New Britain herald., 1926-11-22
Former Cabinet Officer and Millionaire Friend on Trial on Charge of Criminal Conspiracy.
Is Echo of 1924 Scandal Negro Bricklaying Fore man Is One of Those Selected, Then Excused.

Washington, Nov. 22 R1The many-fngered hand Of the oil scan- dal of 1924 reached into the crim- inal courts for the first time today when Albert B. Fall and Edward L Doheny were called before the bar of justice here for trial on a charge of conspiracy.
 The former interior secretary and the, millionaire oil magnate personal friends since boyhood were surrounded by battalion ot attorneys as they took their places in the courtroom and settled back in their chairs. to become the most interested spectators of the weeks of prospective legal jousting. The trial will go into all the circum- stances of Doheny's s100,o0o pay ment to Fall while the latter was in the cabinet and of the part play. cd by Fall in the award Of the Elk and a large array of others. Frank Long before the trial opened the small courtroom was crowded.
 Array of Lawyers
 Olen J. Roberts, and former Sen ator Atlee Pomerene, special gov crnment counsel, were assisted by District Attorney Peyton Gordon and a large array of others. FrnR J. Hogan of Washington, chief coun- sel for the Los Angeles oil man while Wilton J. Lambert, Jr.. oi Washington, heads the lawyers for all.
 By order of Justice Hoehling photographers were barred from the courtroom but they took ur vantage points outside the building to snap the principal figures In the drama about to unfold.
 Paul Allen, a restaurant owner the first juror called, was the first to qualify.
 Was Not Annoyed
 "Aro you one of the jurors whose families have been annoyed?" re- ferring to charge that families ot prospective jurors had been called on the telephone and asked about their religious and fraternal asso- ciations.
 NO. sir, I'm not" Allen replied.
 Replying to other questions by Hogan, Allen said he had not read the recently published novel Rev clry" which tells a story of high life in official circles in Washington nor had he heard reports that pro- sressive jurors had been sitting ,pl nights perusing the book.
 Selection of the remainder Of the jury then proceeded rapidly, but in each case counsel reserved the right to challenge before opening state ments were begun.
 One of those accepted, and then excused. was Thomas R Carey, a negro bricklaying ing foreman. Others who qualified included Henry D. Byers. an ex- press driver; George Cobb, rail road clerk, and Julian c. kues, a retired street railway trainman Alonzo Parker. newspaper and book dealer; William J. Briggs, an architect: Byron F. Blodgett, salesman: Clinton Carver, machin- ist; William R. Clarkson. a railway clerk; Winfield Martingale. clerk; and Chester NJ. Parker, a salesman.
 That completed the usual twelve, but as each side had ehe right to challenge ten, it became apparent that the task of finally determining the personnel of the panel might take the most of the day.
 During the questioning, Carver said he hca-d Senator Walsh, the oil committee prosecutor. make a radio talk about the case two years ago, but that 1t made no impress sion upon him.
 Fall and Doheny intently watched and listened while counsel question ed the prospective jurors. In all, fourteen were questioned before the original twelve were qualified. One of those excused was an employe of the Washington Times. excused be- cause Lambert Is general counsel for the newspapers and the other