Evening star., 1924-05-21
EFFORT TO FRAME"
WHEELER AND FOIL
PROBE DESCRIBED
Daugherty Inquiry Witnesses
Tell of Alleged Elaborate
Espionage System Used.
CHARGE SHADOW CREW
TOOK MEANS DIARIES
Duckstein and U. S. Agents Say
Probers and Witnesses Care
fully Watched.

The Senate Daugherty committee
was told today that representatives
of the Department of Justice not only
had sought to frame Senator
Wheeler" it's prosecutor, but had
spied on its members fand it's wit
nesses and had spirited away the
famous diaries of CASTOR B. Means.
working with it as an Investigator.
One of the witnesses was w. q.
Duckstein. who said he knew about
the whole proceedings because his
wife is a secret agent of the depart-
ment. 1t was she, he said who
identified in his presence the records
OF Means after they had been oh
tanned by a ruse
Duckstein described an espionag.
system of great proportions, whicn
he said had been thrown about the
committees operations under the di-
rectIon of H. c. Todd, special assist
ant to Attorney General Daugherty.
HE said the crew of detectives" used
IN the case had come largely from
New York. under the direction of two
men named Petit and OBrien. Their
activities included Wire-tapping and
many other methods of obtaining in
formation.
Describes Frame-Up Plan
The purpose of the crew the wit
ness declared. had been described by
Petit and OBrien as including the
framing" of Senator Wheeler. who
has been indicted in Montana. and the
"railroading' of Means to the peni-
tentiary. Another witness. r p. Bur
rus, special Department of Justice
agent. testified that he and five as
sistants had constituted the force as
signed to shadow Means.
Duckstein said it was Petit and
OBrien who got the Means diaries,
which the famous detective had de
clared would substantiate his stories
about money payments TO Jess Smith.
The two men. he said, called him and
his wife out of their home al night.
took them into an automobile and
opened three sutcaSeS full of little
black books which Mrs. Duckstein
identified as the diaries and files OF
| Means
The committee pressed the witness
to say why he had not reported the
incident
II considered them as co-workerS
with my Wife Duckstein said Pet
York
why did you finally tell Means"
asked Senator Wheeler.
Il had to-" Duckstein replied, ex-
planning that Means had got some
of the facts. and was getting my
wife into it
Mrs. Duckstein. though employed
directly under W. j. Burns. former
head of the bureau of investigation.
did not report the paper enterprise
to her chief. he said. "conside ring il
matter coming directly under the
Attorney General"
George Chamberlain. attorney for
II. NJ. Daugherty, asked the witness
for details of his conversations with
Petit and O'Brien about getting evil
dence against committee members.
Admits Drinking.
Were YOU drinking when you
talked about that" he asked
1--WE were" said Duckstein
Did you think they were string
ing you?"
mo | can't say | did.
Mr.. Chamberlain suggested the
stories might have become more
vivid with the liquor but Duckstein
said that on the contrary the liquor
would result in more freedom OF
talk.
Under further questioning Duck
stein was more specific about the
Means papers. He said that Petit
and OBrien, on the night of March
81, took the witness and his wife over
secluded road in Washington
park. With a f1ashlight they made a
hurried inspection of several cases of
diaries and documents in the automo-
bile. Since that date, DuckStein Sd Id.
he hadn't seen hide nor hair" of Ell
ther man, but had a telephone con
versation on April with Petit.
Told of "Framing" Plot.
You told me on one occasion thRts
/ was going to be framed. didn't you
Senator Wheeler asked Duckstein.
Yes. did" Duckstein replied.
And that was a month before | va
indicted in Montana" the senator pe
sisted.
Il guess So" said Duckstein.
Didn't you think there was Il po,-
sibility OBrien and Petit represent
ed Mr.. Means?" Chamberlain asked.
"Oh. no." Duckstein said. 81 thought
they represented Todd, the man VIII"
was prosecuting Means
Mrs. Duckstein Testifes.
Mrs. Duckstein then took tar
stand, and Senator Wheeler took her
first through the process of ident!
flying persons in the inquiry. includ-
ing Jess Smith. She said she took
dictation from Jess Smith in his
private office on the sixth floor OF the
Department of Justice
What was his correspondence?
asked Senator Wheeler.
THE chief thing that is in my
mind is that Mr.. Smith was writing
letters for President Harding about
a scurrilous book that was being
written about the President"
who worked with Smith in that
Investigations"
'.Mr.- Smith s>a- Cor CASTOR Means
to help him."
Many of Smiths letters" she said,
were giving the views of the Attor-
ney General"
Did he tell you to make copies of
his letters?" Senator Wheeler de-
manded
He told me particularly not to
make any copies of his letters |
tore up my shorthand note books
from time to time"
Who did he write to about whisky
permits?'
Il can't remember
Senator Wheeler put his question in
a different form and the witness said:
The letters seemed to be arrange
ments about whisky permits, saying