Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-11-06
US. Marine Nav Be
Material Witness S
In Jury Tan1pering

WASHINGTON Nov. 5, GA
newly enlisted United States marine,
who was all set to go to Haiti, may
prove material witness in the grand
jury investigation of charges of
jury tampering laiS,e against Harry
F. Sinclair and one Of his most con-
fidential agents, Henry Mason Day.
This marine is Douglas Catchim,
until recently assistant manager of
the Washington office of the Burns
Detective agency, whose detectives
were engaged for days and nights in
keeping under surveillance jurors in
the F'all-Sinclair oil conspiracy case
in which mistrial was ordered last
Tuesday.
Catchim enlisted in the marines
here on october %, the day the act
ivities of the government agents trail
ing the juror trailerS began to become
known. He was sent to Hampton
Roads naval base and just missed a
naval transport which sailed for
Port Au Prince on November l.
Government agents trailed him to
Norfolk and there served upon him
subpoena for his appearance here
Monday before the grand jury, which
held an extraordinary session for
two hours today to hear the teSti-
mony of a high school girl, a juror
fond of horse racing and one of the
October panel who Just missed serv-
ice on the oil jury.
A bit of confidential gossip led to
the trail of Catchim, whose name
was even unknown to the federal
agents working on the case. District
Attorney Gordon received an anon
ymous communication about him from
"a friend of a FRIEND" and the
machinery of government was set in
to motion to locate and subpoena
him.
When Catchim goes before the
grand jury he will be asked about
a report that he told friend that
ii he could get out of the country
and remain out for some time he
would be ''fixed" for the rest of his
life. The inquisition also will go to
what part, if any, he had in the
shadowing of the jury.
This bit of information which led
to the service on Catchim is only
small part of that which has flow
ed into the district attorneys OF
flee since the oil jury was discharged
last Tuesday. Much of it comes by
mail, but no little part has come in
over the telephone wires
All of the communications are
anonymous and those sent through
the mail are penned in printed form
so that the senders may not be
+ traced. Thus far it was stated at the
district attorneys office, there has
not been a single misleading tip.
Besides Catchim, William j. Burns
! himself is to appear before the grand
/ Jury Monday. Burns has notified
District Attorney Gordon that all
/ the operatives employed to shadow
the trial jury would report here
when the government wanted them
The witnesses before the jury to-
day were Josephine Hopkins, high
school student, Charles Holt, mem
ber of the dismissed jury; and
Lawrence G. Hoes, who was called
!, on the October panel, but failed to
qualify as a juror in the Fall-Sin-
clair case.
Miss Hopkins name appeared in
one of the confidential reports OF
! the Burns men, reports which the
government charges were made to-
day and to Sheldon Clark, an Off
cial of another of the Sinclair Oil
companies, who has promised to be
here Tuesday for Grand Jury exam
ination.
The report OF. Miss Hopkins was
J Continued on Page Eight