New Britain herald., 1928-04-10
SINCLAIR BRANDED
 REAL CONSP|RAT0R
Continued from First Page)

cash, and later $25.0oo in cash again without any receipt. withou any record of the payment, without the drawing Of a check or withou, l any of the evidences of a bushes. transaction.
 ''That still later Sinclair delivered to Fall se5,ooo more in Liberty bond. under circumstances Of great sus- picion and secrecy: that this trans. action vas evidenced by note given by Fall but this note was not given to Sinclair but was given to Sinclair's lawyer. Zeycly, and that the bonds forwarded at this time were for. warded by Zevely to Falls banks un- der circumstances which spell secrecy and an endeavor to hide the transaction.
 To Give Motive
 Roberts said it would be the pur- pose of the government to supply by evidence the reason and motive for the transactions
 This" he said, will be found in the following items of the proof. which will be laid before you:
 That no sooner had Fall been en- powered by law to deal with leasing the naval reserve lands than he de- clared that he proposed to take full control and command of the matter himself and deal with it exactly as he saw fit.
 That the policy was declared in letters exchanged between Fall and Secretary Denby. then secretary of the navy, that no leasing should be done of Teapot Dome naval reserve in Wyoming.
 That within two months Sin- clair and his counsel, IeNely went to Three Rivers, New Mexico, where Fall was at home on a trip from Washington and discussed with Fall in his home the question Of the pos s'bll'fy of getting a lease upon Tea pot Dome.
 That Fall got back to Washing ton on the 21th of January, 1922; that he made a. trip to New York on the 2nd of February, 1922; that a long and complicated proposition was received by Fall from Sinclair for lease on Teapot Dome on Feb ruary 2, 1922. containing many mat ters which Sinclair could not possi- hly have gotten except through con- ference with Fall.
 Sto~tnd rnneo l.. HAn0
 That in February, 1922, the dr5 fling of lease was begun. most of which drafting was done in the offices of Sinclair's counsel in Wash 'ngton and not in the Department of the interior.
 That Secretary Fall handled the himself and did not allow his assistants to participate therein.
 That on February 2s. 1922, Sin clair caused the Mammoth Oil com rany to be incorporated to take the proposed lease.
 That on March H. 1922, Sinclair submitted formal proposition for a lease and that on April 7. 1922, the lease was signed, was locked away in Falls desk drawer and kept secret until inquirers, including con- gress. became persistent in their de- sire to know what had been done and the lease had to be given out"
 Valued Reserve Highly
 Roberts then spoke Of the high value Sinclair placed on the reserve. and O. his buying up "valucless" placer claims so that he would be tho only man able to surrender them to the government as a part of the Teapot Dome lease requirements. To put the deal over with Fall. Roberts sad, Sinclair was willing to pay | million dollars for the claims.
 The government attorney told the jury of secrecy" which he said had been thrown about the lease trans- actions; Of Untrue statemcpts' made by Fall when other prospec- tive lessees inquired into the status of the reserve.
 When the government shall have proved to you these matters Rob- 'rts continued Eve shall ask you to | ind that these two men did con- 'pire to defraud the U. s. and did do cts and things 10 bring to fruitjon heir agreements and conspiracy and Q find them guilty as charged in he indictment"
 DcfenSe's Statement
 As Roberts concluded the defense ounseI conferred briefly and Daniel | new Wright. speaking without a repared argument, outlined the de- Il ense
 My adversary has been able fo i've you so little information that !" hope to give you facts that will Id your decision." said Wright. He uflined the mining laws and oil Il nd mining leases that were in force efore the Teapot Dome lease was egotlatcd and sought to show the 'ac"r claims in the Teapot Dome eserNe were not valueless as Rob- rts had maintained, In 1910, Wright said, the Pickett ct providing for executive with ra"al of public lands from public Il htry, was passed by congress and | he policy of oil land leasing was laugurated.
 The Picket Act, he said. reserved persons locations already proved l pon land withdrawn from public I nfry by executive order
 In 1915. Wright said. a part of | 'a's Salt Creek field in Wyoming was fslenat"d as naval reserve i
 ~inclair's Visit
 Alter reviewing more of the his 'rN Of events preceding inc Teapot 'ome lease. during which he in-