Evening star., 1924-04-17
WHEELER'SCL|ENT
DENIES ACCUSATION
AGAINST SENATOR
Campbell Tells Probers Mon
tanan Never Appeared Be-
fore u. S. Department.
HANDLED ONLY STATE
COURT CASES, HE SAYS
Witness Testifes Accused Refused
to Assist in Action
Brought Here.

Cutting at once to the heart Of the
whole controversy, the special Senate
committee Investigating the Montana
charges against Senator Wheeler
opened it's hearings today with teSt-
mony bearing directly on the extent
of his activities in Washington in
connection with cases in which his
Montana clients were interested.
From Gordon Campbell, a geoIog3st,
who said he had employed the sena-
tor in 1922 to represent him in tho
state courts, the committee received
copies of two sets of kilograms pass
ing between him and Wheeler, one
purporting to show that Wheeler had
been advised" the government could
not intervene in CampbelFs behaIt
in a land proceeding against him, and
the other indicating that the senator
had arranged for Campbell to confer
with Solicitor Booth of the Interior
Department regarding "the Lincoln
permit"
Campbell Also Indicted.
Campbell, who was indicted with
Wheeler in Montana, insisted this
did not constitute Senator Wheeler's
appearance" before the Interior De-
partment on behalf of his client, as
charged in the indictment. On the
advice of Solicitor Booth, the witness
said. he had hired his own Washing
ton attorney to handle land cases
here. He insisted that Senator
Wheeler had told him he could not
handle such cases because of his
election to the Senate.
Former REPRESENTATIVE Tom Stout
of Montana told the committee he had
approached Wheeler on the subject
of acting as counsel for Campbell in
state litigation, and that Wheeler
himself had raised the point of his
inability to handle any cases except
in the state courts
Asks Immunity Waived.
At the outset of the hearing Sena-
tor Sterling, Republican, South Da-
kota, suggested that it might be well
to have the witness waive immunity.
None of these witnesses is
charged with anything" said Chair
man Borah-
Attention was called that Campbell
had been indicted with Senator
Wheeler, but Senator Borah said that
could be taken care of when Camp
bell was called.
The chairman read the statute un-
der which Senator Wheeler was in
dicted on charge of accepting a fee
to appear for Campbell before the
Interior Department in the interest
of oil land claims. Stout then was
called to the stand.
Stout testified that he had been ed.-
tor and publisher of the Daily Demo-
crat-News of Lewistown for nineteen
years and that he had known Senator
Wheeler quite Intimately" for a
number of years. Stout also said he
had talked with Gordon Campbell in
December, 1922. about Campbelrs en-
ployment of Senator Wheeler.
Knows of Court Appearance.
Stout said he had had no further
connection with the matter, but knew
that Senator Wheeler had appeared
for Campbell in the state court cases.
The witness said his conversation
with Campbell about the employment
of Senator Wheeler took place in De
cember, 1922, a month after Wheeler
was elected to the Senate. The liti-
cation related to an effort to throw
Campbell into receivership.
Stout said he was not interested
lin any way" in the company. He
said the fee Wheeler had asked to
represent Campbell was $4,000 Il
year.
Mentions Another Witness.
Stout thought John NJ. Cooper, now
of Los Angeles, might have been with
him at the time of his conversation
with Wheeler in Butte, but was moi
sure.
Chairman Borah told Stout that his
testimony that Wheeler had raised
the question" of his inability to rep
resent Campbell except before state
courts was "a very important part
of the committees record. Stout re-
iterated his statement that such was
the fact.
DO you know anything about the
extent and number of cases Campbell
had in the courts in Montana?" asked
Senator Borah.
NO, except that he had a great deal
of litiga ton"
Campbell did not know Wheeler,
Stout said, and he volunteered to see
Wheeler about his being retained.
The case involved was q receiverShip
matter in the state district court.
When he saw Wheeler. Stout said
the latter advised him that he could
not represent Campbell except before
state courts.
Campbell followed Stout on tho
stand and waived all immunity.
Campbell Takes Stand.
Campbell began his testimony by
saying he was geologist and telling
of his discovery Of the Kevin-Sun-
burst oil field, in Montana He said
he had been involved in about forty
lawsuits in oil field matters and said
the property concerned was of very
great value" He described his con
versation with Stout and said he had
told Stout his own lawyers were
mot standing pat with me" and that
he had thought of employing Wheeler
because he's a fighter"
Wheeler came to his office in Great
Falls about December 20, 1922, and
the agreement for his employment
was reached verbally, Campbell
added.
The witness insisted there never
was any question of government
permits involved in his dealings
with Wheeler. He confirmed that
the fee agreed on was $4,000 and
said he paid Wheeler $4,000 ito
represent me in this litigation. in
Great Falls"
The witness said the arrangement
of the oil land held by his company
in the Kelvin Sunburst field in Mon