The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-03-24
Tits Loom
in Probe on
Daugherty
Defense to Get First Chance
for Direct Attack on Damag-
ing Testimony of Roxie
Stinson.
Expect Bank Book Clash

Washington, March 23.-Spectacu-
lar clashes between prosecuting SEN
ators and counsel for Attorney Cen
eral Daugherty are in prospect this
week when the select investigating
committee resumes it's hearings to-
morrow.
Roxie Stinson. divorced wife of the
late Jesse Smith, and the attorney
generals principal accuser, Is to be
subjected to cross examination by
former Senator Chamberlain. demo-
arat of Washington, and Paul How
land, representing Daugherty.
1t will be the defense's first oppor-
tunity to make a direct attack upon
the damaging testimony Miss Stinson
has given during her two days on the
witness stand before the committee.
The cross examination Is certain to
provoke Senator Wheeler of Montana
and Senator Ashurst of Arizona,
democratic prosecutors of the investi-
cation.
Another clash, and one which will
call into question the entire authority
OF the senate investigating committee,
will occur when the committee is adj
vised that NJ. S. Daugherty, brother
of the attorney general, has detied dts
subpoena directing him to produce
the books and papers of his Midland
National bank at Washington Court
house, o.
Denied Access to Books.
The committee insists that NJ. S.
Daugherty submit all the records OF
his bank for examination, while the
bank head is willing to allow the study
Of only those records which pertain
to the accounts OF his brother, Jesse
Smith, and others connected with the
committees investigation.
A committee accountant, sent to
Washington Courthouse to go over
the books, has been denied access to
them on ground that the senate has
no right to delve into the private AZ
fairs of the banks various customers.
The subpoena directing NJ. 8. Daugh-
erty to produce the books and records
in Washington was the committees
revenue and the bank headquarters
defiance was his final retort.
Frank A. vanderlip, New York
francier..Is A. central figure in. the
row between NJ. s. Daugherty and
the committee. The defense main-
tains that the committees accountant
was selected by yanderlip and is re-
porting to hing. and has asked that
the financier be subpoenaed to explain
his connection with the investigation.
This belief was strengthened yester-
day when Vanderlip handed Wheeler
a telegram he had received from
Washington curthouse with reference
to Jesse Smiths estate, and Wheeler
read the message into the record Of
the hearing.
Appeal Expected.
The fight over the books OF the
Midland National bank, it is expected,
will b ecarried direct to the courts
unless the prosecution recedes from
its demand for the right to go over
all the records. NJ. s. Daugherty's
defiance opens the way for the SEN
ate to hold him in contempt and di-
rect that he be placed in the custody
of the sergeant-at-arms until he ac-
cepts the demands of the committee.
The banker, however, is expected
to appeal at once to the courts for
writ which will release him from Gus
tody. The battle In the courts, par
tIcularly when taken in connection
with the fight being made by Harry
r. Sinclair on the oil investigating
committee, will challenge the power
OF congressional bodies to conduct
judicial inquiries.
Another feature OF the committee
this week will be the testimony Of
Jap Muma, described as the self
stvled master mind Of the plan for
the nationwide showing of the Demp
iTurn to Pnge Seven. Column One.)