Evening star., 1927-11-11
Gordon Prepares to Close His
Investigation Into Jury
Tampering Charges.
BURNS SLEUTHS PARADED
BEFORE FORMER JURORS
Government Attorneys Seek Fur
ther Evidence-Detective Chiefs
Are on Hand.

Promising within a few days dis
closures in the Fall Sinclair jury
fixing investigation that would cause
an explosion greater than Teapot
Dome, United States Attorney Peyton
Gordon was preparing today for the
final windup of the grand jury's re-
lentless search for information link
ink Harry F. Sinclair directly with
the chain of incidents that brought
about the mistrial declaration.
With complaints standing against
the defendant Sinclair and two of his
trusted associates, Sheldon Clark and
Henry Mason Day. charging them
with conspiring to influence the deci-
sion and action of the trial jury,
Government attorneys were angling
to catch others in the grand jury
drag net, now that the end of the
investigation is in sight.
Both Day and Clark are out under
bond, while warrant for the arrest
of Sinclair is still hanging over his
head pending results of the grand
jury investigation. A third Sinclair
man, Harry Jeffries, the oil magnate's
personal secretary, succeeded in evad-
ing similar proceedings. although Gov.
ernment attorneys are hot on the trail
of a telephone call that Day is said to
have made from Sinclairs apartment
in the Mayflower Hotel to Jeffries in
New York, ordering him to engage
the Burns detectives to be put on the
case.
Five Indictments Possible. :.
Maj Gordon refused to tell what he
has up his sleeve, although it is be-
lieved that at least five indictments
will result from the grand jury in.
vestigation before it winds up it's
investigation.
6 ,nsationaI disclosures already made
dl ring the course of the investigation
have focused public attention on con-
ditions that brought abruptly to an
ed one of the most important crimi-
nal trials in the history Of the country,
involving former Secretary Of the In
terror Albert B. Fall and Sinclair in
an alleged conspiracy to deprive the
Government OF valuable naval oil
leases. -ss.ss. fsssss s34ssa4
Turning it's attention today to ac.
tiS les of the Burns detectives en-
ploycd in shadowing the trial jurors.
Neil Burkinshaw, assistant United
States attorney. staged a secret ''iden.
tification party" in his private Office.
The 16 Burns men, while William j.
Burns and his son w. Sherman Burns
w ted outside in the corridor. were
paraded one by one before the II
j. JrS.
One mystery woman" who was
later disclosed as a Mrs. Dodi who
lived across the street from Juror
Charles Holt, 1104 Four and Half
street southwest, was one of the wit
nesses before the Grand Jury today.
She was brought to corroborate the
statement Of Detective Kirby that he
had rented a room from her in order
to be close at hand to shadow Holt S
movements.
Detectives Under Scrutiny.
For an hour before the grand jury
met at IL o'clock the entire group of
Burns detectives, including Charles
G. Ruddy. their director. were paraded
one by one before the Il Fall-Sinclair
jurors.
Burkinshaw conducted the identified.
tion party, over which he and Sher-
man Burns had a verbal tilt yester-
day. in his private Office. Burns had
demanded that his operatives be mixed
with others, as is usually the case in
identification, but the young Govern
ment attorney went ahead and man.
aged the show in his own way.
The whole affair was conducted in
secrecy. Burkinshaw explaining after
ward that would not say whether
any of the Burns men had been iden-
titled. Likewise, the jurors, except
John j. Costinett, were silent as to
what took place inside.
When Costinett left the room he
said, well, / couldn't recognize a
blessed one of them" Costinett is the
juror mentioned in the alleged Burns
affidavit, which charges that a De.
partment Of Justice representative had
tralled him and accosted him during
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