Show WASHINGTON JL L O for N I j r When Harry F. F Sinclair faces trial in Washington for criminal conspiracy to defraud the United State In the Teapot Dome oil re- re servo lease there will m b be act in motion Ugal wheels which were first st started five fire ago and are art not likely to stop running for an another fl oth other r year jear ear In other othet words it will have taken Uncle Sam six ix years to Work out the entanglements which began with the tile oil scandals of the Harding administration The Do Doheny Do Do- hen heny heni and Sinclair cases civil cases civil criminal and contempt causes s i coi bin are are ed-are are said to mark a rec record rd In American court practice There has been a disposition on the tho part alt of th the public to consider that the course of justice has been wrongfully wrong wrong- fully tully obstructed Lawyers Lawers contend that the litigants have done nothing nothIng nothing noth noth- ing but exhaust their full constitutional rights I Out of or the interminable civil prOCedure prOcedure procedure pro prO- dure ce-dure which commenced in hi October Octo ber bel 1923 when the tile s senate nate public lands lande I committee began its Investigation Investigation investigation gation of the oil leas leases s the tho government govern govern- ment meat has emerged victorious Both the tho Elk Hills California nw naval l oil reserve leased to Doh Doheny en and the Teapot Dome Wyoming reserve leased to Sinclair by Albert B. B Fall Fail were cancelled by federal courts and restored to the g government v The United States supreme me court declared that the leases were I fraudulently procured and Fall was bie branded by that t tribunal a faithless faithless faithless faith faith- less public officer a S S In the civil procedure instituted b by the government against a Fall Doheny and Sinclair the tho government government govern govern- ment merit has had been only partially lly sue sue- Fall Fail and Doheny were ac acquitted c c- c quitted of ot criminal conspiracy in connection with the California oil lease and the effort to convict Fall Falland Falland and Sinclair lit ill Connection with the theY Y Wyoming lease is now being undertaken undertaken un for the second time a 8 having been declared when the case was first trl tried d. d S S Sinclair seems destined to establish establish lish Ush a a. water high-water mark as a litigant liti UtI- gant In the federal courts He lie Is at nt atthe atthe the pres present nt moment involved In no fewer than three separate ex existing lilting cases in the courts of tho the District of ot Columbia The first one I I i his appeal from a three months months' jail sentence en enc pronoun pronounced d against him by Justice William lutz of the District supreme court when he ho was found guilty of contempt of the United States senate for tor re refusing refusing refusing re- re fusing to answer questions put to him hini by th the oil oi committee Sinclair's second pending case is his appeal from a six months months' jail sentence pronounced against him by Justice Frederick L. L Siddons for tor contempt of court In shadowing the Jury jur be before before before be- be fore him he was first on trial for criminal conspiracy The third Sinclair case is the one set for tor trial on April 4 4 when the Teapot Dome oil magnate will sit it l in inthe inthe the dock alone his Albert B B. B Fall on account of ot illness ill ill- hess ness having to aPp appear appear ap p pear ar through the taking of his deposition at El EI Paso Tex rex last week weel If Sinclair and J Fall Fail all are arc ac acquitted ac- ac quitted quitted quitted-as as Doheny and Fall were were- acquitted in December 1926 1926 the the government will have exhausted the possibilities of ot trying the oil man and the tile former secretary of ot the Interior on criminal charges If Sinclair and Fall 1811 are convicted In Inthe Inthe inthe the present proceedings s. they willbe will willbe willbe be subject to a maximum punishment punishment punishment punish punish- ment of oC two years earl apiece in jail and a a. fine of ot each From such sentences Sinclair and Fall Fan could appeal only to the c court courtot urt of ot appeals of ot the District of Co Co- lumbia They would not be entitled under the law to demand a a. review y of their conviction by the the- United j V States supreme court Such re revIews reviews re- re vIews views are are wholly within the discretion discretion discretion tion of ot the tile highest tribunal In the land nd It is under no obligation to grant them The Tile supreme court I very ery rarely exercises Its discretion In favor 01 of granting appeals of criminal cases S S S SIt It Itis Is said by lawyers laYers familiar with the oil cases to be a a. fair air predIction predIction prediction pre pre- pre pre- diction that the Sinclair Fall crImInal criminal criminal crim crIm- inal trial will last well ivell into the month of May rray An entirely new jury and a new judge Justice judge Justice Jennings JennIngs Jennings Jen Jen- Jen- Jen Bailey wIll Bailey will sit in the case following the mistrial declared by Justice Siddons in November 1927 and the conviction o of ot Sinclair Burns et ot a al for tor jury shadowing in February 1928 No authority In Washington thinks that the last lat ot of Sinclair's three possible appeals will be out of the way before midsummer midsummer mid mid- summer 1929 mid mid-I S SC One indictment is still pending ag against 1 Edward dward L. L Doheny Sr 11 and his hl son Ed Edward ward L L. Dohen Doheny Jr for bribery bribers of Albert B. B Fall Fall tile the c celebrated cele le- le I black bag I tion But nut as tills this episode was the kernel kern l of the criminal case in which Doheny and Fall 1311 were acquitted In 1926 It Is ts not expected that the tIle indictment will ever reach the st stage ge of ot trial |