The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-13
PROBING OF
DAUCHERTY
is NOW ON
Final Preparations Of Attack
We're Made In Secret

life.
After some preliminary question
ing by Wheeler in Columbus, Mrs.
Stinson is understood to have "told
the whole story" a complete case
for the committee.
The period to be described by the
witness was understood to cover the
time from the election of the laIe
President Harding in November, 1920
to May, 1928, when Smith died by his
own hand.
Smith, according to witnesses story
as it was to be told: was constantly
receiving considerable sums for ia
vors he was able to do wealthy men
during that period.
The witness was kept closely
guarded in Wheeler's inner Office
thruout the day.
Examine White House Doorkeeper.
Prior to examining Mclean, the
committee put P. E. McKenna, door
keeper at the White House executive
Offices; E. w. Starting, White House
secret service man, and E. w. Smith
ers, White House telegrapher, on
the stand to explain kilograms they
sent to Mclean at Palm Beach.
McKenna told the committee that
he had wired Mclean that c. Bas-
com Slemp, the presidents secretary,
was leaving for Florida because Nc
Lean had asked him to and Slemp
had given his consent.
Starting explained that messages
between himself and Mclean cob.
cerned employment Of a man named
wilkins" as guard for McLean's
young son.
Smithers, who operated McLean's
private wire between Washington and
Palm Beach, told the committee he
had asked for the position to earn
some extra money and that his du-
ties were exclusively confined to
transmitting the messages and news
digests that were sent over the pri-
vate wire.
The fight to GUST Attorney
General Daugherty was carried
into the open here today. The
investigating committee mask
ed its preparations in secrecy.
Senator Burton X. Wheeler,
democrat, of Montana, who will
assume charge Of the open
hearing at which Daugherty's
management of his depart
ment's affairs will be attacked,
disappeared for "a hours.
Wheeler was not at his Office Tues
day, nor at his home during the night,
lending an air of mystery to the final
preparations.
One report was that the Montana
Senator was delving personally into
the files of the Department of Justice,
seeking certain records in connection
with the revolt of Estaban Cantu in
Lower California in 1921. This is
the subject on which the committees
attention first will be focused, the
idea being to show that Daugherty
ordered his agents to cease interior
ence with gun running and illegal re-
cruiting that Cantu might win and
American oil interests benefit there
by.
Seek Jesse Smith" Wires.
The Daugherty investigating COM
mittee today ordered telegraph COM
panies to produce all kilograms re-
ceived and sent by Jesse Smith,
friend of the attorney general, who
committed suicide in Daugherty's
apartment. Messages passing be-
tween November A, 1920, and the
time of Smiths death we're asked for.
In making this announcement Sem
ator Burton X. Wheeler, democrat,
Montana, who has charge of the in
vestigation, said that the committee
had taken up new line and indicated
that the relations of Daugherty and
Smith might prove the initial point
Of attack instead Of the Cantu revolu-
ton.
Probe Bootlegging, Too.
Investigation Of bootlegging ac-
tivities in the capital and elsewhere,
efforts to secure pardons and paroles
for bootleggers and the doing out of
Federal patronage, will be gone into
first by the committee, Wheeler in
dicated. He refused to go into any
detail regarding his purpose in call
ing for the Smith kilograms.
Showing up at his Office after a
mysterious "a hour absence, Wheeler
today was accompanied by three per-
sons identified TO inquirers simply as
Mr.. Fink, Mr.. Steiner and Mr.. Stin-
son. They went into his office with
him.