The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
] G0VE RNOR'S TRIAL
 SET FUR THURSDAY
Oklahoma Executive An- nounces That Threat Has
 Been Made On His Life

OKLAHOMA CITY. Okla, Nov. 9 | CBy Associated Press. )-Gcw J. C. Walton must enter a plea to all charges contained in the house bill of impeachment filed against him ! in the state senate, according to a ruling tonight of the senate court of impeachment. The decision fol- lowed a day of argument on a de- murrer by counsel for the executive to IA Of the % articles in the inn peachment bill.
 The senate voted to overrule the demurrer which was amended by the defense just before the vote was taken so as to embrace only 12 ar ticles. the objection to Article 16, in volving alleged suppression of the press and Article ? being withdrawn. The vote on all but two articles con stituted heavy majority against curtailment Of the impeachment bill.
 The court set 1880 D. m. Wednesday for the governors pleading and or 1 dered the trial to start at 1:30 p. m. Thursday. It then adjourned until Wednesday.
 Ending a long day of monotonous , argument, defense counsel took up their rebuttal early tonight after the prosecution had concluded an hour port Of the charges under fire. With ! the exception Of this time used by the prosecution the defense had the floor throughout the day.
 Says Life threatened.
 The proceedings were enlivened somewhat late in the afternoon, when Governor Walton announced he had received letter threatening his life.
 The letter was delivered by sen ate page as the executive sat with al ANff t3n t~f of 1h | morning session. He declined tC al low newspapermen to examine the nots and said it had been handed to the page by stranger. Several members of the court who declined to permit use of their names; char aeterizeds the occurrence as a frame cup.
 Counsel for Governor Walton opened their offensive as soCn as court convened this morning, taking up first Article 1 of the impeachment bill which charges the executive with illegally appointing State Represen- tative Charles L. Baskin as a district judge. They argued that the appoint ment of legislator to a state office does not constitGte an impeachable offense in all cases and that neither of the conditions which makes it sc obtained in Judge Baskin's appoint ment.
 Passing to Article 13. charging that Governor Walton named many of his personal or political friends to positions which placed them on the state pay roll defense counsel de- cisred the charge was indefinite and lacking specific evidence. They as- serted that Article ?. alleging the governor placed his personal chauf- feur on the pay roll of the state health department was a duplication of Article 13 and should be stricken out to prevent the executive being tried twice on the same charge. Charge Governor Obligated.
 Defending him against Articles IS and 2i charging the issuance of de- ficiency certificates when no oeca- sion demanded. the governors attor- neys argued the law provides that such certificates nay be issued by the governor whenever an emer- Eency exists.
 The purchase of the executives S4S.000 residence here last May, which was the basis of Article 5, charging him with using his official pow CTS to acquire private credit and property was defended as a straight business deal. The charge alleged tina. the governor, by the issuance of S30.000 in notes on the property which were purchased by F. w. Mar and Refining company, had obligated himself to the latter in that as chair man of the state board of equaliza tion. the governor had a large part in the assessment of property and that Marland owned several million dollars worth of taxable property in Oklahoma"