The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-27
Battery of Lawyers Attacks
Senator Walsh in
Court.
Court
times Washington Bureau.

ISEE N61O YORK ACerWe.
Ell ASTIINGTON, Jan. 27.--Chief
.IWI Justice Walter I. Mccoy Of
the Supreme Court Of the Dis
trict of Columbia, has been asked by
lawyers representing the accused. to
quash the oil case indictments
against former Secretary Albert B.
Fall, Harry Sinclair. e. L. Doheny
and 3. L. Doheny Jr. The plea is
based on technical considerations. No
claim is put forward that the ac-
cused are innocent Of the charges
made against them. 1t : is merely
claimed that the Government attor-
neys and Senator Thomas j. Walsh
erred in the methods they used in OBJ
tanning the indictments.
Ten lawyers, headed by former
Representative Martin w. Littleton
of New York and Frank j. Hogan of
Washington, are representing Fall
and the oil magnates.
The burden of their argument is
that Senator Walsh was guilty of
contempt of court when he deliv-
cred a radio speech in Washington
last May during the period when
the grand jury was hearing evil
dence in the oil case. For making
this speech, say the lawyers for the
defense, Thomas ]. Walsh commit
ted an act tending to obstruct JUS
tice and is therefore legally subject
to punishment.
Object to Speech q
Senator Walsh then, and not the
Fall Sinclair Doheny combine,
should be hailed before the court,
the eloquent battery Of ten lawyers
have told Justice Mccoy. No evil
dence has been submitted to show
that any members of the grand jury
actually heard the address delivered
by the Senator. But, Justice Mccoy
was told, this speech was made
with the intent that 1t should be
heard by all persons, including
members of the grand jury. It was
heard by 100000 people who were
listening in on 200 radio SETS"
1t is not claimed that Senator
Walsh spoke anything but the
truth in his speech. or that he said
anything which had not been
brought out In the public hearings
before the Teapot Dome COMMITTEES.
The charge against him liz simply
that he failed to discontinue his eff
forts to clear up the oil scandal az
ter the grand jury had actually be-
gun its sessions.
Buttressing their case against
Senator Walsh by making charges
against the Government attorneys
who secured the indictments is also
part OF the program Of the
Ten Lawyers. Government Counsel
Owen J. Roberts and Atlee Pomer-
enc, aided by District Attorney
Peyton Gordon, used unfair methods
to obtain the indictments, the de-
Tense lawyers assert.
Indictments IIIegaP'
This charge is very technical. 1t
Is asserted that Roberts and
Pomerene were appointed to con.
duct the oil cases without any CO.
operation from the Department of
Justice. During the hearings befora.
the grand jury District Attorney
Gordon and Special Assistant At
torney General Oliver A. Pagan,
both Department of Justice officials.
were admitted to the grand jury
room. Consequently, say the Ten
Lawyers. the indictments were OBJ
tanned Illegally and must In justice
to their clients be dismissed.
The indictments which resulted
from the grand jury Investigation
charged Fall with having accepted
a 100000 bride in connection with
granting the Elk Hills oil lease to
Doheny. and the Dohenys, father
and son, are charged with bribing
Fail. Together with Sinclair, both
the Dohenys ard Fail are also
charged with conspiracy to defraud
the Government.