Evening star., 1924-05-15
u. S. Will FOLLOW UP
WHEELER INDICTMENT
Senate Probers' Full Exoneration
No Reason for Dismissing Case,
Stone Declares.

The Department of Justice will con-
Wheeler, Democrat, Montana, under
indictment in his home state, despite
the senator's exoneration by a Senate
committee.
Attorney General Stone said today
he saw no reason for a change in
the departments attitude, and that no
reason appeared for dismissing the
proceedings.
A report exonerating Senator Wheeler
"from any and all violation" of the
statutes under which he was indicted
at Great Falls, Mont, has been sub
mitted to the Senate by Chairman
Borah of the special committee which
investigated the charges against him.
The report, which was signed by
four of the five members of the com
mittee, was confined to the question
of Senator wheeler's guilt or inno-
cence, and made no mention of the
indictment or the preceding activities
in Montana of Blair Coan, at the d-
recton he testified, of Secretary
Lockwood of the Republican national
committee.
Senator Sterling, kepuolcan, South
Dakota, dissented from the commit
tee majority's view as to its func-
Iions, holding that it was not in
structed to pass upon the guilt or in
nocence of Senator Wheeler, but upon
the question whether the indictment
was justified by the veidence, or, as
| charged on the floor by the Montana
| mem Der, was the result of frame
| up" He reserved the right to submit
| a separate report
Got No Money for Work Here.
The majority report, which Chair
man Borah announced he intended to
| discuss later, said the committee had
| found that Senator Wheeler had
| neither received nor accepted, nor
| agreed to receive or accept, any com
| pensation whatever, directly or ind
rectly, for any services rendered or
| to be rendered, in behalf of Gordon
| Campbell, the Montana oil operator
| indicted with him, in relation to any
| case in which the United States was
| a party or directly or indirectly in
| terested."
| After reviewing the statute under
which the Indictment was returned
and setting forth the sole question
which it was held the committee was
authorized to investigate, the major
| ity report says:
| Your committee finds:
First That Surpg the ssa months sfar b Gs
! j
election to the. Senate, Senator
| Wheeler entered the employ of Cor
| don Campbell as his attorney, the
said contract of employment includ-
| ing the firm of lawyers under the
name of Wheeler & Baldwin.
Got $4,000 Retainer.
Second. That, according to the
terms of employment by which he
| entered the service of Campbell as
| his attorney, the said firm of Wheeler
& Baldwin was to receive retainerS
| fee of $4,000 per annum: that $4,000
thereof was paid January 9, 1928, and
$4,000 thereon on February is, 1922
| and that the balance is still unpaid
Third. That It was fuily % %unael
| stood and agreed between all parties
To said contract of employment thai
| the services of Senator Wheeler ana
| his firm related alone TO the ntiga
tion then pending or to be brougnl,
| in the state courts of Montana, said
| Campbell being at that time inter
| ested in a number of law suits, some
| nineteen or twenty at least IN num-
| Der.
| Wheeler did not at any time agree
| to receive compensation for services
| before any department, court-mar
| tial, bureau, officer, or any civil. mill
4 tary or naval commission at Wash
| ineton. and did not at any time re-
| ceive compensation for such services
| before any department, court-martial'
| bureau, officer or anv civil, military
or naval commission.
Fifth. That, on the other hand, the
| sole contract of employment which
he had with Campbell related to mat
| ters of litigation in the state courts
of Montana; that Senator Wheeler
did not at any time appear for said
Campbell, or his companies, before
any of the departments in Washing
ton under agreement to receive COM
pensation, and did not at any time
receive compensation for any appear
ance or services rendered before said
government departments"