San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-19


rotary of the interior), aud decided in
our favor for a small acreage. He
never said anything about the 160
acres"
Gossip" From Oil Men.
"This gossip" came from oil men
who "were coming and going" at
Washington constantly, Darden said.
Did you take it up with Presi-
dent Harding and Mr.. Daugherty?"
asked Senator Dill, Democrat. Wash
ington. Il did," was the reply. 81
went first to see Assistant Secretary
Finney. of the Interior Department
who told me the old man was
handling the matter"
Later, Darden said, he saw Albert
3. Fall, then secretary of the inter
Tor, who told him he had no claim. He
then went West TO see John +. Cam
pion, one of his partners, he said.
without seeing President Harding. but
the President later wrote him a letter,
calling him to Washington.
Have you that letter." asked SEN
atOr Walsh. Il have it at home AMI
can furnish it."
Darden explained that he got his
claim from the Belgo Company, one
of those Sinclair bought out after he
secured the lease. He presented what
purported to be a copy of the deel
which was included in a bill of COM
plant against the Mammoth Oil Com
pany by Darden and his partners.
Campion and Robert G. Taylor.
what did you pay for your share
of this?" asked Senator Walsh.
don't know exactly. Campion and
Taylor were to finance it and l was 10
pay my proportion
Robert S. Bright, counsel for Oar
den. said the land was gained as 4
result of compromise with the BeIgo
Company. which had dispute over
claims with Campion and Taylor.
Never Applied for Lease.
Pressed as to what he was to have
maid, Darden said il was not settled,
and never had been settled finally. He
recalled one payment of about 5000
as expenses incident 10 the fight with
the Bdgo> Company before the COM
promise in June. 1920.
when did you apply, if you ever
did apply, for lease for the 1GD
acres in Teapot We never did
apply"
Il never discussed oil with Mr..
Harding or Mr.. Daughe.ty in my life
until this matter came up said the
witness.
The witness said he learned through
gossip that Harry L. Sinclair was
10 Get Teapot Dome two months be-
fore the lease was signed on April Z,
1922.
Describing his conversation with
President Harding after he had been
called to Washington. Darden said:
The President said: Jim. how about
this property you think you own out
in Wyoming? Well / said, L do
not know just what it is, cannot tel
you. We feel. naturally we own it
because we had spent some money on
it, He said: Fall is kind of
INT He did not say much more
about ii. Then we went on to dis
cuss Senator Bursum. He wanted to
know what 1 thought of him. l said
he was good fellow. Well be said,
what are you going to do about itF
/ said: well, we may have to go into
the COURTS i left then.
Il went TO AIR. Daugherty one day,
and said: 'Daugherty, il is a sham?
Fall is going TO drive us into a Law
suit. We own this land He said
the courts seemed 10 be the only re-
lief. He said: Fall is going TO get
the land. He is going to send the
marines out there TO get it,"
Tall G;n,ra;,, yGnrII Ca4tIa
Darden said Fall had told him that
Sinclair would settle with him for his
claim as he was TO settle with the
other claimants.
Secretary Fall, you will agree, if
you knew him at all. was kind of 'peev-
ish about anything he wanted to do, :"
the witness said. He said he could
rot find any title to my claim. he
went on to say Sinclair would take
care of the claimants"
What did you 90 to Fall for?"
asked Senator Walsh. Il went there
TO get lease on the 100 acres. What
do you think | went for, a dog?"
Darden told the committee he made
an agreement with the Mutual Oil
Company to do the drilling in Teapot
Dome on a basis of that company pay
ing expenses and taking 60 per cent
of the oil. at was the Mutual Oil
Company that was driven off by the
Marines" he said.
Attorney Bright said the Mutual
Company did not go on the reserve
Until after the lease to Sinclair had
/ become known.
why did you advise your clients
| TO 90 on them" aswed Senator Walsh.
Il thought the lease was void and
that we should make a fight"
Bright explained that he did not be-
! lierc the executive order by President
! Harding transferring the reserve to the
/ Interior Department was legal.
! Senator Walsh insisted that Oar
J den could have no claim unless oil
had been found in the 100 acres he
claimed.
IL didn't squat on this land" Oar
den said. Il didn't advise anybody
TO see title"
Partners Pushed Claim.
The witness added that he was sat.
iSfied he had no claim after Finney
and Fall had told him so, but his
J partners wanted TO go ahead in any
effort to enforce their claim.
| Dld you Try 10 ulSSuade the OIL
GERS from sending marines to eject
the Mutual Oil Company" asked
Senator Walsh.
Il did not.
The committee then led Dardeu
over his life history.
Darden said he was born nj Norti
Carolina, went to the Texas Panhan
die when a boy, and lived for year
IL New Mexico, engaging in the cleo
tr'c light business. He also lived il