New Britain herald., 1925-03-27
Federal Grand Jury
 Brings In True Bill At Washington After Hearing Charges In Montana Oil Permits.
U. s. Senator Had Been Previously Accused in Finding in Montana Senate Committee Had Exonerated Him.

Washington. March 27.-senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana, Gordon Campbell and Edwin s. Booth were indicted here today by federal grand jury on conspiracy charges.
 Campbell is an oil operator in Montana.
 Booth is a former solicitor of the interior department.
 The indictment Is the second re- turned against Wheeler and Camp bell: they were indicted in Mon- tana on charges that Mir. Wheeler improperly represented Campbell be- fore a government department.
 The indictments are based on charges relating to the security of oil and permits in Montana and relate to the transactions alleged to have taken place while Booth was in the interior department.
 Action Started Weeks Ago
 Initiation of the grand jury pro- ceedings here some weeks ago caused a furry In the senate, where some of Senator Wheeler's friends declared an effort was being made to transfer him across the contl- nent for trial after he had been once indicted in his home state on the same facts. Attorney General Stone replied, however, that the new case was en- tirely independent of the Montana proceeding, and related to acts which took place In the District of .Colum- bia, These acts, as detailed by government counsel. included an att tempt by Senator Wheeler, acting with Campbell, to secure oil land permits through cooperation with Booth.
 The Montana indictment, which was returned several months ago, also related to land permits, but the specific charge made In that in- stance was that after his election to the senate Mir. Wheeler illegally ac- cepted fee for acting as counsel for Campbell in practice before the in- terior department.
 A senate committee headed by Senator Borah, after hearings in which Booth and others testified, exonerated Senator Wheeler from wrongdoing, the government pressed its case in Montana. however, and a date during April was fixed for the trial.
 MacGowan Not Indicted
 The indictment returned here to. day charges that Senator Wheeler Booth and Campbell conspired with James A. MacGowan, who testified before the grand jury, and was not indicted.
 It is charged that continuously from April 1, 1920. to January 1924, the accused were in conspir acy to defraud the United Statei out of the use and possession O 10000 acres in the county of Toole Mont.
 Campbell, the indictment said conspired to procure various citi zens of the United States to mak, application for permits to prospcc for oil and gas upon these lands under agreement that these person would act solely for the benefit 0 Campbell. without making any dis closures as to their agreements.
 Assigned In Blank
 The permits, 1t was furthe charged, were assigned in blank an delivered 10 Campbell. The name of the assignees were to be entere solely for the benefit and under tn dirction of Campbell and the ac cused, in the language of the in dictment. were "deceitfully and frau dulently and without disclosing tn existence of the agreement and C the true character of the applica tions to present such assignment | the department of the interior an secure permits for the use of sal conspirators." Through these methods the 1T dictment said, the accused wei able to secure possession and COT trol of 5000 more acres than eitht or all of them would be entitled under the law.
 Charges of Conspiracy Senator Wheeler, after his ele' ton, the indictment charged, VI to use his influence as a part of u conspiracy with the department
 the interior, as a senator, and Et ward S. Booth, while solicitor of Il department, was to use his infuen to procure the permits without di closing personal interest in t matter.
 To insure the success of il move, it was charged the accus were ot offer 10 Francis M. Goo win, then assistant secretary of t interior, an interest in portion
 the land covered by the permits,
 order to influence his action iowa approval of the permits.
 The indictment recited specified
 a4 overt acts" The first it W
 said, took place when Campbell,
 Great Falls, Mont, on August
 1s2o. made application for two p'
 mits.