The Washington times., 1924-04-23
|DAUGHERTYH|TS
ACCUSERS IN
SENATE
Ex-Attorney General Passes
Through City on Way to
Columbus.
BY WILLIAM *. HUTCHINSON,
International News Service.

ny WILLIAM n. HUTCHANOUNS
International News Service.
Former Attorney General Harry
M. Daugherty stopped off in Wash
ington today long enough to take a
crack at the Wheeler Brookhart COM
mittee investigating his official acts,
and then continued on to Columbus,
Ohio, where he is to deliver an adj
dress tonight defending his record
in the Department of Justice and
assailing his Senatorial accusers.
In statement issued here,
Daugherty promised to reveal at
Columbus the real reasons" behind
the Senatorial investigation and an.
/ nounced that his counter-attack
would be continued in subsequent
public addresses.
At the same time, the Senate COM
mittee prepared to institute con-
| tempt proceedings some time today
against the former Attorney Gen.
erals. brother. NAL s. Daugherty, Of
Washington Courthouse, Ohio.
Under the leadership Of Senator
Brookhart Rep), Of Iowa, chair
man, the committee announced it
would ask the Senate during the
day for a contempt citation against
Daugherty for his defiance Of the
committees authority. .
II granted, Daugherty would be
arrested Immediately and placed in
custody Of the Senate's officers un-
til he signified his willingness to
take the witness stand.
Wouldn't Show Books
The contempt proceedings grew
out of the committees visit to
Washington Courthouse. Ohio, where
Daugherty obtained court order
stopping session of the committee.
Previously, he had refused to obey
a committee subpoena or to per-
nit examination of the books Of the
Midland National Bank there.
Under the plan adopted by the
Wheeler committee the Senate will
be asked to order Daugherty's ar
rest and incarceration until he COM
plies with the requests Of the sena-
torial investigators. The matter un-
doubtetdly will be threshed out in
the District of Columbia Federal
| Court.
The committees plan of action,
however, will differ from that pur-
sued by the Walsh committee
against Harry F. Sinclair, the Oil
magnate, who also refused to testify
at Senate hearing.
Presidents Ample.
The Wheeler plan was to obtain
warrant from the president pro-
| tenn Of the Senate for Daugherty's
arrest with formal order from the
Senate for his Imprisonment, until
he signified his willingness to obey
the committees requests. There
| were ample precedehts for this pro-
cedure, under which Daugherty
would be arraigned daily before the
| bar of the Senate until he pro-
feSsed willingness to testify.
The committees action, it was
| conceded, will be bitterly fought by
! Daugherty and his Ohio associates.
The committee was willing to test
! it's contemplated action on the
strength of numerous precedents
cited by histories Of the Senate.
| Indications were the matter would
| be threshed out in both Ohio State
and the Federal District Courts here
before Daugherty would submit to
the contemplated action.
Some Held Months.
Precedents Of the Senate indicated
that unwilling witnesses were or.
dered arrested in similar fashion
and in some instances, held in
technical arrest, for months until
they finally. signified their willing
ness to answer questions PROFOUND
ed at committee hearings. 1t was
conceded nevertheless that Daugher-
ty would fight the contemplated &C.
ton in every available court.
The committee was more anxious
to study the books of Daugherty's
bank than to hear his testimony.
AS, a result, its members were de-
termined on a finished fight to
compel Daugherty's obedience to the
committees subpoena.
! While the contemplated contempt
proceeding occupied primary inter
| est, the Borah committee was
scheduled to meet in continuation
of it's investigation Of the indict-
ment of Senator Wheeler Dem.) of
Montana, acting prosecutor" by
Federal grand jury in Montana.
| Witnesses to date have given
Wheeler a clean bill of health while
his friends have charged the in
i - .,