Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-14
:DOHENY DEFENSE
W|NSLETTER FIGHT
. Untrue Fall Explanation of
100000 Loan Ruled
InadmiSSibIe.

: BY the Associated Press.
The defense scored in the bribery
p trial Of Edward L. Doheny today when
Justice Hitz upheld its contention that
the untrue explanation made by Albert
B. Fall to the Senate oil committee as
to where he received 100000 in 1921
could not be introduced against Doheny.
The letter. written in December, 1923,
told the committee that Fall, then Sec
rotary of the Interior, had borrowed the
800 900 from Edward B. Mclean, pub
Usher of the Washington Post, and that
he had not received money from Do
heny or Harry r. Sinclair. month
later Doheny appeared before the COM
rnittee and told them that he had sent
100000 in cash to Fall on November
80, 1921, as a personal loan.
Protection Attempt Admissible.
The defense argued that the letter
could not be introduced against Doheny,
as he knew nothing Of its contents and
did not know Fall was sending the COM
munication. The prosecution argued
that it was admissible to show that
Fall was trying to protect Doheny.
E. C. Finney, solicitor of the Interior
Department, was called as Govern
had made his ruling. AS Assistant Sec
rotary of Interior under Fall, Ftnney
negotiated and signed the Pearl Harbor
oil storage contract. which contained q
clause that resulted in the lease OF the
Elk Hills naval oil reserve to Doheny's
company.
AS the trial of Doheny on a charge
of bribing Fall proceeded today it
seemed evident that the Government
was pinning its hope Of conviction
largely upon Doheny's examination by
She Senate oil committee in 1924, when
the furore over the oil lease scandals
was at its height.
Most of the time at the morning
session was taken up by the proSecu-
ton In reading carefully questions and
answers before the committee. Do
heny's recital of sending 100000 IN
cash to Fail was stressed, as were his
different stories of the whereabouts OF
the note for the money Fall had given
him.
After concluding the reading of the
transcript the Government sought to
introduce Falls letter to the Senate
committee saying that Mclean had
The scene in the court room today was
in sharp contrast to that before the Sem
ate committee. Doheny sat quiet and
relaxed today as the reading of the tes-
committee pressed him about differ
ences in testimony about the note that
Fall gave him IN return for the 100000,
Are you trying to get me to admit
lied about it,"
DENLY Testimony Offered.
The prosecution also placed before
the jury today the testimony before the
senate oil committee Of the late Edwin
DENLY, former Secretary Of the Navy, In
which be admitted that he knew moth
ing of the details Of the Elk Hills lease
which he signed.
Doheny's testimony that the contract
with the Pan-Americen Co., providing
for construction Of oil storage facilities
Mt Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that the Gov
eminent accepted was not in accord
ance with the published call for bids,
also was read. In this testimony the
oil man said his company submitted
two bids, one IN accordance with the
can and an alternative bid containing
the preferential clause, acceptance OF
which resulted In the company getting
lease to 81 900 acres Of the Fix Hfls
reserve.