Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-13
GOV. WALTON Tells
OF HIS FINANCIAL
DEALINGS AT TRIAL

Oklahoma City. Okla, Nov. IL (By
\. P0-Financial transactions by
which Governor j. c. Walton acquired
$4S,00O residence here last May. in
volving a canvass of wealthy men of
the state in an effort TO dispose of
six $4,000 notes which the executive
gave to Walter d. Caldwell, the own
err Of the property. were detailed be-
fore the senate court here today in
the governors impeachment trial.
In purchasing the residence, Gov
crnor Walton paid Caldwell, q local
Oil man, $4,000 cash and gave him
notes for the balance. These notes
were sold to Z. w. Marland, president
of the Marland Oil and Refining
Company at Ponca City. The gov
ernor is charged in the impeachment
bill with thereby obi ga ting himself
to Marland, who is described as own
ing several millions of dollars of
taxable property" in Oklahoma. The
bill charges that the transaction was
wilfully corrupt" in that the gov
ernor is chairman of the state BOARD
vi WHICH assesses prop
erty in the state.
Caldwell told the court that he ne
gotiated the sale of the notes.
Asked if he had told Chauncey b.
Nichols. manager of the Okla homa
Portland Cement Company, that he
would right the difficulty the COM
pany had with the governor if he
would take one of the notes. Mr..
Caldwell replied:
Il did not tell him exactly that. I
told him l would talk with the gov
ernor in regard 70 Nichols difficult
! ties if he would purchase pne of the
notes"
Nichols. who testified later. de-
clared that Caldwell told him he
would be a sucker" if he did not
buy the note. Nichols testified that
Caldwell asserted he would try to
fix things up with the governor" if
the note was taken.
c. j. Wrightsman. wealthy Tulsa
oil man, testified that he declined
emphatiCally to purchase three of the
notes. After he had already con-
tributed more than $4,000 to Wal
tons campaign expenses.
/ did not consider it a good buSi-
ness proposition. told him there
was not a thing doing" Wrightman
has asked him to take half the notes.
explaining that Charles Page. an
bther wealthy Tulsa resident, would
take the other half.
why were YOU indignant at Cald-
wells proposition" a member of the
court asked.
Because I was under no obliga-
tions to Walton and certainly under
none to Caldwell. l resented his pre-
sumptiousness in trying to induce me
to pay for this paper"
do you understand that this was
presented to you as a good business
proposition ?" the senator continued.
obviously not, the witness re-
piled.
DIR. E. T. Bynum. former confidant
of Governor Walton. told of a trip
he made to Ponca City to confer with
Marland regarding the financing of
the executive mansion purchase.
Marland. he said. recommended the
purchase of a less expensive home
and offered to advise the governor in
the purchase of stock so the gov
ernor could make the money him.
SELF. The witness said that when
he told Governor Walton of Mar
lands conversation the executive
commented that he did not see why
Marland couldn't as well take the
notes.,
The court refused to accept depo-
sitions made by Marland and voted
to ask him to appear when he is able.
He is i'll.
The first attempt to introduce the
Ku klux Khan as an issue met with
swift rebuke by the court.
Homer D. Martin. lieutenant in
the Oklahoma National Guard. who
testified that for year and a half he
had guarded the residence of the
governor at night. told the court that
the executive had been threatened
with dcath