The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-15
Means Shadowed AttOr- ney General For Late
 President, He Says
LURID GRAFT TALE
 RAPIDLY UNFOLDED
Acted As Carrier For Jess Ex- Department Of Justice
 Man Says
$1O0,0OO HUSH FUND
 IN AIR PROBE, TINTED
Wheeler To Seek Fuller Details In Today's Quizzing.
 Names Wanted

WASHINGTON, March 14.-More sensations-the most lurid of the lot yet developed-tumbled today isto the record of the senate committee investi- gating Attorney General Daugherty. As usual they were fired off with ma chine gun velocity.
 Gaston E. Means, former investigator for the department of justice and man of many adventures, who described his present business as answering indict- ments," testified that he was "the money carrier" for Jess W. Smith in various deals implying corruption.
 He told a startling tale of collections of money for Smith in sums ranging from $5,OOO to $1O0.000. and before he finished had brought Secretary Mel Ions name into story about permits for whisky withdrawals. and said he had even once investigated Attorney General Daugherty himself for the late President Harding.
 Guards Statements
 Means was careful 10 say that the charges against the Attorney General which he investigated then, he found to be without any foundation in fact. He also disclaimed that in his testimony today about Smiths alleged money col lections he had any knowledge of the Attorney General being involved or re- ceiving any of the money collected for Smith or one W. T. Underwood, whom he named in that connection.
 At no time in his story of money col lections did Means identify the people h esaid he got it from.
 Specifically, Means testified that in February, 1922. at Smiths direction. at the old Bellevue hotel in Washing ton, he collected $1O0,000 in $1 900 bills from an unnamed Japanese represent ing Mitsui and Company, the Japanese banking house, who brought it on behalf of the Standard Aircraft corporation to halt government action toward recovery of overpayments aggregating $6,OOO. 600 on war contracts. The witness said that Smith came the same night and took the money from him.
 Means further testified that Other times he collected from persons he did not name sums running to a total Of $50, 900, which he said was for Smith and his associates who in turn, he said. were protecting the owners of the Car pentier- Dempsey fight films from prose cution when they transported and ex hibited them in interstate commerce The owners of the fight films, Means testified, were Smith, Jap Muma. New York correspondent of the Cincinnati Enduirer; Will Orr, former private sec retary to former Governor Whitman O. New York. Spd one Howard Manning ton.
 Other collection, Means said, wers made by him for Smith on account oi whisky withdrawal permits, and turned over to Smith, but he had not named amounts nor given specifications when the committee adjourned until tOmorw- row.
 When he returns to the stand Means is to be pressed for details and Sen ator Wheeler. in charge of the testi- mony. said tonight that the missing specifications would be supplied.
 Senator Wheeler was uncertain to- night whether Means would resume the stand tomorrow or whether RoXie Stin- son, divorced wife of Smith, for whom Means was substituted because Miss Stinson was i'll, would continue her testimony.
 Stories DOvetan
 In two features the stories of Means and MISS StlnSon OONeIdlI. She uOu Oi Jess Smith returning to Ohio from Washington with $75,000 in S1,OOG bills in a leather belt. Today Mean. said he gave Smith S100.000 in bills OI that denomination in February, 1922 Miss Stinson did not fix any date in her testimony. but said her letters and pa pers, which have not yet arrived, would aid her in giving many details.
 Regarding the prize fight films. Mis- Stinson also testified that he told her he expected $1S0O00. Means testified of receiving and turning over to Smitk many thousands of dollars, $35.000 or S4O,0OO or perhaps $50,000, said to be from exhibition of the pictures.
 Secretary Mellon's name was brought into the testimony when the witness was asked to tell about investigation he had conducted in New York. He said he had been instructed to find out about certain permits for certain pug poses," issued by Mir. Mellon.
 Mellon Caught"
 "Jess wanted to catch Secretary Mel.
 (csntInusd On Page TvS. Column oas)