Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-08

Bdlnl EeaCn, DuCNStelu Sllti llldC
T.. w. Smitners, ck;ef Of commune
cations at the White House, had
ashedae6or the Job of manning this
end. IN
DuEKstein testified that w. j.
Barns permitted him to use the de-
partment of Justice code to decipher
messages from Mclean.
There also was an exchange OF
kilograms between Albert Is. Fail at
Palm Beach and Chairman Lenroot,
of the oil committee, in which the
former secretary asked whether he
would be compelled to testify before
Senator Walsh, of Montana, and the
chairman replied that he would not.
Senator Walsh had been sent to
Florida to question Mclean and he
made an unsuccessful effort to find
Fall while he was at Palm Beach.
In an official telegram sent to Nc.
Lean and previously published,
Chairman LenrOot had said that
Senator Walsh was appointed u
subcommittee of one to take the tes-
timony of Edward b. Mclean, or any
other witnesses who the same sub
committee may require to attend be-
fore him"
Mr.. Lenroot was not present at
the hearing, having gone to South
eln Pines, n. c., for a rest,
Mclean Employees Questioned
After examining other kilograms
and questioning more of the Mclean
employees and others, the committee
concluded its hearings for the day
without calling Ira Bennett, the
Washington Post editorial writer
who was author of the message to
Mclean mentioning "the principal"
One of those who testified was
Fred Starek, a director of the war
finance corporation and former cor
respondent for McLean's Cincinnati
Enquirer, who had been mentioned
in one of the kilograms as being
very anxious to get in touch with
the publisher on an important mat
ter. He testified that the affair had
nothing to do with oil, but that his
business with Mclean related to ne.
gotiations for purchase of the Wash
ingtOn Post.
New MARY" Message
Then an exchange Of messages was
read showing that on January 10,
L
Chairman Lenrott. of the oil COM
mittee, asking to know if walsh
has authority to subpoena me to
testify" and got a response saying
he had not,
CASTOR b. Means, widely known
investigator once employed by the
of justice, wired to Nc
Leans secretary early in January
that he was on the way to Palm
Beach.
On January % Johns" sent a
message to. Z. B. Mclean, at Palm
Beach, saying Subpoena for FAN
today. Returnable Friday" Anoth-
err Mary message in code also was
presented. Like the other, it was
addressed to w. o. Duckstein, a Nc
Lean employee, at Palm Beach. T
Message Gives Warning
Bur ~ states" the message said.
"lawy-r friendly to department said
that an inquiry was on foot to as
certain whether Mclean was reg
ular appointed dollar year man and
asked him to find out. Department
lawyer came to Burns and inquired.
Burns said attorney general was
only person who could give infor
nation 'arding such appointment
Evidently preparing for mud
singing. Burns states impossible
TO say when he can get away. Be
ing kept here on Dome hearing.
Department liable to be called upon
at any time for investigation and
to prepare injunctions."
At the time in December, when
the committee was trying to get A.
s. Fall to come to Washington to
testify, he telegraphed J. w. Zevely,
counsel for Harry f. Sinclair, that
he was proceeding to Atlantic City
from New York, and asked ZeVely
to join him there. On December II,
Mclean wired to Atlantic City that
he would arrive to join Fall.
McLean's Wire TO Lawyer
On January - Mclean wired
Francis T. Homer, Baltimore law
yer, asking if the oil committee
could compel him to testify where
he had 100000 on deposit.
"Think over certain prominent
people," the telegram said, land you
will realize why large cash funds
were kept on hand at that time"
Fall telegraphed from Palm Beach
on January II that facts would be
developed, but names not given in
testimony before Senator Walsh at
Palm Beach.
The kilograms read also included
another Mary message, in which
Mrs. Mary Duchstein, q secret agent
of the department of justice. inform
ed her husband, w. o. Duckstein, d
Mclean employee, that Burns" was
uncertain when he could get away
from Washington.
Mrs. Duckstein was placed on the
stand when the reading was con
clJded. She said that w. J. Burns
chief of the justice departments
bureau Of investigation, had changed
previous plans because of a belief
that the oil committee might need
his assistance, but asserted that
other expressions in her message
had been personal between herself
and her husband.
Phone Girl Hears Conversation
Mary Quigley, telephone operator
for the Washington Post, mentioned
in some of the kilograms, was call
ed. John Major, of the Post. wiring
Mclean. had asserted she had lis
tened on the lines while w. o.
Duckstein was talking.
Z repeated the conversations
Duckstein had with his wife in an
offhand way" she said, mot expect
ing the matter to be printed in every
paper in the land. plugged in and
out on the wire. I heard him say:
I'm going down to Palm Beach
tonight; I've got them all bowling
to me now
Then 1 heard Mrs. Ducksteln
say:
" Now, Billy, you've got the
right idea at last
Il didn't hear all the converse
ton. He might have been talking
about anything. I've repeated a lot
of things to Mr.. Major from the