Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-19
CHARGES AGAINST
WHEELER REFUTED
AS INQUIRY OPENS
Men Who Retained Senator
Testify That He Refused to
Handle Any Cases Except
in State Courts

WASHINGTON, april 17.--Cuts
ting at once to the heart Of the whole
controversy, the special senate COM
mittee investigating the Montana
charges against Senator, Wheeler
opened its hearings today with tes-
timony bearing directly on the ex-
tent of his activities in Washington
in connection with cases in which
his Montana clients were interested.
From Gordon Campbell, geolo-
gist, who said he had employed the
senator in 1922 to represent him in
the state courts, the committee re-
ceived copies of two sets of tele-
grams passing between him and
Wheeler, one purporting to show
that Wheeler had Fbeen-- advised"
the government could not intervene
in Campbelrs behalf in a land pro-
ceeding against him., and the other
Indicating that the senator had ar
ranged for Campbell to confer with
Solicitor Booth, Of the interior depart.
ment regarding 1.-The Lincoln per-
NIT
Campbel, who was indicted with
Wheeler in Montana" insisted this
did not constitute Senator Wheeler's
appearances before the interior de-
paItmert on behalf of his client, as
charged in the Indictment. On the
advice CT Solicitor Booth, the wit
ness said he had hired his own
Washington attorney to handle land
cases here. He insisted that Senator
Wheeler had told him he could not
han die such cases because of his
election to the senate.
Stout First Witness
Former Representative Tom Stout,
OF Montana, told the committee he
had approached Wheeler on the sub
ject Of acting as counsel for Camp
bell in state litigation and that
Wheeler himself had raised the point
of his inability to handle any cases
except in the state courts.
At the outset of the hearing Sen
ator Sterling, Republican, South
Dakota, suggested that it might be
we'll to have the witnesses waive i'm
munity.
None Of these witnesses are
charged with anything" said Chair
mai ECrah.
Attention was called that Camp
b I'll had been indicted with Sem tor
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 in
| terror department in the interest on
oil land claims. Stout then was called
to the stand
The witness said his conversation
With Campbell about the employ
IN 9nt Of Senator Wheeler took place
in December, 1922, a month after
Wheeler was elected to the senate.
The litigation related to an effort to
! throw Campbell into receiVership.
! He himself, Stout said, was not in
tereSted lin any way in the COM
pany He said the fee Wheeler had
asked to represent Campbell was
$4,000 a year.
Stout thought John M. Cooper. now
OF Los Angeles, might have been
| with him at the time of his CONVEX
satiOn with Wheeler in Butte, but
he was not sure.
Had Large Practice
| Chairman Borah told Stout that
! his testimony that Wheeler had
raised the question" OF his inability
| to represent Campbell except before
! state courts was "a very important"
| part of the committees record Stout
! reiterated his statement that such
! was the fact.
DO you know anything about the
| extent and number of cases Camp
bell had in the courts in Montana"
asked Senator Borah.
NO, except that he had a great
deal of litigation"
Gordon Campbell. indicted with
| Wheeler, followed Stout on the stand
and waived all immunity.
Wheeler told him, Campbell said
| that as he had been elected United
| States senator he could not attend
! to any of my land cases
He didn't want anything to do
| with the land cases." Campbell add
| ed.
Campbell began his testimony by
| saying he was a geologist and telling
| of his discovery of the kevin-Sun-
burst oil field in Montana. He said
| he had been involved in about 40
law suits in oil field matters, and
! said the property concerned was of
| very sreat value. He described his
! conversation with Stout. and said he
had told Stout his own lawyers We're
| mot standing pat with me" and that
he had thought of employing Wheel
| er-"because he's a fighter"
Barred Capital Appearance
Wheeler came TO his office in
| Great Falls about December 20,
1922, and the agreement for his en-
! p,oyment was reached verbally,
| Campbell added.
Campbell declared Wheeler had
never appeared for him before the
interior department and had repeat
edly told me he couldn't"
What do you mean by land mat
terS:" asked Senator Sterling, Re
publican, South Dakota.
Some OF our lands had TO be
cleared up Campbell said.
Did Senator Wheeler give any
reason why he couldn't appear for
You in those matters?"
He said he could not appear be
fore govelr ment departments. Some
of the leases We're coming before the
! general land office. We had q man
in our office who attended 10 that,
and ! so told MIR. Wheeler"
Under Questioning by Senator
Car5way, Democrat, Arkansas. he re-
tterated that he had had no under
standing direct or implied" with
| Wheeler in regard to any land mat.
tiers.
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 50 goo ITO represent
, me in this LITIGATION In Great Falls