Evening star., 1925-02-24
WHEELER APPEARS
BEFORE GRAND Jury
Senator Says He Will Waive
Immunity and Give All In
formation He Has.

peared today before the District of
Columbia grand jury which for three
weeks has been investigating new
charges against him and others in
connection with Government land
transactions.
The Senator was taken into the
grand jury chambers Immediately
after Government counsel learned
that he wished to avail himself of an
invitation extended by Attorney Cen
eral Stone to make a personal state
ment to the jurors.
Commissioner Spry of the general
land office, J. p. Mcdowell, an In
terror Department attorney, and
w. G. Seeley, a Washington lawyer,
who is in the service of Gordon Camp
bell, the oil man, already under in
dictment with Senator Wheeler in
Montana, had previously appeared be-
fore the jury.
Representative of the Government
indicated that their prolonged inves-
tigation into the circumstances under
which leases of Government lands by
Campbell and his associates had been
obtained in Montana was about con-
Cluded.
Within a day or so, they said, facts
would be left to the jurors for a
decision.
examination of Senator Wheeler. and
during the wait he declared he would
waive immunity and tell the jurors
anything that might be requested.
Il haven't anything to conceal, and
the fact is 1 haven't very much in
formation on the subject 1 under
stand the jury is investigating"
he said. II shall endeavor to give
them everything they ask
Bursum Denies Charges.
Senator Bursum, Republican, New
Mexico, denied today in the Senate
charges now under investigation by
the Department of Justice that he
improperly used his influence before
a Government agency in connection
with efforts to sell American cattle
in Mexico in 1928.
Reciting that he had gone to Mexico
in that year at his own expense to
effect a sale of cattle on behalf of
the Live Stock and Agricultural
Loan Co. of Albuquerque, State cor
poration and individual local banks
in New Mexico, Senator Bursum said
he failed to consummate the sale be-
cause the Mexicans could not furnish
cash.
"Ar no time" he said, did I make
any request of any governmental
department, bureau, or agency, in
writing or verbally, either directly
or indirectly, either on my own be-
half or through any other person to
do anything whatsoever in relation
to the sale of the cattle, or the pur-
chase or the payment in any manner
or connection herewith.
Neither did / at any time repre-
sent or make any request whatso-
ever of or before any governmental
department, bureau, or agency, on or
in behalf of said livestock and agri-
cultural loan company. regarding any
matter whatsoever, nor the accept
ance of any securities by the govern
ment in connection with such sale"
Two other Senators Investigated.
The Justice Department recently
made it known that II was investigat-
ing a similar accusation against Sen
ator selden P. Spencer, Republican,
Missouri.
Charges against Senator Holm o.
Bursum, Republican, New Mexico, by
Carl Magee, a New Mexican news
paper man, are also being investi-
gated by the Department of Justice.
Attorney General Donovan said that
thus far the investigation of Senator
Bursum had developed nothing of i'm
portance, but that he intended to "see
the matter through"
All three Senators have denied
charges that they had violated the
Federal statutes.
Charges Contest Fight Cause.
tn jN1er q g
charges, made the counter charge
that the purpose was to embarrass
him in the contest he has brought to
retain his seat in the Senate as
against Sam G. Bratton, who was
elected on the face of official returns.
He added that the charges grew out
of efforts he made TO sell cattle in
Mexico some years ago.
The New Mexico Senator denied he
had sought to obtain the consent
of agents of the War Finance Cor
on which the corporation had made
a loan and out of the sale of which
he was to receive a commission. His
version is that, at the instance of
bankers who had mortgages on the
cattle, he had sought to arrange a
sale in Mexico, but that when he had
reported back the conditions under
which the sale could De nnanced Dy
the Mexicans interested, the matter
had been dropped.
The charge against Senator Spencer.
according to Justice officers, Is made
by Henry Wood Elliott and has to
do with the renewal of a contract
under which the Fouke Fur Co. of
ST. Louis dresses and dyes the Gov
ernment furs from seals slaughtered
at the Pribilof Islands.
Senator Spencer's law firm is
counsel for the fur company, but he
denied today in the Senate that he
had had anything to do with obtaining
contracts for the company from the
Government.
Never at any Time" he told the
Senate, "have / in any way appeared
before any department of the Govern
ment in injection with any of their
contracts with the Government or
in connection with any renewal or
modification thereof, or have 1 ever
received, directly or indirectly, any
compensation for anything along that
line"
Japanese Mill Strike Easing.