Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-11
JOHNSON FAILS TO MAKE CLEAR
WHETHER HE INTENDS TO Give
UP RACE FOR G. 0. P. NOMINATION
SENATE MOVES TO
PROBE INDICTMENT
AGAINST WHEELER

Washington. April 10-Preliminary
steps in the inquiry into the indict-
ment in Montana of Senator Wheeler,
prosecutor for the Daugherty inves.
tigation. were taken today by 4 new
ly created senate committee while
tn: Daugherty committee itself was
touching briefly upon the subject.
Senator Borah, Republican. Idaho,
chairman of the new investigating
committee, was directed to telegraph
to Federal Judge Pray Mt Great
Falls. where the indictment was re-
turned Tuesday requesting him to
forward certified copies OF the indict-
ment. the minutes of the grand jury
and documentary evidence as well as
a list of the witnesses.
Until this information is received,
the committee probably will mark
time. 1t will not limit its examina-
ton to these documents and witness
Ses, however, but will call present
and former officials Of the depart
ment Of the interior as we'll as a
number of witnesses WI will be
summoned ut the request of Sena-
tor Wheeler.
The dip Of the Daugherty commit
tee into the subject of the indictment
today vas as sudden as 1t was brief.
Turning from an inquiry into the
land fraud cases in Oklahoma, Sem
ator Wheeler called to the stand w.
j. Burns. director of the department
OF justice bureau of investigation and
asked him about the agents sent to
Montana on the Wheeler case.
Burns testimony was that the men
Cnnt Montana
weeks ago at the request of the post
Office department. The witness said he
and former Attorney General Daugher-
ty had talked about the Daugherty In
vestigation on number of occasions.
but he would, not say that, Mr.. Daugh-
erty had sought his help in the matter.
Declaring that he had reported to
Daugherty that Senator Wheeler was
attorney for the Gordon Campbell con-
Germ in Montana, Burns said the con-
versation took place at Daugherty's
apartment, but he would not say
whether 1t was before or after Daugh-
erty left office.
Arthur Lambdin. an official OF the
telephone company here, testified aft
er formal protest that George ID.
Lockwood Of the Republican national
committee had held telephone CON-
at the Rainbow Hotel at Great Falls.
Burns identified Cohen as an en-
ploye of the Republican national COM
mittee. He said he did not know that
Lockwood and Daugherty were "close
friends" but had seen the two together
in Daugherty's apartment here.
The committee to investigate the
Wheeler indictment was named to-
day by President Cummins of the
senate, pursuant to resolution
adopted yesterday by the senate az
ter Senator Wheeler had denounced
as false the charge in the indict-
ment that he had accepted a fee
from Gordon Campbell, Montana
geologist, to represent him in the
matter of oil claims before the in
terror department.
Besides Senator Borah. the men,
bers of the new investigating body
are Senator Mclean. Connecticut,
and Sterling. South Dakota. Repub-
licans: and Swanson, Virginia, and
Caraway, Arkansas. Democrats.
Three members Of the committee
Borah. Sterling and Caraway--are
members of the senate judiciary
committee.
While procedure did not come up for
final decision today, it IL expected that
the committee will conduct it's investi-
cation in open session. When his at
tention was called that the House COM
mittee is investigating in private the
charges contained in indictments
against Representative Langley. Re-
publican, Kentucky, Chairman Borah
said he did not think the Senate COM
mittee would hold executive sessions
for the examination of witnesses.
1t may be a week or more before
the investigators come to the taking OF
testimony, but It is their judgment that
the inquiry will not DO a prolonged
one. Aside from the charges contain
ed in the Indictment, the committee
probably will go also into the charge
Of Senator Wheeler that the indict-
ment is a "frame-up."