San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23
HARRY SINCLAIR
INQUIRY.
AND THE SENATE.
Later Issues Statement Say
ing He Loaned Money
to Fall.
SCORES ROOSEVELTS
Will Hays Says Oil Man
Did Not Give Stock
to COP.
SCORES ROOSEVELTS


Harry i. Sinclair today defied the
Senate oil committee and the Senate
itself to make him talk, and then in a
statement assailing his accusers, an
swered some of the questions the Sen
ate probers wanted to ask him.
His refusal to testify before the
committee was followed by a report
to the Senate by Senator Ladd, com.
mittee chairman, laying the founda-
ton there for contempt proceedings
against Sinclair. Final decision as
to whether he will be certified for
contempt awaits the return to Wash
ington of Alice Pomerene and Over
]. Roberts, special counsel in the oil
cases.
Sinclair admitted in his statement
that he loaned $4,000 in bonds to
former Secretary of the Interior
Fall in 1923, that he had hired Fall
and had given him $4,000 expenses
TO 80 to Russia after Fall left the
cabinet.
The outcome of Sinclair's refusal 10
testify may be long court fight in
which the right Of any congressional
investigating committee to summon
and quizs witnesses may be the is.
sue.
VIII Hays on Stand.
Win Hays. politician and movie
ear, admitted close association with
Sinclair and revealed that he had. OBJ
tained from him a $4,000 campaign
contribution, spoke vaguely about
"loans" and bonds" but refused 10
get into any details because he con-
sidcred the matter personal"
These were the outstanding features
in n day of sensations as the oil COM
mittee questioned Sinclair and Hays.
Other developments included.
Hays denied that he eycr got
10000 shares from Sinclair to make
up the Republican campaign fund de-
ficiency. Sinclair declined 10 answer
the question.
,. Hays revealed that his law firm
III Indiana was counsel for Sinclair
and that he and his brother. Hinkle
Hays, had some Deal with the old mag
nate involving bonds.
3. A subpoena was ordered for Fred
Upham, treasurer OF the Republican
national committee, 10 ascertain the
amount Sinclair contributed to the
campaign fund.
1. The committee agreed for the
time being TO take Hays word that his
Sinclair dealings were personal"
and declined his invitation 10 have The
Looks inspected. 4.
8. Sinclair in a statement assailed
Archie Roosevelt and his brother,
Theodore, for circulating rumors
against him to the investigating coin
mittec.
Sinclai. indicated he would fight
10 a finish before he would answer
the questions put to him by invcsu-
gators. The committee. on the other
hand, is equally determined TO make
him tell history or send him TO Jail.
To Reserve Evidence.
When Sinclair was ordered TO take
the witness stand by unanimous vote
of the committee this morning he
said:
Il shall reserve any evidence 1 may
be able to give for those courts to
which you have deliberately referred
all questions over which you had any
jurisdiction and shall respectfully de-
cline TO answer any questions pro-
pounded by your committee"
tDtudlOT w ulSu tUtu uShtu Al lew
formal questions about the story that
Sinclair gave Will Hays 10000 shares
of oil stock for the Republican cam
paign deficit: when Sinclair had first
talked to Fall about the leases; if
he transferred large sum of money
from New York TO Washington as ru-
mored in connection with slush fund
reports.
Sinclair declined to answer all of
them on the ground-not that it
would incriminate him-but that his
counsel advised him not TO.
Sinclair was then excused and
Martin I.ittleton, his attorney. bowed
away from the committee with this
parting sally:
THANK you gentlemen
Soon after leaving the committee,
Sinclair gave out his voluntary state
ment in which he said:
Gives Out Statement.
&c. ID. Wahlberg, his former
secretary, had been Framed" by the
Roosevelt family to testify against
him.
Archie and Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt had attempted "assassina-
ton of my character
3-He paid $1,0OO,000 TO Fred G.
Bonfils OF Denver, for invalidated
claims to Teapot Dome because his
lawyers SO advised. He stated If
there was "a1y fraudulent represen-
tations or blackmail" proper redress
would be sought in the courts.
He did not enter into negotia-
lions with Fall for the lease of Teapot
Dome as early rs March, 1921, the
month Fall took office.
(Several witnesses have indicated
thisl.
! Sinclair told in his statement how
be came to hire Fall.