Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-03
SINCLAIR ENTERS
NOT GUILTY PLEA;
|SFREED ON BOND.
Ten Days Allowed Oil Opera
tor to File Demurrer Dyche
RidicuIeS Al Jennings les
tinnonv

days by the court to withdraw his
plea and enter a demurrer if he
should so desire. He was accom-
panied by his counsel, Martin w.
Littleton and G, T. Sanford, of New
York, and J. w. Zevely, of Wash
ington.
The political activities of the late
Jake Hamon, Republican national
committeeman for Oklahoma, came
under scrutiny before the oil commit
tee again today in an avowed effort
by the committee prosecutor, Senator
| Walsh, to establish conspiracy as
| far back as 1920 to select a com
placent' secretary Of the interior.
Under the Montana senator's in
sistent questioning, j. E. Dyche, for
mer warden of the United States
prison at Atlanta, who managed
lannon's campaign for the place on
the national committee, testified that
the fight had cost Hamon $105,000,
but insisted that he never desired to-
have a place in the cabinet.
The witness ridiculed AL Jennings.
testimony that Hamon had told him
Of large money payments to the late
Senator Penrose. of Pennsylvania,
and others to gain the nomination
of Warren G. Hardi :, and of in
| discriminate use Of money among
members of the Oklahoma delegation
to the Chicago convention.
AS y matter Of fact, Dyche said,
Hamon didn't spend a dime to influ-
ence the delegation of his state TO
vote for Harding, but on the contrary
advised them to vote for Lowden on
two ballots after they were ready to
get on the Harding band wagon.
lannon's Boast Related
r. H. Wilson. formerly Oklahoma
superintendent Of public instruction,
also was questioned at today'S ses-
sion. He said Hamon had boosted"
to him to putting over Hardlngs
nomination. and had told him of con-
tributing $4,000 to Harry M. Daugh-
erty, the Harding pre-convention
manager, for campaign expenses.
The committee adjourned the hear
ing until tomorrow, but no session
will be held 1T that time unless Viii
liam Boyce Thompson, formerly OF
the Republican national COMMITTEES,
| reaches Washington in the mean-
time. A new subpoena Cor his APP
pearance forthwith" has been is
sued. but process servers have been
| unable to serve it.
i The committee was told by r. HI,
Wilson, former superintendent or
public instruction in Oklahonla, OF a
i'boast" b Wake Hamon, the oil oper-
ator who was serving as that state .
Republican national committeeman,
that he, had "put over the nomlna-
ton of Warren G.. Harding.
! Hamon was quoted as saying ne
4 had given $4,000 to Harry M.
4 Daugnerty for the Harding cam
paign fund. In the early days OF
the campaign, the witness said, Ha-
mon had appeared friendly to the
! candidacy of Leonard Wood.
Wilson said under questioning
that Hamon had made no reference
in his talk with him to naval oil
lands Or leases.
J. E. Dyche, who identified him
self as a prohibition agent with
headquarters at oklahoma City, fol-
lowed Wilson in the witness chair.
He said he had acted as manager
OF lannon's campaign in 1920 for
selection as Republican national
committeeman.
Says Jennings Lied
Nothing to It," Dyche said, when
asked about Al Jennings testimony
! that Hamon had told him he gave
! $3.50, 900 to the late Senator Penrose,
Pennsylvania; $25, 900 to Will Hays,
and $25, 900 to Daugherty to bring
! about Hardings nomination.
Asked about Jennings testimony
! that Hamon had told him he spent
money unfortunately with the
Oklahoma delegation, the witness re-
Piled:
IF Jennings said that, he lied.
| There wasn't d dime spent on that
| delegation"
Dyche declared he was with
Hamon at Chicago and went home
with him, and "he didn't even buy
me a dinner"
"Jake's dead and gone now, gen.
tlemen," Dyche said, but I want to
say that he did not try to throw the
delegation. He insisted that the
delegation cast two more ballots for
Lowden after it wanted to switch
to Harding, so there couldn't have
been a deal there"
Asked as to the likelihood OF
Hamon telling Jennings the story
the former train robber had repeat
ed to the committee, Dyche said PEG.
pie might say what they would
about Hamon, "but they couldn't say
he was a fool"
Asked about Wilson's testimony
that Hamon had told him he had
given Daugherty $4,000 for Har-
ding's campaign expenses, Dyche
said Wilson was "a reputable gen.
tleman."
II would believe Wilson'S state-
ment that Hamon told him that"
the witness said, "but / would say
he was kidding him. Jake was a
great 'kidder,' particularly when he
was talking to Democrats"
Asked how much money was spent
for Hamon in his committeeship
fight against James McGraw, Dyche
objected to answering on the ground
! that it was q personal matter.
''As far as / am concerned, I have
nothing to conceal" Dyche said, "buI
it's a mater that was personal to
Hamon."
Walsh Insists on Answer
Senator Stanfield, Republican, Ore.
gon, said he did not think the mat
ter relevant, but Senator Walsh dis.
agreed, saying he expected to show
that large sums OF money had been
spent to obtain COMPLIMENT Sec
rotary of the interior for the exploit
tation of the public domain, and
especially the oil lands. Replying to
a specific question from Senator
Stanfield, Senator Walsh said he ex-
pected to show there was con-
spiracy for the appointment of a
secretary Of the interior.
That led to long wrangle.
Senator Spencer. Republican, Mis-
souri,, moved that the witness be ex-
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