The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1924-04-11

greater norton of the others are
either within producing territory or
adjacent The proceedings broughV
to determine the validity OF the per
n1its were a subject of much lnUeIesO
to local oil men while under consider
alton at Washington and allleISii'
CONSERVATIVES eff the interior de-
partment were in Great Fails ana .lo
oil field while information was Delhs
gathered for the government.
Evidence relating to the charges
against Senator Wheeler were ialG
before the grand jury by OhlIe sI
! States Attorney John i. SlatCefy anu
j. S. Pratt. special assistant OhlCeu
States attorney general, ana cpeLa
tives for the postal service ana I1 me
department of justice. Nearly nan
a score of Investigators nave Deeh III
Great Falls for several weeks, among
them men holding high positions III
the Burns detective organization II
Pratt is the special prosecutor 1cf
the department of justice who pro
duced evidence, against Or. COOK III
connection with Texas oil frauds ana
obtained his conviction. Other m
vestigators who were on the Or. Cc0k
case have been associated with the
Wheeler investigation.
, Resident of Butte
. Senator Wheeler has been a resi-
! dent of Butte since his arrival IN the
, state and at one time was represen-
= tative in the state legislature from
Silver Bow county. He later was
: appointed United States attorney, re-
e signing during his second term. IN
!. 1920 he was a candidate on the dem
f ocratic ticket for governor and was
f defeated by Joseph M. Dixon. II
1922, he opposed Carl w. Riddick fol
the United States senate and wa'
t elected by a large majority.
t With the launching of the investl
= cation into oil reserve leases made b,
# former Secretary Of the Interior Fall
I. Senator Wheeler demanded an inves
h tigation into tn office of Attorne,
I. General Daugherty and was name,
Y as the chief prosecutor of the searci
s. into the attorney generals record
q Daughertv resigned from the attor
IS ney generals office a short time az
% at the request Of President Coolidge
= The Great Falls federal grand jur
Y. was reconvened two weeks ago, atte
le having been temporarily dismissed b
IS Federal Judge Charles N. Pray, an
(. no official disclosures were made a
I'd to the purpose of the second sessio
a. until Tuesdays indictments were r.
Id turned. The jury recessed last wee
id until Monday cf this week, to ava
n the arrival Of material witnesses, an
q: the indictments were reported OF
ct Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock
nd Session ReDOrted Heated
I'D The final session of the jury Tue
of day morning was reported to hay
been a heated enc, in which abrupt
conflicting views were taken by dlt
he erent members Of the jury. 1t is u
es derstood that, while the jurors we
It's divided, an agreement was reach'
n by which they bound themselves
he report unanimously upon any dee
Vi sion that might be reached.
ed An exhaustive examination into (
matters pertaining to Wheeler's {
Up legged association with Campbell w
ell reported to have been made by t
M government operatives. Before [
or jury adjourned, certain records fro
af- Campbell's Great Falls Office we
his taken over that their contents mig
The be scrutinized, and it was said U
Ger Oflclalally that OLner private fecOl
ted obtained in Great Falls and Blu
.ly, were placed before the jury.
M Fraudulent use of the ma
ice through the placing in the postoff
my of literature intended to advance
Ter, scheme and artifce for obtain
on money and property by means
&C fraudulent pretenses, representatiC
or and promises" are charged in
is indictments returned against Can
IN bell and Stevenson, and agai
ent' Campbell, Daley and Bloomha1
any in promoting the No. / syndicate,
ner is charged that Stevenson Z
ore Campbell entered into a plan
not obtain oil acreage, organize a tr
iall, estate and sell units by fraudul
OF means.
or