New Britain herald., 1925-01-28
STONE REFUSES ID DROP CASES
(continued From First Pase)

NVlc OliltI COnslutIdtlOHb loI uio- trlct of Columbia proceeding,
 After the attorney general had de- clmed to go into details of She eW- denee in the case to be presented here, Senator Walsh placed In the record a letter written to MT. Stone last May asking for an early hear ing of the case in Montana, since a jury then was sitting at Butte.
 This matter was referred to United States Attorney slattery in Montana, who advised that the jury was about to adjourn. and that be- sides there was further investiga- ton of the case to be made.
 slattery wrote the Justice Depart ment that Senator Wheeler was urging early trial so as to take ad- vantage of the whitewashing given him by his colleagues in the senate.'
 New Witnesses Too
 The reference was to the senate investigation which last spring re- suited in Senator Wheeler's com plete exoneration at the hands of a committee headed by Senator Borah. republican, Idaho. Answering ques- tlons by Senator Walsh, MT. Stone said the same witnesses who ap- peared before tbe senate committee would go before the grand jury here, but that others also had been summoned.
 It was developed that while Slat- tery now is willing to have the case tried at Butte, there can be no trial there until the middle of March.
 "That will be after the grand jury here is through ?" asked Senator Walsh. .
 T assume so," Mir. Stone replied.
 Tells of Inquiry
 Tn describing to the committee the investigation by Assistant At- torney General Donovan and it's re- suits, MT. Stone said:
 "The investigation indicated that Campbelis promotion schemes in- volved primarily the securing, fraud ulertly, of oil and gas prospecting permits on public lands in Montana and that the most important ele- ment in them was the vaidation of these permits by the interior depart ment and the approval of assign ments of these permits by the exec utive officers of the interior depart ment at Washington.
 These subsequent investigations changer entirely the aspect of the crime which seemed to have been committed in Montana. Instead of mere fraudulent scheme to use the mails in the. selling of oil stock, 1t appeared that there was a scheme to defraud the United States of it's public lands and of the oil and min- erals underlying those lands.
 "The principal and most import and acts in furtherance of the scheme were to be performed, and were in fact performed, at the seat of the government. A crime, If committed in these transactions, was ! committed within the District oi Columbia where, under statutes oi the United States, it was properly i triable."
 Wheeler Seems Involved
 "While from the facts presented to me it appeared that number of people were unquestionably impli- cated in this transaction, it became apparent that testimony could not be l taken with respect to 1t without ln- dicating that Senator Wheeler was Involved in it. I therefore came to the conclusion that in fairness to him and with view of the due and orderly administration of justice an opportunity should be given to him to explain his connection with the transaction,
 "But independently of his connec- ton with it, there had apparently been a crime committed and that crime had been committed within the District of ColumEia and the case could not be submitted to a grand jury without developing the mart Senator Wheeler had taken ln ! it.
 q therefore gave instructions carly in December that the matter should be submitted to a grand jury in the District of Columbia. l fur ther at that time gave instructions that the utmost caution should be used in presenting the case, to pre- sent it with absolute fairness 10 all the defendants concerned, and m view of Senator Wheeler's relation 10 the case, I gave instructions that ne should be permitted to appear be- fore the grand jury to testify, if he so desired, provided he waive lm- munity and that at q reasonable time in advance of grand jury pro- ceedings, either Senator Wheeler or his counsel should be advised Of my determination"
 Takes All Responsibility.
 MT. Stone said he accepted full personal responsibility" for what had been done with respect to the case here.
 "The course pursued by the De- Dartment of Justice since this matter had come under my observation" he said, "has been, l believe, in full ac- | cord with both the letter and spirH of the constitution and laws of the United States. and with the highest conception of the due and orderly administration of justice"
 Senator Walsh said he had heard that an attache of the Department of Justice said as carly as last Juno that Wheeler would he indicted ir inc District of Columbia on a con- spiracy charge, but the attorney gen. eral replied no such information had