Evening star., 1924-05-09
WHEELER DENIES
GUILT IN FACE Of
GRAND Jury DATA
U. S. Prosecutor Produces
Copies of Letters Purport-
ing to Show Aid to Oil Man.
SENATOR ADMITS HELP
TO CAMPBELL IN 1923
Declares, However, Service Ended
Before He Took Office-One
Mote Dated March 3, 1928.

In the face Of documentary evidence
relied on by the Department of JUS
tice to prove the charge brought
against him in Montana, Senator Bur-
ton K. Wheeler today denied on the
witness stand that he had been guilty
of any wrongdoing in his relations
to Montana oil land permits.
Appearing at his own request be-
fore the special Senate committee in
vestigating his indictment on charges
of receiving money for practicing be-
fore the Interior Department, the
Montana senator testified that al
though his law firm had handled busi-
ness in the state courts for Gordon
Campbell, the oil operator indicted
with him, he never had performed the
services charged in Washington.
Many Letters Filed.
Department of Justice records, sub
mitted to the committee just before
the senator took the stand, included
large number of letters alleged to
have passed between Wheeler. Camp
bell and others relating to oil land
permits. One. purporting to have been
sent by the senator after his election,
asked Campbell to forward to Wash
ington detailed data about the Camp
bell claims so that Wheeler could
take them up intelligently with the
Interior Department Another. said
win S. Booth. former Interior Depart
ment solicitor, offered to give Booth
and another department official forty
acres of land each if certain permits
were granted.
John S. Pratt, the special assistant
attorney general who assisted in Sc
curing the indictment against Sem
ator Wheeler in Montana, laid the
documentary evidence on which the
indictment partially was based before
the committee.
The material consisted of photo
eHce said to have passed b etween
Senator Wheeler and Gordon Camp
bell. the Montana oil promoter, for
whom the senator is alleged TO hav.
unlawfully appeared before the In
terror Department.
One letter, ostensibly from Wheeler
to Campbell dated March 3, 1923,
asked Campbell ito have your office
send me details of permits in order
that when I take it up l may be able
Department Of the Interior"
Said TO Have Onered Share.
Pratt produced also what purported
to be letter dated May 5, 1928, in
which Gordon Campbell offered e. S.
Booth. the solicitor of the Interior
Department, forty acres of land out
of one oil permit, and suggested that
forty acres additional be ASST gned to
F. M Goodwin, assistant secretary
OF the interior, if the permit could
be granted.
The letter said that "ff Campbell
could get his hooks" on the land, the
two officials assisting, they could
make more money" than they other
wise would make in a long time"
Booth, responding on May IS, ac-
cording to the record, said he would
take tho matter up with Mr.. Goodwin,
though he himself had left the De-
partment of the Interior May 1.
Hints at Other Data.
Pratt told the committee he had
with him all the documentary evil
dence in the possession of the De-
partment of Justice concerning the
charge against Senator Wheeler, but
added there was other material as to
Senator Wheeler in his hands, which
had no bearing on the present
charge"
Many of the letters he put in were
between Campbell and
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