San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-27
HAMON TOLD HIM
Declares Oil Man Spent
$500,000 to Swing
Oklahoma Vote.
HAMON LOOKED HIGHER
Expected to Be President
Through Money, He
Declares.

Washington, ID. C.. March 27.-The
story about a big money deal at the
Chicago Republican convention in
1920 was repeated with many new
dashes of color before the oil commit
tee today by AL jennings, who became
famous years ago as train robber
and since has turned evangelist and
politician.
Jennings said he was passing on
what had been told him by Jake Ba-
: mon. the Oklahoma Republican ma
by Clara Smith Hatnon late in 1920
Briefly, lannon's story as related by
Jennings on the stand today was as
follows:
That Hamon had nominated War
rem G. Harding for the presidency,
and that it has cost him (Hamon)
S1,000,00O.
THAT the cost of carrying Okla
homa for Harding had been $500, 900.
That Hamon paid Harry NJ.
Daugherty $4,000, Senator Boise
Penrose of Pennsylvania, 50, 1000 and
Will H. Hays, chairman of the Repub-
lican national committee, $4,000.
Was to BE Secretar,.
THAT Hamon was to become secre-
tary Of the interior and share in the
public lands, and expected with the
money he would make TO later be-
come President"
Jennings said he had known Hamen
for a number of years and had gone
with him TO the Chicago convention.
"We went TO room in one of the
hotels" continued the witness. "He
told me Harding would be nominated
the next day and that it had cost him
a million dollars. He said he had
maid S2J0,000 to Boise Penrose and in
a-conversation it wasNbrought out in
some way-I will not be perfectly
clear about it-that it was agreed by
Mr.. Daugherty. Will HAYS and a man
lis there a man named Manning from
Ohio. that he would be secretary of
the interior. He said it had all been
settled. He said Mr.. Daugherty was
Mt first in favor of Senator Fall for
the position, but that he had bought
them all over. but that it had cost
him lot of money TO do it. That is
about all l know of it,
Daugherty For Fall.
II understand that Mr.. Hamon told
you that in the makeup of the cabinet
of Mr.. Harding" said Senator Spen.
Ger. Republican. Missouri. that Mr.
Daugherty was in favor of Mr.. Fall"
''Yes, but that it had been all ar
ranged that he, Mr.. Hamon, was TO be
secretary of the interior"
"Do you think all the information
he gave you turned out with the same
of hoc fhafsr
THAT was the whole deal and that
was what he expected to get in on"
Replying to inquiries from Senator
Dill Democrat, Washington, Jennings
said:
HE (Hamon) wanted me to head
one of his companies. He said the
Democrats had not left much of the
public land. but that he would get the
rest Of it."
Expected to Be President.
''Did he speak about the oil re-
serves?"
He said public lands. nothing that
] can remember about oil reserves. He
said money had been very Potent in
Washington as in the outlying dis
tricts of the United States and that
with his money he would be President
of the United States. 1 have talked
with people in Oklahoma about Ha-
mons expectations. and do not think
he kept it from anybody"
Il wish you would tell us in a
connected way, as well as your men,
DRY viii serve you, about what was
said concerning acquisition of public
lands or the expectation of same, "
said Senator Walsh.
mfr. Hamon had at two or three
times before / got into this mix-up
wanted me to come back to Ardmore
and asked me TO go in with him in an
oil DEAL" replied Jennings. Il don't
like to say it myself. but the people
rather had confidence in me in Okla
homa and more than one oil company
had tried to use my name in the ex-
ploitation of companies in selling stock
and Jake had repeatedly asked me to
come in and form new company and
we could finance it with his money.
- -n.o