The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-10-21
OPENFIGHT TO
BAR SINCLAIR
Senate STORY.
Judge Excuses Jury Until
Monday Pending Decision
on Testimony.
ATTACK DRAINAGE FEAR
Biologists Called to Show
Teapot in No Danger
of Losing Oil.
ATTACK DRAINAGE FEAR
BY HERBERT LITTLE


United Press staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.-Harry
F. Sinclair's statement to the Sen
ate oil committee Dec. 4, 1923,
that IT went to Three Rivers, N. NJ,
to discuss with former Secretary of
Interior) Fall the leasing of Teapot
Dome" arose to plague both men
today in their conspiracy trial here.
The Government tried to intro
duce the statement in court to prove
that a plot for Fall to lease the
naval oil reserve to Sinclair start
ed as early as Jan. l, 1922, when
Sinclair visited Falls ranch.
Excuse Jury Until Monday
Defense lawyers Immediately OBJ
jected that Sinclair's testimony to
the Senate was given involuntarily
and could not be held against him
now. So involved and lengthy did
the discussion threaten to become
that Justice Siddons at the noon
recess excused the jury until Mon
day, giving the attorneys time for
arguments this afternoon. The court
indicated it might not rule until
Monday on the admissibility OF Sin.
clair's 1928 testimony.
The wrangle over this point came
after both sides had struck telling
counterblows.
Answering the Governments con-
tention that Fall practiced secrecy
and favoritisn in granting the lease
to Sinclair, the defense read a. let
ter Fall wrote the late Senator Rob-
ert M. La Toilette, Republican, Wis
consin, father of the Senate oil lease
investigation. The letter dated five
days after the Teapot lease was
signed, said '.there was no objection
to widest publicity"
Strike at Drainage Fear
No sooner had the letter been
read in court than the Government
produced two witnesses to strike at
the defense position that Fall leased
Teapot to Sinclair out of patriotic
motoives, to save the Navy's oil from
drainage becauce of drilling in the
adjacent Salt Greek wells.
George Otis Smith, United States
geological survey director, told of a
conference with Fall on Oct. 26,
1921, as a result of which K. G.
Heald was assigned to investigate
the drainage situation. Heald re-
ported, Smith said, that the main
body Of Teapot was in no danger.
Heald gave supporting testimony.
Biologists Are Heard
Smith told of a conference late in
1921 with Fall, at which time K. G.
Heald was assigned to survey oil
fields. Heald later reported he had
visited Teapot Dome and checked
up the situation, Smith said.
Smith, at request of Owen Rob-
erts, government lawyer, then gave
the jury q little lecture on the un-
derground rock structure Of "Tea-
pot Done"-which, he said, resem-
bled a teapot in no way. The name
was given as a result of a teapot
shaped rock structure on the sur
face.
Heald reported there was no dan
ger of the Teapot Dome Oil struc-
ture being drained. but there was
some danger of drainage of the
northern part Of the reserve by the
Salt Greek wells to the north, Smith
said.
Northern Pool Separate
It was then brought out that the
northern part of the reserve con-
tanned an oil pool separate from the
main pool. This testimony was i'm
portant, as the Government seeks
to show there was no necessity for
drilling Teapot Dome at that time
to save it's oil.
did Secretary Fall ever call on
you for advice after that time?"
Roberts asked.
NO." Smith replied.
Roberts read Nov. 80, 1921,
memorandum of Heald, recon-
rnending against leasing the entire
dome because Of feared drainage.
On cross ss-examination Smith said
his first conference with Secretary
Fall was held Oct. 26, 1921.
Heald Is Questioned
Smith withstood score Of de-
tense attempts to shake, his testi-
mony on technical grounds.
William Leahy, defense attorney,
did succeed, however, in eliciting
that Smith did not pass on accu-
racy of the Heald report, but mere
iy handed it on to Fall.
Smith was excused and Heald,
dark young man with tortoise shell
glasses, was called. He said he was
now with the Gulf Oil and Gas
Company, Pittsburgh, and was chief
technologist of the United States
Geological Survey in 1920 and 1921.