Evening star., 1928-04-06
TEAPOTL|T|GAT|ON
NOW |NF|FTH YEAR
Sinclair Win Have No Right
to Appeal Latest Case to
Supreme Court.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

When Harry r. Sinclair faces trial
hero Monday for criminal conspiracy
N eefrau6 the United States in the
Teapot Dome oil reserve lease, there
will be set in motion legal wheels
Nhf-h were first started five years ago
ana are not likely to stop running for
another wear. In other words, 1t will
have taken Uncle Sam six years ia
work out OF the eutanglementS which
began with oil scandals Of the Harding
administration.
The Doheny and Sinclair cases
civil. criminal and contempt causes
comhine6-are said to mark record
IN American court practice. There has
been a disposition on the part Of the
r2shlic 10 consider that the course of
justice has been wrongfully obstructed.
Lawyers contend that The litigantS have
cone nothing but exhaust their tull
constitutional rights
Out Of the interninahle civil pro-
cedure, which commenced in October,
1928. when the Senate public ,snoS
committee began its investigation OF the
oil leases. the Government has emerged
victorious. Both the Elk Hills. Calf,
naval oil reserve leased TO Doheny and
the Teapot Dome. Wyo., reserve leased
to Sinclair by Albert B. Fall were can
celed by Federal courts and restored
70 the Government The United States
Supreme Court declared that the leases
were fraudulently procured and Fail
was branded by that tribunal "a laith
hess public officer
Three Sinclair Cases.
In the civil procedure instituted by
the Government against Fall. Doneny
and Sinclair the Government has been
only partially successful. Fall and Do
hery were acquitted Of criminal con-
Spiracy in connection with the Cali
fcrnia oil lease and the effort to con-
vict Fail and Sinclair in connection with
the Wyoming lease is now being under
taken for the second time a nistrial
having been declared when the case
was first tried
Sinclair seems destined to establish
q hieh-wster mark as iitigant in the
Federal courts He is at the presen,
moment involved in no fewer than three
separate cases in the courts Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia The first one is his
appeal from a three months jail SEN
tence. pronounced against him by Jus
tice William Hitx of the District SUI
prene Court. when he was found guilty
Of contempt Of the United States Senate
for refusing to answer questions put 10
him by the oil committee Sinclair
second pending case is his appeal from
q six months iail sentence pronounced
against him by Justice Frederick L
Sid6onS, for contempt Of court in
sl1adowing the fury before which he was
first on trial for criminal conspiracy
The third Sinclair case is the one now
going to trial. when the Teapot
Dome oil magnate will sit in the dnck
alone His co-defendant. Fall on sc-
count Of illness. has been permitted
% appear as a witness on Sinciair's be-
half through the taking of Falls deposi-
tons al z PaSo. Tex. Fall is to be
nsaced on trial later in the year when
his health has improved l. Sin air
end Fau are acouitted-as Doheny and
Fan were acquitted in December. 1925
she Government viii have exhausted the
possibilities Of trying the oil man and
the former Secretary of the Interior on