Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-12
TENTATIVE JUROR
IS APPROACHED IN
TRIAL OF STEWART
Robert v. Caldwell Excused
After Telling Court of
Strangers Visit.
RIGID PROBE PROMISED
OF OIL CASE INCIDENT
Standard Company of Indiana OFF,
cial Under Indictment on
Charge of Perjury.

BY the Associated Press.
Robert V. Caldwell, a tentative juror
in the perjury trial of Robert w. Stew
art. chairman of the board OF the
Standard Oil Co. of Indiana, told
Justice Jennings Bailey in District OF
Columbia Supreme Court today that he
was approached yesterday by man
who asked him whether he would hold
out" in the case.
Caldwell, who lives at 2l13 H street
northwest, said the man had given the
name of "McGinnis," and when asked
for details of the meeting. said, Il got
rid of him." He described McGinnis
as about 81 years old, of light COM
plexion and wearing gray suit.
Has Suspect in Mind.
District Attorney Leo A. Rover
and Frank Hogan, chief Of defense
counsel, conferred with Justice Bailey
then, and Rover declared the deScrlp-
ton of McGinnis tailed closely with
that of a man he had in mind. Justice
Bailey asked the "a other taleSmen
preached, but none answered.
During the luncheon recess of the
court, Caldwell was confronted with
lawyer, but he could not identify him
as his visitor of yesterday. Court at
taches declined to give any information
about the man brought in, saying that
they were satisfied by Caldwell's failure
to identify him that he had nothing to
do with the alleged approach.
The defense challenged Caldwell as
a juror, and he was removed from the
box. Mr.. Hogan sought permission for
himself and Stewart to examine those
in the box. This was denied. and Ho-
gan noted an exception in each in
stance.
Caldwells place in the jury box was
taken by Mrs Audrey E. Koons.
Denial for Government.
Meanwhile Government counsel had
denied, aside from the trial, that NC
Ginnis' was a Government investlga-
tor. Justice Bailey examined the ten
tative jury.
Mrs. Koons then was excused from
the Jury by Justice Bailey, after she
had said that her husband was en-
ployed as an official reporter OF the
Senate.
The task of selecting jury con-
tinued. with both prosecution and de-
fense exercising their peremptory chal-
lenee rights and the court in turn
interrogating those who replaced the.
excused talesmen.
After Caldwell was excused from the
Jury box he took seat In the court
room and later left to be photographed;
He talked freely about the young man
whom he said had visited him at MS
residence late yesterday. :,
He asked me if I was Cathoilc,
he said. land if I knew Mr.. Hogan.
He asked me if I was on the jury and
if I would stick together with the rest:
He declared the visitor had stayed WIN
him only a few minutes and had not
offered him any money.
Showed Him Out Door.
at showed him out of my door" he
continued, because I was just going
out at the time. He told me his name
was 'McGinnis.'
Although he told the court that the
visitor wanted to know whether ne
would "hold out" outside the court, ne
told newspaper men that the expression
used by the man was whether ne
would stick together with the rest.
Rover announced that the prosecu-
ton witnesses would include Senator
Walsh OF montana, OcIldIOl EyC VA
North Dakota, Ingram Mack, assistant
clerk of the Senate committee, and
three of the Senate stenographers. who
took down the oil mans testimony be-
fore the investigators.
Basis of Trial.
Stewart is being tried on a perjury
indictment of three counts based on
testimony by him before the Senate
public lands committee during the Con-
tinental Trading Co. phase of the Tea
pot Dome investigation. Stewart Is
alleged to have testified that he knew
nothing of the Continental Co. and It's
transactions, although he had received
$759000 in bonds from that company.
= Stewart ran afoul of the law once
previously in connection with his ap-
pearanceS before the Senate committee
having been tried and acquitted laS'
Spring on contempt charges which fol-
lowed his refusal to answer certain
questions. AS on that occasion, he Is
represented in the present case, besides
Mr. Hogan, by Jesse c. Adkins and
Frank F. Nesbit of this city, and Albert
l. and John L. Hopkins of Chicago.
1t was said at the district attorneys
Office that the statements made by
Caldwell would be investigated and
action would be taken against any per-
son suspected of having sought to modest
a juror.