Evening star., 1927-12-09
Former Member of Panel
Volunteers Information to
United States Attorney.
NEW EVIDENCE GUARDED
CLOSELY BY OFFICIALS
Revelations Are Considered of
Greatest Importance" by
Maj. Gordon.
By the Associated Press.

have been offered to Edward j. Kid.
well, juror in the Fall-Sinclair oil
case was given out today at the
district attorneys office coincident
with a conference there in which
kidwell was said by the district
attorney to have furnished evidence
OF the greatest Importance
kidWen appeared voluntarily before
Assistant District Attorney Burkin-
shaw and was closited with him for
some time in a discussion around
Wnich the greatest secrecy was thrown.
AT the end of the conference, Burkin.
snaW, apparently elated, hurried to the
once or District Attorney Gordon, who
ordered that no details of what had
transpired be given out.
While intimationS thrown ont Uera
to the effect that there was no actual
oIIer OF bribe to kidwell from any
one connected with the present con.
tempt proceedings, which grew out
or the mistrial of the Fall-Sinclair oil
trial, such an offer might have reach
eel the ears of the juror through other
persons.
While the Sinclair Burns criminal
contempt case was in recess today the
highly important and at the same
time mysterious turn when Edward l..
Kidwell, the alleged talkative juror
OF the Fall-Sinclair trial, appeared at
the United States attorneys office, re-
quested permission to make volun-
tary statement and was closeted with
United States Attorney Peyton Cor.
don and his assistant, Neil Burkin-
shaw, for several hours.
The nature of Kidwell's statement
was closely guarded by the prose-
cutors, who declared they were elated
over the nature of it. The statement
dictated to stenographer in BurkiF
shaw's office, will not be brought { !;
light, it was declared, until the next
session of the proceedings, which will
be Monday morning.
Kidwell Statement Voluntary.
The prosecutors departed a moment
from their attitude of strict silence
regarding the nature of the statement
to emphasize that it had no relation
or reference to the alleged indiscre-
tions Of Kidwell, as set forth in two
affidavits by a former street car con.
ductor and a newspaper reporter to
the effect that he had expressed ad.
miration for Harry F. Sinclair, and
looked forward to getting car "as
long as block" upon the conclusion
of the trial.
The fact that Kidwell, who was in
court yesterday, heard the report of
Burns detective. Frank J. O'Reilly, to
the effect that Kidwell was the man
in whom we are Interested" and
stating that a man believed to be
either Kidwells brother or father was
approached. led to the conclusion that
the voluntary statement today related
to this phase of the case.
After hearing this report and at the
close of the session Kidwell ap.
preached Burkinshaw. and asked for
an interview this morning. When
Burkinshaw arrived at his office he
found kidwell waiting and the two
entered the room, barring the door.
Gordon then was communicated with
and the two spent a long time with
kidwell, after which a stenographer
entered.
The Governments charges against
the respondents are that the shadow
ing of the jury in the Teapot Dome
case was for the purpose of bribing,
intlmidating, impeding the jurors in
the discharge of their duties in order
that verdict favorable to the de-
fendant would be returned or if nee.
CSSetA y et LkISLTldl dCcOIIlpllSilcu. DO
TAR in the case, the six respondents
have emphatically declared that they
not only did not approach the jurors
or otherwise 'intimidate Them" but
that each operative was given explicit
instructions on this point under threat
of withdrawal on the assignment.
The report which Kidwell heard
read yesterday was the original one
and was not the "edited" type that
was sent to Henry Mason Day, conf.
dental associate of Harry T. Sinclair,
who employed the agency for the jury
shadowing on orders from Sinclair. 1t
was explained in court that each oper.
ative made a report to Charles G.
Ruddy, manager of the detail here,
who made transcripts on the type
writer, sending the original transcript
to Day and the copy to New York
headquarters.
O'Reilly Report.
The original detective reports were
sent to New York on October 27, and
the O'Reilly report was among them.
1t was obtained by the Government
under subpoena for the Burns records.
The O'Reilly report was as follows.
Under instructions received from
Manager C. G.. r. Ruddy) l made an
investigation of Juror kidwelPS broth
er. / went to the residence address
as given after being unable to obtain
any information nearby the house and
some women who an
swered the door. BY usire suitable
pretext and after quite lens ~ cen
versation I obtained the following
lead:
1.-The brother of No. in whom
we are interested is named Edward
Kidwell and is the barber maintain
ing the shop in the Myrtle Hotel on
upper Nichols avenue and in a sec.
ton called Congress Heights. / went
TO this place. some distance from the
city proper, and made inquiry in this
neighborhood, among those who could
give me line on this barber without
arousing suspicion.
'"The subject. Edward Kidwell, main.
tains small space in the basement
Of this house and has a two-chair
shop. but / learned that he seldom
has any other man as a helper. I
entered the shop and by using a suit
able preteXt I was able to engage the
subject in conversation. The man is
feet 8 inches and weights about
200 pounds. is partly bald, has a red
mustache. thin reddish hair and large
stomach. This man in answer to my
question as to the owner of the shop
said: My name is kidwell, am the
owner
"I left the shop and learned further
that some one opens the shop at times
IN, the morning and awaits subjects
arrival. Subject remains in the shop