Evening star., 1924-04-09
Votes Without Dissent to
Name Committee of Five
to Investigate Charges.
CONSPIRACY TO BLOCK
JUSTICE INQUIRY SEEN
Senator Declares He Knew fS
Weeks Burns Agents Were
Studying His Record.

without dissenting voice the
Senate today ordered a special com
mittee of five of it's members to
Investigate the charges made yester-
day in d federal indictment returned
in Montana against Senator Wheeler
prosecutor Of the Daughcrty inyes-
tigation
The resolution ordering the in
quiry was presented after Senator
Wheeler had denied the charges on
the Senate floor and had gathered
about him an imposing circle of de
tenders drawn from the leadership
Of the democratic and republican in
surgent Senate forces
Chairman Brookhart of the Daugh-
erty committee at first announced
that his committee itself would in
Vestigate the conspiracy which had
resulted in Senator Wheelers indict-
ment in an underhand effort to
block the inquiry into the Depart
mCnt of Justice"
Walsh Asks Probe.
The democratic floor leader. Sena-
tor Robinson of Arkansas. suggested
that new committee be appointed to
undertake the new inquiry, and Sena-
tor Walsh of Montana, the prosecutor
of the oil committee, then presented
formal resolution to that end. He
said he did it at Senator Wheeler's
requsst, and it was adopted by vote
of acclamation almost as soon as it
was laid before the Senate.
Charging that the indictment was
a "damnable conspiracy" Senator
Wheeler told his colleagues that he had
known for weeks of the inquiry into
his record, in progress by Department
of Justice agents. He denied specif-
cally the charge in the Indictment that
after his election to the Senate he had
improperly accepted money for appear
ing before the Interior Department in
the interest of oil clients. His CON
tract in the case, he said, specifically
provided that he should not practice
before any government department.
Senator Robinson declared that no
one who had heard the senator's
speech could doubt the truth of mis-
statements, and Senator Walsh as
serted that the solicitor of the In
terror Department had personally
tions made on the floor today by
Senator Walsh's resolution was a
follows:
Text of Resolution.
Resolved, That a committee, con-
sisting of five members of the Sen
ate. be appointed by the President pro
tempore to investigate and report to
the Senate the facts in relation to
the charges made in certain in
Burton X. Wheeler in the United
States district court for the state OF
Montana"
Selection of the committee is to be-
left entirely to President Cummins
of the Senate, friends of Senator
Wheeler said.
Friends Approached.
dafa
liVered before virtually the complete
membership of the Senate. He openly
charged there had been frame up
against him, and said his friends had
seeking Ito see if there wasn't some
thing in my past life 1 wouldn't
want brought to light
AS far as / am concerned, 1 have
fought corruption" he declared, land
intend to go on with it even if |
knew I'd be successfully framed. But
L won't be. | know that the good peo-
pie of Montana will be so aroused
that it can't be done.
But l ask YOU and l appeal to you
! to put a stop to this spy system, to
this framing. Why, witnesses down in
our Investigations have told us that
II is regular practice to intimidate
United States senators to make them
vote for this bill or that bill.
They are not going to intimidate
! l see it. I'm not going to be stopped
! by threats or by clamor. I sincerely
! hope you believe me when | tell you
| this charge has no foundation. But
they have not stopped in attack with
me-they have tried to injure my wife
and my babies
Senator wheelers voice choked as
he concluded.
Charges Pressure Used.
Chairman nf ha nannl
erty committee charged every attempt
had been made to stop the commit
tees operation. Members had been
| trailed. he said. offices rified, and "un-
supported rumorS rejecting upon
them published in the press"
There can be no uncertainty" said
| Senator Brookhart, that there was
an orGanized conspiracy in the house
hold of the former Attorney General
to collect money for the protection or
crime. Those participating included
Jess Smith and Howard Warrington.
1t is inconceivable that Harry Daugh-
erty was not personally aware of il
Il believe this indictment can be
traced back to Daugherty. But the pro-
ceedlns mas not intimidated the commit
tee. our agreement has been unanimous
upon every material action. We will
continue to go forward until the peo-
pie of the United States can render :,
true verdict upon this conspiracy OF
try
Senator Robinson said he thought the
Senate would agree that the Montana
senator had been the victim of a Grim
inal "frame-up"
The Senate is competent to inuuirs
into the circumstances surroundina
that indictment" the Arkansas Sena
tor said. ''and since he is a member
of the Daugherty committee, / think
the inquiry sE~dld be handled by a
new committee"
Senator Walsh, Montana, expressed
confidence that the charges against
his associate ARE entirely without
foundation" The information on
which the indictment was based, he
said, had been public property for a
year, but never until now has il
been considered of any Importance.
80 far as / can learn" he continued.
"the charge is based on a letter from
the solicitor of the Interior Depart
ment, who confirmed TO me today
every statement by Senator Wheeler
of the facts in the case"
nENTEc rrTrHA nEarC