Evening star., 1927-12-06
KING AND AKERS
NAMED IN ARGUMENT
IN CONTEMPT CASE
Continued from First Page.)

authority that to present false affi.
| davit makes for contempt"
Gordon took exception 20 what he
| characterized as criticisms of him per-
| sonally by the respondents attorneys,
declaring: Il am responsible for the
| petition: | drew the petition and have
| no apologies to make. Much criticism
| about the pleader has grown up to be
| habit in this court. whereby the in
| teIlicence and ability of the pleader
! is assailed. The fact remains that
| those pleadings usually have been held
| to be sufficient"
| Justice Siddons asked Gordon IL It
was his opinion that 1t is "the un-
! doubted right of both sides. without
| any grounds for suspicion" to insti
| tute complete, close and constant sur
| yeillance of the jury and Gordon's
reply was: al don't think so. your
| honor. / am una BILE to find prece
dent on this. 1T has been said here
| today that the Government has spied
| upon iuries here for 100 years. In
| this case of Sinclair and Fall from
| the day the jury was sworn not one
man or woman had been looked after
! by the Government.
'If the respondents had reason to
| believe the jury would be tampered
with they should have brought it to
the attention of the court as we did
| shall he glad to get an opportunity
| for a ruling from a Federal Court as
| to whether the conduct charged in
| this petition is contempt"
Meaning Of Contempt" Argued.
The case devolved into a highly legal
and technical session between Justice
| Frederick l.. Siddons. presiding, and
attorneys for the six respondents over
| ;he meaning of the word contempt"
Justice Siddons did the listening and
the LAWYERS did the talking, with the
result that public interest, and. 10
some extent. interest on the part OF
the respondents themselves Jagged
| noticeably.
| Ifpon conclusion OF the arguments
by attorneys for the respondents ask
| ing that the Governments petition be
dismissed and the contempt rules be
discharged. and after the United States
attorney has presented his views on
the subject, it will remain for Justice
Sjddons to say whether the case shall
| end Herewith or proceed with proof
| of the allegations that Harry +. Sin
clair, New York millionaire; William
! T. Burns detective, and four others
| attempted to influence the verdict of
the Teapot Dome trial jury.
May Last 10 Days.
During the argument by Charles
A. Douglas, attorney for Burns, his
son. w. Sherman Burns. directing
head Of the Burns detective agency.
! which shadowed the Teapot Dome
| jury on orders from Sinclair, and
Charles l.. Vetsch. Baltimore office
manager Of the concern, Justice Sid
dons asked United States Attorney
Peyton Gordon this question:
Can the District attorney give me
any idea, in case we get into the facts.
how long we would be engaged? I
ask with reference to the other busi-
ness of the court"
Gordon replied that 1t depended
upon the length of cross exam mat ton
| by the respondents of the Govern
ment's witnesses and added:
| II should say about 10 days"
Douglas observed this was.''a very
moderate estimate" and George p.
Hoover, attorney for Sinclair. volun-
teered his opinion that because
many of the allegations of the petit
tions are admitted by the answers of
! the several respondents which will
narrow the field of proof l don't see
how 1t is possible to try the case in
10 days"
Three Deny Contempt.
The discussion ended there, without
any opinions being expressed by coun-
sci for Henry Mason Day and Sheldon
Clark, both Sinclair oil officials and
close friends and associates of the
New York oil magnate.
|
Hoover. Gordon and either Edwin c.
Brandenburg or Morgan Fl. Beach, the
latter counsel for Clark, was scheduled
/ to address the court
| The burden of Douc1aS' argument