Evening star., 1924-03-26
WILL PUT SINCLAIR
CASE BEFORE Jury
Gordon to Present Evidence
on Oil Magnate's Re-
fusaI to Testify.

United States Attorney Gordon said
today that he will present to the
grand jury tomorrow the evidence in
connection with the refusal of Harry
F. Sinclair, millionaire oil magnate,
to answer questions propounded to
him by Senator Walsh at the Teapot
Dome inquiry before the Senate oil
committee. Maj. Gordon will ask the
Department of Justice to designate
Atlee Pomerene and owen J. Roberts
as special assistants to aid in the pres
entation OF the matter to the grand
jury and in the prosecution of MIR.
Sinclair should the grand jury pre-
sent an Indictment.
The commissions which the two
special counsel in the oil cases hold
from President Coolidge, it is stated,
would not permit them TO attend ses-
sions of the local grand jury. Hence
their appointment by the Department
of Justice as special assistants to
Maj. Gordon will be sought. Maj
Gordon consulted with Mr.. Pomerene
and Mr.. Roberts yesterday and re-
ceived assurance that they would par
ticipate in the case.
Return Before Monday
If the case is presented to the pres
ent grand jury sn Indictment, If any,
would have to be returned in court
before Justice Hitz next Monday. The
life of the present grand jury expires
on that date.
Maj. Gordon had not decided today
as to the witnesses to be summoned
in the Sinclair matter He may call
Senator Ladd, chairman of the. COM
mittee, and the official stenographer,
or he may use only one of them. In
the case of Elverton R. Chapman, who
defied the Senate sugar Investigating
committee in 1894, the only witness
used by the then district attorney was
Chairman Gray of the committee.
Bond Action Likely.
Should the grand jury present an
indictment against Mr.. Sinclair for
it is expected, the oil magnate would
be Immediately placed under bond
The case will likely be contested
through all the courts, and final de-
cision is not expected for several
mon<hs and probably years, unless the
prosecution should fail to satisfy a
petit jury of the guilt of the oil mag
nate and verdict of acqulttal be rem
dered.
The Senate committee on public
lands and surveyS-the oil commit
tee-suspended its hearings today to
consider a number of pending bills,
but IL will get back TO its investiga-
ton tomorrow to question several
witnesses about reported 'oil deals
during tho 1920 republican national
convention.
AL Jennings, one-time train robber
in Oklahoma, who became an evan
selist and was friend of Jake
Hamon, the late republican national
committeeman from that state, is ex
pected to provide most of the testi-
mony before the committee tomorrow
about the convention "oil deal gos-
sip. Several other witnesses have
been summoned in this connection,
however, and Lewis w Baldwin,
president of the Empire Trust Com
pany of New York, is to be asked
about the security provided for loan
negotiated with his institution when
the republican national committee in
CURED a deficit during the 1920 cam
paign.
Jennings arrived here today from
Long Beach, Calf, and had 4 confer
mittee prosecutor. He promised "a
whale of a story when he takes the
stand tomorrow, but would not Gis-
cuss a statement recently attributed
to him to the effect that there was
a million dollar 1'oil deal' at the
Chicago convention in connection with
the nomination of the late President
Harding.