for Jones as we'll as
''justifying condemnation Of the methods
of Heney and Burns"
Burns Denied Charges.
Paul Rowland Of Cleveland. as per-
sonal counsel for Mr. Daugherty, de-
veloped from James A. Finch, pardon
attorney for the Department Of Justice,
that Mr.. Burns and Mr. Heney had de-
MED the charges. Mr.. Finch testified
also that Judge Gilbert. who presided
at the trial. had denied the charges. but
Mr.. Ralston declared the records of the
Department of Justice would show that
the Judge subsequently had changed his
opinion
Mr.. Wickersham and Mr.. Gompers are
TO testify. Mr.. Ralston asked that they
be summoned for tomorrow. He also
requested that Chairman McChord of
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
Thomas Stephenson, attorney for the
Railroad Firemen. and Oscar J. Borne.
counsel for the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers be. summoned for the
same time as witnesses on the specifica-
tion alleging failure by Mr.. Daugherty
20 enforce the safefy annliancn la,ua