Evening star., 1935-09-09
DOHENY, COL0RFUL
OIL PIONEER, DIES
Figure in Scandals of Hard
+ ing Administration Lett
100000, 900 Fortune.

BY the Associated Press,
LOS ANGELES, September p
Edward L. Doheny. multi ti-mllllonalre
midas of the oil industry is dead
The 79-year-old ruler of an oil en-
pire which once spread over portions
of the entire Western Hemisphere
died at his Beverly Hills town house
last night.
A chronic invalid for many months.
his death was the result of compll-
cation of ailments accentuated by his
advanced age.
Funeral services for the oil magnate
will be held Wednesday at St. Vim
cents Roman Catholic Church, a ST.
100000 ediflce built largely through
the benefactions of Doheny. Two
bishops, Most Rev John J. Cantwell
of the Los Angeles and San Diego
Diocese and Most Rev. Francis C.
Kelley of the Oklahoma Diocese will
say mass.
The body will BE- placed temporarily
in a vault at Calvary Cemetery. 1t
probably will be removed later to a
private mauSoleum.
As man who left fortune in eX-
cess of Sl0O.00000O and whose phi
lanthropies rolled into the hundreds
of thousands. Doheny was one of the
most picturesque figures in the his
tory of oil.
Members of the immediate Doheny
family-his widow. daughter, Mrs
Leigh Battson, and his five grand
children-were at the bedside when
the end came.
While virtually in retirement
Doheny was president of the Pc
troleum Securities Corp, his major
holding. at the time of his death.
Figure in Oil Scandal.
The story of Doheny is studded
with peak accomplishments and not
q few marked disappointments. He
won fame as the discoverer of vast oil
resources and notoriety as one OF the
key figures in oil reserve scandals OF
the Harding administration.
Attention centered on Doheny in
connection with a Senate probe OF
leases involving the Elk Hills and
Teapot Dome naval reserves which
had been granted by Albert B. Fall
Secretary of the Interior.
At A, Doheny had made his first
million.
In 1916, long after he had built the
first pipe line out of Mexico-a line
so-called experts labeled absurd
Doheny sank a record breaking we'll
1t Welded 100000 barrels day until
closed in.
Developed Oil Empire.
Mr.. Doheny wrested one of the
country's greatest fortunes from the
coastal oil fields of Mexico and the
West Coast section Of the United
States
In Mexico he reared an industrial
empire of such vast proportions that
his investments were known as the
greatest concentrated holdings Of prl-
vate capital in the world.
OF the corporations through which
wealth poured to him. Mexican Pete
the Mexican Petroleum Co.-waS
the greatest. That represented his
Mexican holdings, developed from the
first oil strike in the Tampico fields.
From Mexican Pete" radiated con-
Germs controlling refineries, storage
plants, pipe lines. railroads, tank
steamers and great distributing sta
tons far-flung along the seaboard-
in Mexico, Panama, Brazil and the
United States.
With Rockefeller Sinclair and
others Mr.. Doheny was one of Amer
ica's storied oil barons. He laid the
foundation for that niche in industrial
history when fortnight courage. as
we'll as capital, was necessary to forge
ahead in the fierce competition of
the booming oil business.
The calm nerve that carried him
to success through the hard living
days of the oil frontier of a genera
ton ago stood him in good stead when
he reached the age at which many
men retire.
Indicted in 1924.
He was we'll past so when the oil
scandals of President Harding's ad-
ministration centered around the
group of which he was a member
and his name was carried to a sweep
ing position of attention before the
American people. He was indicted in
1924.
Tragedy and sorrow stalked him.
In the heat of the oil litigation his
only son, E. L. Doheny, jr., was mur-
dered by servant. He saw his old
friend, Albert B. Fall, Hardings Sec
retary of the Interior, declared guilty
of bribe taking. Back through the
spans Of the years he and Fall, many
times, as prospectors, had tramped
together behind the Tapping ears OF
a pack mule.
In the ramifications of litigation,
civil and criminal, that followed leas-
ing of Government oil lands by Fall,
an elleged 100000 bribe was given
Fall by Mr.. Doheny occupied a key
position. 1t was for that act that
Fall was convicted. But Doheny was
acquitted.
The Government charged that Sec
retary Fall leased to Mr.. Doheny the
Elk Hills naval Oil reserve in Cali
fornia, because Of the alleged bribe.
Twice the level eyes of the gray-haired
oil millionaire stared at a jury de-
Gliding whether he was criminally
culpable. Both times he heard the
words mot guilty"
First he was tried for conspiracy
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