Evening star., 1927-10-18
JURY IS COMPLETE
FOR TRIAL OF OIL
CONSPIRACY CASE
Both Sides Agree on Final
Choice at Morning Ses-
sion of Court.
TWO WOMEN AND 10 MEN
SELECTED TO FILL BOX
Forty Talesmen Examined-Sec-
ond Panel Necessary to Complete
List of Jurors.

o'clock today to sit in judgment Oh Al
bert r. Fall, former Secretary of the
Interior. and Harry F. Sinclair. New
York oil magnate, charged with con-
sniracv to defraud the United states
in connection with the so.called Tea
not Dome oil leases in Wyoming. Sc
lection of the jury was completed by
the lunch recess on the second DAY OF
the trial before Justice Frederick L.
Siddons in Criminal Division OF the
District Supreme Court.
Fortv talesmen in all were exam
;ned. These included IA drawn from
the second panel today. In eliminat-
ing the talesmen, counsel for the
Government exercised seven perempt-
ory challenges for cause. the defense
exercising six. Fifteen talesmen, pre-
viously selected, were excused as a
result of the examinations.
Members of Jury.
The i,rv as chosen to sit in the case
ss composed of the following:
Mrs. Annela L. Bailey, 27O0 Con-
necticut avenue, clerk in the Arthur
Jordan Piano Co.
Miss Bernice Heaton. 1928 I street,
chief long distance instructor with
the Chesapeake and Potomac Teie'
Gardner P. Grenfell, 26 years old.
1916 H street, electrical splicer for
the Potomac Electric Power Co.
William H. Goucher, 80 years, 14OS
Franklin street northeast, manager OF
an automobile tire repair place.
Conrad ]. Herzog, Sc years. 36
New York avenue, motor car sales
manager.
Robert B. Flora, 3s years, sales
agent for the American Ice Co., 20
II street.
John P. Kern, 80 years. 1915 North
Carolina avenue northeast, route Su-
pervisor, Holmes Bakery.
Bradner w. Holmes, "a years, 203
p street, floor manager at Woodward
& Lothrop's.
John ]. Costinet. 81 years, 1442 Fair
mont street, tailor.
Norman L. Glascock, Al years. 1918
Eighth street, clerk in a plumbing
supply establishment.
Edward K Kidwell, 81 years, 1887
L street northeast, leather worker.
Charles Holt, 63 years, 1104 Four.
and-a.half street southwest, retired
bricklayer.
Immediately after selection of the
jury had been completed, Owen j.
Roberts, special Government oil coun'
sci. delivered his opening statement
In a conversational manner he ex
blamed to the jurors that the indict,
ment under which the two defend
ants are charged, is a mere formal
statement of what they are charged
with and does not constitute proof In
any measure. He then reviewed the
principal point in the indictment, sum
ming 1t up with the statement thar
Fall favored Sinclair and disfaVoreo
the Government"
He then informed the jurors wna'
the Government expected TO prove
After covering the preliminary steps
referring to the creation of TEAPOT
Dome and the authority by which sec
retary Fall assumed jurisdiction, Mr.
Roberts said that Sinclair went u
Three Rivers, N. Mex. Falls home, II
I 1921 and made an inquiry as to the
possibility oe lease on Teapot Dome
"As a result of that inquiry" Mr.
Roberts explained, Fall became &C
tive and inquired into the encum
brances on the property" he tneI
received a proposition from Sinclall
concerning a lease, the Government
time on Fall handled the entire matter
of leasing the oil lands without assist
ance from any of his subordinateS.
Adjoining Teapot Dome, Mr.. Rob
erts said, is the Salt Creek field, upoI
which some drilling had been done
Fall asked a report from his subor
dinates as to whether the Oil welii
being drilled would drain the nava
reserves, and when they told hin
there was no danger Of drainage FOL
several years on that very day he be
gan arrangements for lease will
Sinclair to take all the oil out OF tina
area, Mr.. Roberts declared.
Secret Dealings Charged.
The lease was drafted over a periot
of several weeks in Mr.. Sinclair
Washington office, the oil prosecutor
declared and was presented on Marci
IL, 1922. After that date he salt
several persons called on Mr.. Fal
and made inquiries about leasing th'
reserve but Fall told them Sinclai
held placer mining claims and als'
that nothing was contemplated.
From January 1, 1922, until Apri
7. 1922, when the lease was signed,
said Mr.. Roberts, Fall dealt with tn
thing in an extraordinary way. III
carried on the negotiations SecretI
with Sinclair and alone and put peopl
off who sought to lease the area"
'"The lease became effective in mid
April, 1922" said Mr.. Roberts, IAN
The Government will show that in tn
month of May, Mr.. Everhart, Fall
son-in.law, came into possession o
S230.500 worth of Liberty Bonds whic
were used by Fall to pay his debts i
part and to pay in part the debts c
company with which he was cor
cerned These bonds were obtaine
as dividends in transaction which j
little difficult to explain"
Mr.. Roberts then said that in N
vember. 1921, "a man named Hun
phreys had big oil field" and it wa
necessary to sell some oil, as he ha
a big surplus. He got into touch wit
Sinclair, the Standard Oil Co. of il
diana and the Prairie Gas & Oil G
and arranged to sell 33,000,00 ba
rels When the day came to sell tn
oil he was told to sell it to the Col
tinental Oil Co, which had been o
9 gani-4d on the same day, Mr.. Ro'
erts said. Humphreys declared h
had never heard of the concern, bl
when he was told that the Sincla
and Prairie companies would guaral
tee the contract. he consented. TT
oil was resold at $1.75 a barrel to III
SincIs Purchasing Co, resulting in
profit Of 25 cents on each barrel. A
.he profits We're invested in New Yor
.continued og Page 5. Column "a