The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-02
CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYE OF FM'LEAN'SISPUT UNDER
 GRUELLING EXAMINATION
John F. Major. Who Ordered Private, Wire Run Into Publishers Residence At Palm Beach,
 Admits Destroying Confidential Telegrams


 1 with me after that wire was installed ," the chairman persisted. .... "Yes.' t
 Didn't you read me a telegram to yourself from Mir. Fali?'
 II think 1 did" s-
 TAe, telegram had been to the effect , that Hall was ill and unable to appear.
 Who told you to destroy these mes sages?n asked Senator Adams, demo- crat, Colorado. V %4 .E
 T don't know that anybody told me-" G .,. .f
 Who destroyed them at the other end." 's ~: 't
 Il did ;.l. .%.. .-.'t.
 How did you get at both ends:'
 '.i went down there.">
 Not Fearful Of News
 You were fearful that these mes: sages, even the Post digest, would get out:"
 Nothing fearful about it at all"
 Did Mir. Zeveiy (J. w. Zevely, counsel for Harry F. Sinelair) send any messages!' Senator Dill, democrat, Washington, asked: ..
 If by that you mean Mr. Zeyely 1 sending down U message, mo-
 Senator Walsh asked what Major ex- actiy meant. e
 II may have mentioned Mir. Zevely in some message" he replied, that was 1 all" v
 Homer mentioned in the Major 1 Mclean telegrams was Francis T. ho- neF, a Baltimore attorney, Major ex- piained. Homer is retained in connec- tlon with the Mclean estate. ., i Tho witness asked Senator Walsh to read Il statemehr into the record "clear ins up this situation.''
 Anything that will clear this up will be very helpful" Senator Walsh said, looking over the statement.
 You never went to bed with any pri- vate wire messages left undestroyed, did you:' Senator Adams asked. ....
 No, sir
 Denia. From Homer l Senator Walsh read into the record i a letter from Francis T. Homer which Major handed him. 1t was addressed to Mclean, and in it Homer denied that he had told Major that private wire would give the publisher easy access to the White House." as Major had stated in a telegram to Mclean.
 Since know nothing of your rela- tions with the present administration, could not have stated this," the letter said, "tthe telephone connection was bad. What l said was that with Wiley | (manager- of the Cincinnati Enquirer) at your house it would also give him easy access
 When did Mr.. Homer. say to you such a private wire would give easy and quick access to the White House?" Senator Walsh asked. Did you mis- quote. him:'' 1 =.
 Mir. Homer's letter puts a doubt into my mind as to whether he did say it.. Major replied. :..The conversation took place the day sent the wire"
 Major was excused, but continued to remain in attendance.
 c. T. Claggett of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone company took the stand, bringing a record of messages sent to Palm Beach from Washington. The committee then went into executive session, to examine these records Il 2 The list of the department of Jtistiee's Secret agents never is revealed to the public, but Mfr. Burns declined today to deny the report that Mclean was among them: a. .r..,,.,f stS
 It is known that in the past 8 num- Der of pefeons have been enrolled as agents. at salary of dollar a month but with the understanding that they shall not devote all of their time to the work of the department.
 Such employees have been provided. however, with badges, pistols and copies of the departments secret code.
 While the oil committee was examin- ing some of the Mclean employees to- day regarding the mysterious Washing ton-Palm Beach messages, both W. o. Duckstein and Mary Duckstein were among the spectators in the commit of the justice department, who were tee room. ~t
 Later they conferred with officials also in. attendance at the hearing.
 Burns Willing To Testify.
 MT. Burns meantime declared his perfect willingness to go before the committee and tell it all he knew.
 The department of justice" he said, never had anything 10 do with the oil scandal or Teapot Dome. l never gave any tips to Mclean. :.
 The only telegram to Mclean that l