The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-09
Influence In Obtaining Oil Grant, Is
 Charged :, S1O,OOO RETAINER
 REPORTED TAKEN GeolOgist And Promoter Named In Bill With
 Senator $1O,OOO RETAINER FEE IS REPORTED TAKEN Foreman And Judge In Great
 Falls Action Are
 Republicans

GREAT FALLS, Mont, April s. Gordon Campbell, oil geologist and operator; tonight gave the Associated Press a signed statement in which he denied ever having paid Senator B. k. Wheeler, any sum of money to secure government oil and gas prospecting per. mits.
 In concluding his statement, Campbell declared:
 Any statement that paid Senator Wheeler $4,000 or any other sums of money to secure government permits is absolutely false and baseless. My dealings with Senator Wheeler have been legitimate, open and above-board and there is nothing of any kind or character that can in any manner, reflect upon him.
 GREAT FALLS, Montana, April S.-(By the Associated Press.)--- United States Senator B. K. Wheeler was indicted by a federal grand jury here today on a charge of having &C., cepted money as a retainer fee after ne became United States Senator to in. fluepce the granting of oil land per mits.
 Goidon Campbell, noted in the west. Arn oil states as a geologist, and l.. t. Stevenson, an oil operator and rro- moter, were indicted . with Senator Wheeler.
 Wheeler is technically charged with the violation of section 113 of the penal code.
 Campbell and Stevenson who were tie discoverers of tie Sunburst-Kevim oil field in Montana are charged in c single indictment with using the mails to defrauds.
 Charles l.. Blumhoff and E. D. Daley, oil men, were indicted In third separate indictment charged with sending fraudulent matter through the mails.
 $1O,O0O Fee Alleged
 The size of the fee which it was al- legged Senator Wheeler received was not stated officially, newspaper men being told by Department of Justice of- ficials that it was $10,O0C.
 The money was alleged to have been paid to Senator Wheeler as member of the law firm of Wheeler and Bald win of Butte and not as an individual
 The fee, it is charged, was paid by Gordon Campbell. Stevenson and Campbell formerly were associates in the oil promotion business buS la;er became business rivals, dividing their acreage in the Kevin-Sunburst field.
 Senator Wheeler, who is the official prosecutor of the Daugherty investi- gating committee, was elected to repre- sent Montana in 1922. In 1920 he was candidate for governor of Mon tana but was defeated by Governor Joseph NJ. Dixon.
 Daley, who was caught in the Texas oil probe in which Dr. Cook was a defendant, is at present serving a prison term of one year on that charge, according to federal officers.
 Some of the Department of Justice operatives who took part in the Texas oil probe roundup were among those who the evidence which led to Senator Wheeler's indictment here to- day.
 Arrest Hinted
 When asked if it would be possible to effect the arrest of Senator Wheeler during the time that congress is in ses- sion, Unted States District Attorney Slattery, said: T don't see why it can't be done
 Slattery made his statement in an- swer to hypothetical question with out admitting that Wheeler had been indicted.
 Bond of $1 900 will be asked of Sem ator Wheeler and the warrant for his arrest will be telegraphed to Wash. ington, it was stated.
 Republican Foreman
 N. T. Lease, former mayor of Great Falls, and at present a state assembly man, was the foreman of the grand DUTY. He has been resident of Mon tana 8 years and is one of the state's foremost contractors. He is repuhli- can but was elected mayor as pro- gressive during the Bull Moose" cam. paign. Judge Pray, appointed to the judgeship by President Coolidge two months ago.. thanked the jurors and excused them today. After the court had retired District Attorney Slattery made a plea on behalf of the press that the ban on secrecy of the names of the indicted be raised. None If the men has the slightest intention
 (COntinued On Page Two)