Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-01
ROVER PREPARING
CANNON WITNESSES
Bankers and Officials Of
Methodist Church to
BE Called.

list Of witnesses 10 testify In the
grand jury investigation of charges that
Bishop James Cannon. jr. violated the
Federal corrupt practices law in the last
presidential campaign was being pre-
pared today by United States Attorney
Leo A Rover.
The list will include bankers and Of
ficials of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South. Bishop Cannon's Church.
Linked with Bishop Cannon in the
investigation is Miss Ada L. Bur, oughs
former treasurer of the Virginia Anti
Smith Committee. The charges, Rover
announced, resulted from their alleged
failure to file a proper accounting OF
campaign fund expenditures with the
clerk of the House of Repr esentatives
Bishop Cannon first was criticized
for the handling of the funds by the
Senate Lobby Investigating Committee.
Insists Proper Reports Made.
The Senate Campaign Funds Investi-
eating Committees investigation Of
Cannon's campaign expenditures later
was abruptly halted when the bishop
challenged its authority to investigate
an election campaign in which purely
State and local Offices were involved.
Cannon insisted proper reports had been
made of all expenditures. The commit
tee at that time was centering its in
Quiry upon expenditure of a SOS. 900
contribution of E. c. Jameson. a New
York capitalist
One of the chief witnesses to be
called before the grand jury, which will
begin its investigation October 8. will
be Col. Wade H. Cooper. president of
the Commercial National Bank and for
merly president of the Continental
Trust Co. The subpoena served upon
Col. Cooper calls upon him to supply
statements of the accounts of Bishop
James Cannon. ir.. and Bishop James
Cannon. jr., chairman" from August
to October. 1928
The banker also was asked to submit
to the grand jury all signature slips,
deposit slips checks, drafts, documents
and all other papers relative to Bishop
Cannon's dealings with the bank. The
bishops correspondence with the bank
from July /, 1928. to date also must be
furnished, Col. Cooper was advised, as
we'll as all correspondence between
Cannon or the Headquarters Com
mittee of the anti-Smith Democrats"
and the bank
Clerk of House Summoned.
william Tyler Page, clerk OF the
House, and Edwin Pope Thayer, secre-
tary of the Senate also were summoned
to appear before the tribunal Page
was asked to bring the five reports
filed with him by Miss Burroughs on
or about September 6. october 81 and
November g. 1928. and January and
February Is, 1929. He also was in
structed to furnish the jury with all
correspondence between him and Miss
Burroughs relative to her reports.
Thayer was told to bring a report
filed by Miss Burroughs october 81,
1928, and any correspondence he may
have had with her relative to the anti
Smith Democrats.
Cannon Will Not Testify.
Lee P. Oliver. a Justice Department
agent. who has been investigating Can
mons campaign activities, also was sum-
moned to testify.
Neither Cannon nor Miss Burroughs
will be asked to appear nor does the list
include any of the members of either
the Senate Lobbying Committee or the
Campaign Funds Investigating Com
mittee. Several out-of-town witnesses
are to be called, Rover said, but he
declined to make public their names.
Decision to place the Cannon case
before the grand jury at this time. in
stead Of after presentation of the third
degree inquiry, was reached because OF
the approach of the date upon which
the statute of limitations would become
effective.
The charges upon which the case is
based, 1t was pointed out, took place
in 1928, three years ago.