Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-28
Oil Committee Listens to
Promised Tale of Once Not
ed Train R0bber-Declares
Penrose, Daugherty, Hays
And Manning All Shared In
Fund-Hamon Was Prom
ised Secretary of Interior

Washington, Mar. 27.-Al Jen-
nings, once a famous train robber
and now a California real estate
dealer. related today before the Oil
committee one of the most unusual
tales congressional investigators
have ever heard.
1t revolved around $1,000. goo
payment which he said he had been
told figured in the Republican ma
tional convention at Chicago in 1920.
He said his only information, how
ever, had come from the late Jake
Hamon. who at the time was the
Republican national committeeman
from Okelahoma.
In Chicago hotel room during
the convention, the witness said, Ha-
mon told him that the nomination
Of Harding would cost him $1,000
COO; that he (HamonS had put up"
$3.50, 900 of this sum to the late SEN
ator Penrose of Pennsylvania; $25.-
GOO to Harry M. Daugherty; $4,000
to Will H. Hays. the chairman Of
the Republican national committee,
and another $4,000 to a fourth man
from Ohio named Manning, or
something similar.
Besides he quoted Hamon as say
ing money was used indiscriminate-
ly with the Oklahoma delegation and
it cost him like hell to get the New
York delegation" Jennings said he
could not recall that he had been
told of any other individual pay
ments of money.
1t also was a part of the story
that Daugherty, Hays and others
had agreed to make Hamon secre-
tary of the interior; that Hamon
was to take over what the Demo-
cratic administration had left of the
public lands: and that Hamon ex-
pected to make great deal of mon
ey out Of them, and then get him
self elected as the next President.
Hamon was quoted as saying that
Daugherty at first had wanted Albert
B. Fall as secretary of the interior,
but that he had put it all over him.
on that proposition. Asked as to
the correctness of lannon's expecta-
tions, Jennings replied that Of course
they were not fulfilled as he had not
lived. Hamon was shot and killed
by Clara Smith Hamon late in 1920.
Jennings was on the stand less
than half an hour and was subjected
to only brief cross-examination.
Senator Spencer, Republican, Mis-
souri,, brought out in each instance
as their names were mentioned, that
Harding, Penrose and Hamon are
dead
Immediately after Jennings was
excused Senator Walsh the commit
tee prosecutor and Senator Spencer.
who only recently was appointed to
the committee. got into row which
promises many new developments
both within the committee and on
the floor of the senate.
Declaring it was the duty of the
committee to investigate, Senator
Walsh demanded that Senator Spen-
Ger furnish the information on
which he had based statement in
New York last night that "as to the
oil leases the situation was exactly
duplicated under the late Secretary
Payne" After sharp exchange.
the Missouri senator declared he
would wait until his information was
complete and then ] will bring 1t
out in due FORM"
Later in the day Senator Spencer
laid the ground work for an inquiry
along other lines. causing subpoenas
to be issued for George White. for
mer chairman of the Democratic ma
tional committee: Wilbur Marsh, its
former treasurer; Edward l.. Do
heny. and John Walsh, brother of
Senator Walsh, and q Washington
lawyer.