The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-04-25
S0L0N FREED
OF CHARGES
IN OIL CASE
Demonstration Is Staged For
Montana Political Chief
in Court Room
ONE BALLOT TAKEN
Senator Receives Word of
Birth of Daughter as
Verdict Is Read

(By The Associated Press)


Great Falls. Mont, April 25.-Sen-
late vice presidential candidate and
political storm center, basked today
in the double distilled sunshine Of
fortune. This followed what devel-
| oped to be red letter event in the
Wheeler family last night, when he
stood in federal court here and re-
ceived two messages simultaneously
his acquittal of a charge of wrong
fully using his senatorial influence
with the Interior Department., and
the birth Of daughter In the Wheel
er home in Washington.
The verdict was returned two hours
and thirteen minutes after the jury
had retired to deliberate, and out OF
this time it took one hour for dinner.
But one ballot was taken.
Despite an admonition by federal
judge Frank Dietrich that there
must be no demonstration in the
court room, there was a rush for the
Senator when the verdict was read.
In his hand he held the telegram
announcing the birth of a daugh-
ter He strobe over to the jury box
and shook hands with each of the
twelve men. Then district attorney
John L. Slattery, who prosecuted
him, approached and shook his hand.
II hope both the daughter and the
verdict get along all right" said
Slattery smiling.
Senator Wheeler expects to 60 to
Butte and then to return to Mrs.
Wheeler in Washington as soon as
possible.
Senator Wheeler, a storm center of
national politics, was indicted by
federal grand jury here April 8, 1924,
for illegally appearing before the de-
partment of the interior in behalf of
his client, Gordon Campbell. Montana
oil promoter.
He was specifically charged with
accepting q fee of $4,000 for prosecut-
ting Campbelrs government ell pros
pecting permit claims after being
elected to the senate. This, the in
dictment charged, was in violation
of Section 113 of the United States
penal code.
The accused senator, appearing on
the floor of the senate the next day,
branded the Indictment as a frame
up on the part of the department of
justice because of his activities as q
prosecutor for the Daugherty sem
ate investigating committee.
His colleague, Senator Thomas ].
Walsh, asked the senate to inves-
tigate the case. A committee, head
ed by Senator William E. Borah of
Idaho, probed the circumstances sur
rounding his indictment and the
Montanan was wholly exonerated"
in the committee report, which was
adopted by the senate.
Short work was made of the case
when it reached court. Federal judge
Frank S. Dietrich Of Idaho, was cali
ed to preside after the two Montana
ludges-Charles N. Pray and George
NJ. bourquin, disqualified themselves.
A jury was obtained before the end
OF the first court day and the gov
ernment plunged into its task Of at
tempting to prove the charges.
It introduced a mass of documen.
tary evidence intended to show that
Senator Wheeler agreed to accept a
fee OF $4,000 from Campbell for his
services.
John N. Cooper of Lewiston, Mont,
testified, however, that the $4,000
fee was for defending a receivership
suit brought against Campbell by L.
c. Stevenson, a rival oil operator.
Letters and kilograms exchanged be-
tween Wheeler and Campbell were
introduced. These, the government
contended, showed that Wheeler
agreed to "fix things up in wash
ington" for Campbell.
Washington. April 25.-Department
OF Justice officials had nothing to
say today about the collapse of their
case in Montana against Senator
Wheeler
The celebrity ith which the jury
threw out the departments charges
and exonerated the Senator manifest
ly caused disappointment and chap-
rim, and in view Of the circumstances,
no official would predict whether the
separate proceedings brought against
Mr.. Wheeler in the District Of Col.
umbia would be dropped.
Senator Wheeler's friends mean
time were predicting that the case
here would never be brought to
trial. Senator LaFollette of Wiscon-
sin, with whom the Montana Sena-
tor was candidate on the indepen-
dent presidential ticket last summer.
sent q telegram of congratulations.
BULGARIA RANKS WELL