Evening star., 1924-05-19
STERLING JUSTIFIES
WHEELER INDICTMENT
Minority Report Of Borah Inves.
tigating Committee Given
to Senate Today.
GUILT IS NOT IN QUESTION
Montana Jury Acted Properly,
Says South Dakota Member.

The federal grand jury in Montana
was justified in returning an in
dictment against Senator Wheeler,
Democrat, of that state, in the
opinion of Senator Sterling, Republi-
can, South Dakota, who submitted
minority report to the Senate today
in his capacity as a member of the
special committee which investigated
the Indictment
Senator Sterling limited his re-
port to the question Of Justification.
declaring the question of the guilt
or innocence of Senator Wheeler is
not a proper subject of inquiry bv
the committee, but solely a matter
ior determination by the courts.
Refers to Witnesses,
Declaring that several witnesses
were brought from Montana at the
request of Senator Wheeler to testi-
fy in support of his "frame-up"
charge. the minority, report declared
that since none of them was called to
testify lit is fair to assume that they
had no information bearing on the
question"
Senator Sterling based his conclu-
sions almost entirely on the testi-
mony of w. w. Rhea, former field
superintendent of the Campbell prop
critics, and HI. c. CLOSER, former pri-
vate secretary to Gordon Campbell,
Montana oil operator, and the docu-
mentary evidence submitted by the
Department of Justice at the request
of Chairman Borah of the investigat-
ing committee.
From the testimony of Rhea and
CLOSER, together with the docut-
mertary evidence" his report said.
lit would seem clear that the grand
jury at Great Falls was justified in
returning the indictment against
Senator Wheeler; and from the view
which has heretofore been expressed
in this statement as to the proper
function of the committee 1t is un-
necessary to discuss the testimony of
other witnesses further than to say
that this testimony Is all contradic-
tory, if not refuted. by the documentary
evidence.
Testimony Of Wheeler.
THE testimony Of Senator Wheeler
himself consists largely of a cate
gorical denial of the charges made in
the Indictment and a denial of the
statements of witnesses, qualified in
some important instances by the
statement that to the best of his
recollection certain statements had
not been made or certain things had
not occurred"
Senator Sterling charged that the
majority of the committee in it's re-
port holding that Senator Wheeler
had not in violation Of the law ac-
cepted employment by Campbell to
represent him in land permit matters
before the Interior Department had
"encroached upon the functions Of the
! judicial branch Of our government"
These conclusions" he said, pre-
judge the issue made by the pending
Indictment and plea OF not guilty,
which 1t is assumed will be entered,
and to this extent the majority re-
port obstructs and interferes with the
due administration of justice"
Offer Of Brfbe Seen.
Senator Sterling also charged that
Campbell offered a bribe to Edwin 8.
Booth. former solicitor Of the De-
partment Of the Interior, in connec-
ton with one Of his Oil land permits
and declared Campbell showed his
Willingness, Notwithstanding any
agreement to pay Senator Wheeler
$4,000 for these and for other serv-
ices ana TO pay Booln anu TO any
other officials Of the Department of
the Interior whom he might be able
to corrupt, an additional premium to
secure results"
THAT Booth listened with interest
and sympathy to Campbell's corrupt
offer" the report added, sis evidenced
by his telegram to Campbell Of May 5
and by his letter Of May 19, at which
times Booth had left the Department of
Interior and was with the Department
of Justice, but apparently having so
recently severed his connection with
the Interior Department that his
influence still obtained"