The Washington times., 1925-04-15
WHEELER TRIAL
DRAWS BIG
CROWD
Senator and Government Say
They Are Ready for Bitter
Legal Battle
BY KENNETH CLARK,
international News service.

GREAT FALLS, Mont, April Is.
Battle lines were being tightly
drawn today for what promises to
be one of the bitterest legal fights
In Montana's history-the trial Of
Senator Burton K. Wheeler on
charges of having violated the Fed.
eral law by appearing after his
election before a department as paid
attorney for a client. The trial
opens here tomorrow.
Wheeler, Vice Presidential candi-
date on the La Toilette ticket, was
indicted more than a year ago. He
was charged specifically with re-
ceiving a fee from Gordon Campbell,
Montana oil operator, to seek oil
and gas permits from the Interior
Department. Conviction carries i'm
prisonment Of not more than two
years and a fine of not more than
$4,000.
Not since the Dempsey Gibbons
fight has Great Falls been so astir
as 1t was today over the Wheeler
trial. Crowds were collecting for
the thrills that were promised by
attorneys for the Government and
Wheeler. Both sides expect the
U. s. Attorneys Busy.
John l.. Slattery, United States
district attorney, chief of the
prosecutions staff, has been work
ing for months, calling witnesses
and preparing the Government
case. He has summoned forty-one
witnesses, many of whom appeared
before the grand jury here and
later at Washington, when Wheeler
was indicted on charges of con-
spiracy in attempting to obtain oil
and gas permits from the Interior
Department. Slattery's chief as
sistant is John f. Pratt, Special
Assistant Attorney General from
Washington.
Pratt assisted in the indictment
here and appeared for the Depart
committee, headed by Senator Borah
of Idaho, which investigated the
indictment. In it's report, the com.
mittee wholly exonerated" Wheeler.
The Government staff has stead
lastly refused to discuss the case,
other than to declare its complete
readiness to start the trial to-
morrow.
Walsh Defends Wheeler.
Wheeler has Senator Thomas ].
Walsh of Montana, the famous
Teapot Dome prosecutor, and S. \.
Ford, formerly Republican attorney
general of Montana, to head his de-
Tense, which will be based on prac-
tically identical grounds as before
the Borah committee. ALI Of
Wheeler's witnesses, with a few
exceptions, appeared before the
committee.
I'VE are going to stand on the
evidence before the Borah commit
tee to prove Wheeler's innocence"
said Walsh.
Wheeler, in a statement today,
again charged the indictment was
a frame-up.
Harry S. Daughrety, former At.
torney General, and his men again
are behind this" declared Wheeler.
They are trying to discredit me.
This is evidenced by the fact that
Pratt, a Daugherty appointee, who
before the grand jury, is
gain on hand. The only one miss
ing is Blair Coan."
Claimed to Be G. o. p. Agent.
Coan testified before the Borah
that he was sent to Mon
tana by George Lockwood, formerly
secretary Of the Republican Ma
tional Committee, to inquire into
Wheeler's record.
Coan, who obtained affidaviLs
from H. c. CLOSER and w. w.
Rhea that Wheeler represented 10
Campbell that he had the "neceS.
sary influence at the Land Office |
in Washington to get all the per-
mits" has not been called CLOSER
is one of the chief prosecution
witnesses.
Rhea died recently.
Considerable, time u expected 70