The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-05
ALFALFA BILL
JEERS AT U. 5.
COURT POWER
Closes Oil Fields, Daring
Sinclair to Invoke
Federal Aid.
BRIDE CHARGE HURLED
Let EN- Try to Pull That
Injunction Stuff on Me-
SCOTS Governor.
BY GEORGE B. ROSCOE
United Press STAFF Correspondent

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla, Aug.
5.-The attempt Of Governor Will
liam H. (Alfalfa Bib Murray to
rescue Oklahoma's petroleum in
dustry with soldiers and martial
law developed today into a battle
between a self-made lawyer politi-
clan and an aggressive multi-mil-
lionaire oil executive.
National guardsmen patrolled
the states richest oil leases to en-
force the Governors edict closing
all flush wells until the price of
crude oil rises to 81 barrel. At
the same time, attorneys for several
oil companies prepared to go into
federal court to contest the I'M
precedented action.
Both the Governor who issued the
orders and Harry F. Sinclair, chair
man of the board Of Sinclair Con-
solidated Oil Companies, whose
business is affected, refused to
comment today on the martial law
and shutdown order. Oklahoma's
fiery chief executive had Singled
Sinclair out as one Of the Opera
tors who by avarice and seditious
intent to overthrow state govern
ment had depressed the price Of oil
to personally profit"
Hurls Bride Charge
Charging Sinclair had considered
the possibility of bribing forty law
makers in the last legislature to
impeach the Governor, Murray left
his executive Offices today for the
reported purpose of evading service
of a federal court injunction which
he had anticipated to be the Oil
mans answer.
Sinclair went about his Tulsa
headquarters today apparently lit
tie concerned with the Governors
charges. It was reliably reported,
however, his answer would come to-
day by federal court order issued
at Guthrie which would be designed
to restrain the Governor from car
rying out the martial law rule.
r. G. McKever, veteran attorney,
who, like Governor Murray, is con-
sidered an authority on constitu-
tional law, told the United Press
he was going to Guthrie. He was
retained by H. H. Champlin, head
of the Champlin Refining Company,
who had affiliated himself with Sin
clair in a fight against proration.
let EN- Try
Gust let them try to pull that
old federal court injunction stuff
on me-" the Governor said. "One
reason I did this thing was to see
whether an inferior federal Judge
could place a corporation above
the rights of sovereign state and
its citizens"
Again say, it will be like a
jackrabbit trying to tree a wildcat"
Murray said, striding up and down
and pounding his desk. Sinclair's
past activities, however, indicate the
impending battle will be moment
Gus. Educated as a druggist at the
university of Kansas, he now heads
one Of the most powerful independ-
ent oil companies. His path to
financial power is dotted with bat
ties and adversely as well as sue
cess.
Recalls Teapot Dome
His most spectacular fight was in
the Teapot Dome oil lease scandals
for which former Secretary of In
terror Albert B. Fall is serving a
prison term for bribery. Sinclair,
himself, has served a term for con-
tempt of court in the governments
investigation Of the huge fraud.
Like Sinclair, the sage of Tisho-
mingo" loves a battle. But unlike
his opponent, he educated himself in
a cotton patch in Texas, later COM
ing to Oklahoma. A colorful career
as country politician, who became
Governor at the mandate of what
he calls the common "peepul," has
left him an enemy of men of Sin
clair's type.
Military occupation of the twen-
ty-seven Oklahoma oil fields named
in the Governors order progressed
without opposition. All Oklahoma
City wells had been closed and Lieu
tenant-C Colonel Cicero I. Murray,
the Governors cousin, left for
Seminole. where he will command
the Seminole national guard unit
in closing the many pools of the
greater Seminole.