The Washington times., 1928-03-30
FALL TALKS, HIS
WIFE CROWS
HISTORICAL

Ell PASo, March 30.-Held in
the greatest secrecy, the inside
story Of thc leasing Of Teapot Dome
to the Harry +. Sinclair oil in.
terests, as told by Albert Bacon
Fall, was being prepared for trans.
mission to Washington for the
opening Of Sinclair's trial, scheduled
for April 4.
Neither Daniel Thew Wright, Sin.
clair's attorney, who questioned Fall
at his home here yesterday, nor At.
lee. Pomerene, special Government
prosecutor, who was present to
cross-examine the former Secretary
OF the Interior, would comment on
the testimony in Falls deposition.
The contents of the document,
they stated, would not be made pub.
lie until 1t is presented in the Dis
trict Of Columbia Supreme Court at
Sinclair's trial. Attorney Wright
said a special effort would be made
to have the deposition on hand for
the opening OF the trial.
Propped Up in Chair
FAN, who Is reported dying, was
too weak after the ordeal to be seen
by anyone outside the immediate
members OF the household.
The widely-heralded Inside story
OF the oil leases was unfolded in the
library Of Falls colonial-style home,
which tops wind.swept hill at the
foot Of Mt. Franklin.
Fail sat prOpped up in q great
0snnA nh0fR .Ipn@t AhnvyA h3m hn~I
hung . huge portrait Of the late
President Warren G. Harding. TO
the right Of the huge colonial fire.
place was q life-sized portrait of the
Senator Fall Of long ago.
Attended by his personal phvsi.
clan, DIR. H. T. Stafford, Judge Fan,
Mrs. Fall, and other members of
the family received the party from
Washington with typical Southern
courtesy. Almost every other per.
son present was visibility more ner.
vOuS than the former Cabinet of.
ficer:
Preliminaries were few. The
Washington delegation made known
their wants. Fail said he was ready
And there In the lofty library, with
only his physician and loyal wife
beside him. Fall got what he saws
he has demanded I'm all prior prO.
CeedingS, the opportunity, unham.
pered by legal counsel, Of telling
his side Of the story Of leasing
Uncle Sans lands to oil developers.
Slight Clue to Testimony
A clew to Falls probable testi.
n1ony was his statement two days
ago that he believed the Wyoming
leases were granted as a measure
Of protection for the Government,
and in good faith. and that develop.
ments have borne him out in this.
He asserted that the bond deal with
Sinclair. which involved q third
interest for the oil magnate i'm the
Three River stock ranch, was a
legitimate business transaction. and
not to be regarded as Of interest TO
the public.
Mrs. Fall, worn from watching
over her husband during his long
illness which has kept him from
testifying in Washington, looked
upon the interrogation as another
twist of the rack of inquisition
that has tortured her husband ever
since the revelations Of the little
black satchel."
At times Mrs. Fall is historical.
Always she is tired and her voice
Is husky from Tending off the horde
Of information seekers and phOtOg-
raphers that have besieged Fail
since he became involved in tho
oil scandal. Her one hope is that
she may take him to California i'm.
mediateIy after Government counsel
and Sinclair's attorneys are through
with him.
Fine Type Of Man
Fall, a perfect type of the old
time Western lawyer. with flowing
white hair and moustache, grimlY
chewed an unlit cigar between his
utterances to the official N&nog.
rapher, w. B. Bull.