Evening star., 1925-04-25
CASE HERE IN DOUBT.
Justice Officials Decline to Fore
cast Action on Indictment.

Depa rtment of Justice officials
would not comment today on the col
| lapse of their case against Senator
Burton r. Wheeler, in Montana, yes
terday. No official apparently was
ready TO predict whether the case
against Senator Wheeler in the Dis
trict of Columbia would now be pressed
by the Government. The case here,
charging Senator Wheeler and others
with conspiracy, under which an in
dictment was obtained against the
Senator. was prepared by Assistant
Attorney General Donovan, who is
absent from Washington.
Official Washington today, however,
was keenly interested in what will be
the attitude of the Department of Jus
tice toward the further prosecution
Of Senator Wheeler.
The celerity with which the Mon
tana jury yesterday threw out the
charges brought by the Department
of Justice against Senator Wheeler
and eXonerated him caused disap-
pointment and chasrin TO the officials
of the department.
La Toilette Scores Department.
In the telegram of congratulation
which he sent to Senator Wheeler,
who was his running mate in the
presidential race last Fall, Senator La
Toilette of Wisconsin today denounced
the Department of Justice severely.
His telegram said:
Great rejoicing here and through
out the country. Your friends are ex-
tremely happy that jury chosen
from the good people of Montana have
acquitted you and vindicated justice.
But every decent, self-respecting
American citizen must bow his head
with shame in the face of the estab-
lished fact that the leaders of the po-
litical party and highest responsible
public officials have prostituted a
great department of Government to
subvert justice, shield the guilty and
convict an honest man of crime"
Friends of Senator Wheeler here
maintained today that the case in the
District of Columbia would never be
brought to trial. They look for the
quashing of the indictment. On the
other hand, Department of Justice Of
ficials have maintained that the con-
spiracy indictment recently returned
in the District against Senator Wheel
er was wholly Independent of the pro-
ceedings in Montana. Senator Wheel
er and his supporters insist, however,
that the indictment here, although the
charge is different, grows out of the
identical set of circum stances as those
involved in the indictment in Montana,
Continue Defense Fund.
The Wheeler defense committee, re
! Gently organized, with Norman Hap
good as chairman and Basil NJ. Manly
! as vice chairman, to raise funds to
| help defray the expenses of the trial
| of Senator Wheeler, 1t was said today
would go right ahead with its plans
! for raising the, needed funds. They
do not regard the acquittal of Sen
| ator Wheeler in Montana as closing
the matter as long as the indictment
! against Senator Wheeler in the Dis
| trict of Columbia hangs over his head
They regard the indictment of Senator
| Wheeler in the District of Columbia
| it was said today, as particularly out
! rageous.
| Mrs. Wheeler and the baby daugh
| ter. born to her and Senator Wheeler
| last night at 6:45 o'clock, were re
ported today to be making entirely
satisfactory progress. The impend
| ing arrival of the stork has made
] il impossible for Mrs. Wheeler to be
with her husband in Montana for his
| trial. Mrs. Wheeler and the baby are
at their home, 1857 Jocelyn street.
| At the Wheeler home 1t was said
| today that word had not been received
! Indicating when Senator Wheeler
would return TO Washington. but that
he was not expected here for few
days. -