The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-17
OIL PL(jNGING
OF Will. HAYS
Barred in QUIZ
Former Partner Tells
Probers Ex-G. O. P. Chief
Had Tips From Sinclair.
LOSSES WERE HEAVY
Waiter Describes Meetings
to Frame Dome Lease
Held in New York Club.

bIGtA III IHG" vi n NIA0a
By United Press
CHICAGO. March 17.-Plunging
in Sinclair oil stocks by Will H.
Hays, movie czar and former Re
publican national chairman, on
tips" furnished by Harry F. Sin
clair was described to the Senate
Teapot Dome sub b-committee here
Friday night.
Senators Ny and Norbeck, digging
further into Sinclair's financial as
siStance to the Republicans in their
efforts to pay off the party'S 1928
deficit, visited the sick bed of James
P. Connery, Chicago coal man, a
Democrat and former partner Of
Hays in stock market operations, to
obtain his testimony.
Hays already had told the COM
mittee that he had lost fortune,
estimated at $5OO000. in specializing
on Sinclair stocks year after the
Teapot Dome leaes was signed in
1922.
Others Lost in Specializing
A number OF others in Washing
ton-high in the councils Of the
Government and the G. o. P. were
reported to have suffered similar re-
verses through purchases Of Sinclair
Consolidated and Mammoth Oil
stock in the months subsequent to
the signing of the lease.
Connery obtained from Sinclair in
1923 securities which previously had
been given Sinclair by Hays. After
the questioning, Senator Nye said
the transaction was entirely per-
sonal, and apparently had no bear
ing on the oil deals. He said Con-
nery's testimony revealed little new
evidence and merely bore out what
had been told by Hays at Washing
ton.
There was one somewhat material
variance in the testimony OF Hays
and COnnery.
Hays had said he received the en-
tire $4,000 back from Sinclair.
Connery swore that he went to
Sinclair at Hays suggestion and got
from the oil multimillionaire bun
die of stocks and bonds and some
$4,000 or $4,000 in currency.
Nest of this was applied to debts
already owed by Hays to Connery
the witness said.
The Connery story proved the
high light Of the days proceedings,
Hear Walters Story
The committee had heard from
two witnesses that Sinclair'S slush
fund donation to the G.. o. P. was
kept secret from the public through
a. deal entered into on the part OF
Democratic and Republican treas
urers not to file their party reports
with Congress.
Wilbur Marsh. former Democratic
treasurer, and Fred w. Upham, late
Republican treasurer, had made
such an agreement, Ira B. 1psley
and A. Leonard had testified.
Edward Buckley, mot now en-
ployed," but formerly waiter at
the Bankers Club, New York, told
Of frequent luncheons at the CLUB
attended by Sinclair, O'Neil and
others he did not know. One lunch
con in particular he remembered
because Sinclair. O'Neil and two
other men talked about oil, former
Secretary of the Interior Fall, for
mer Secretary of the Navy DENLY
and Teapot Dome.
Talk of Many Millions
That was in 1922, and what
caught the ear of the waiter Buck
ley-a drab figure on the witness
stand after a. procession of million
aires and near millionaires-was
talk of making a hundred million
year" and of a mysterious Cont
mental Trading Company, which
they seemed to have organized
among themselves to buy oil cheap
and sell it high"
Teapot Dome and the Continental
Trading Compan ywere not the key
names then that they have since
become, but Buckley-Who hastenec
to explain he soldem listened in or
conversations of persons he served
took pains to hear all he coulo
because he thought it sounded like
q good thing and he hoped to buy
stock in it if any was issued
One of the men at the luncheon
he said, complained that though "ar
understanding" with Secretary Fal
had been arranged, "the Secretary
of the Navy objected to the sale oi
Teapot Dome"
Conclude Hearings Today
''I wish I was Secretary of the
Navy for about two years." Buck
ley quoted one of the unidentified
men as saying.
"'Well, quoting Mr.. Sinclair, 'yol
would have better job than the
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