Show VI yo it Convention Oil Deals Probed Pro 1 1 N HEAR LEONARD WOOD FRIEND FRIEN He Says Chicago Convention Conven tion Was Surcharged With Oil OH Rumors DARDEN DARDEN ON N STAND He Tells of Talk He Had I With President I Harding I WASHINGTON March arch H 9 19 Gosp Go about an oil deal at the Republican national convention consention In I I 1920 and a stor tor about aboul a venture In Teapot Done that collided that of Harry F Sinclair mad made up today a testimony in the tho th oil Inquire This Th lh tale tal about aboul the chicago con convention con con- on n as was gh gison en by Tiffin Gil- Gil more Git-more mote more deputy Jy ry of ot State o Ohio who ho worked In 1920 for tor torr-eonard torr w Wood He Ht sOi It U wu there had oen a dell del l bel between een oil and the possible nominee th he Understood an offer was made to Wood and nd wa was refused I 1 ut UI that h he- he knew the names name of ot none of the men concerned and hid h no hand tint Information to sup sup- upI up- up I port the th story D IT ESS I James G 0 Dirden Duden friend ot of I President Harding testified about Ithe th Teapot In which he heI was Interested along with wIth J 5 I 1 I Campion and R n G Tayl Taylor r He H aid aid they made mado mad claim to eres without a 0 fence or a f scratch upon It had hod been prom preen promIsed promised an aus adjustment by Secretary I Payne In the th Wilson administration I tion but never had applied for fora fora fora a lease leao and eventually had b en ejected by after arter the th r- r serve erve rv was leased based to Sinclair Dard n declared Iso he h had bad learned through gossip two months month In that Sinclair as wa as to g get t the tho lease An arrangement was waR made with Ith ith the Mutual Oil corn com comI comI compan com company I pan pals pany to 10 develop the tho claim and I Darden 5 lawyer II R S Bright andI I told the committee that the de de- de dc company besin n after atter It became known n that I use he Sinclair lease had been ben consummated mated Their hope hone was wa hi ho said auld to the locality of the Sin Sm- Sinclair Sinclair claIr contract but when Darden tool took the tho th matter up with th President Harding and Attorney Dougherty Daugherty he h found Secretary 1 all vas as determined to clear thi tbt Iu Vu tuil tu l oft off the by force The Th committee expects tomor tomor- tomorrow you row to question G C D hl berf berg bg to HaT Har r ia-r 1 Sinclair and n en n Friday to re- re recall re recall call Sinclair One On stor story was r Gilmor said th t oil operators had hat proposed to l delegate support ort to Wood If It they were permitted to nome name nam the lacy of the Interior Ho He he knew nothing about it first firsthand hand but that It was ws talk that a deal leal had hat been consummated mated oil operators and anit the possible nominee VI ho were the tho operators ise he 1 was waa wa asked I I do not know except that the they were big bit operators In the th western t district V Who Iio made mado mad the th proposition 1 I do not know I 1 could not nt say ay The proposition was wa made loads mad to Gen Gen- General Gen General en- en eral Wood Uit Ul Ut In a conversation lie he h had after the eon with lIh Ith ml Thomp Thompson son on an on Ohio Republican leader Inder who isho was the tho th nominee nomine of hi his part party i for governor In III 1922 said I there thero was wae some ome discussion of ot a aland aland aland land claim Thompson was wa Inter Inter- Interested Interested ested sated In What land did IOU sou ou refer to when hen you naked asked Carmi Carml Thompson It if he h had tho ho land Ind T asked aked Sena- Sena Senator Senator Sena Senator tor Bur Bur um un ew 1 2 Mexico 0 I The Th whole air wai a so 0 o sue sue- ur charged I cannot tell My Iy Mon Ion lon was wac that thai It was sias some ome om land ad- ad ad adjacent jacent to Bakersfield Calif I had bad hadn neer ver heard of Teapot Dome lonio at that time I i DId PId ou gather father the th ho impression I that Mrs In Hanson Hamoa Jake Jak Hamon Hanson Re- Re Republican Republican Re Republican I publican national for Oklahoma had anything to 10 dO with It I I dent dont don t I know now what shat oil compo compo- compa III In lu It I 1 do think how how- however ever r that hat I a a bong oung man mon named told me mo Hamon w wax was mixed up In It U Tots Ton really know nothIng of t on la Page Tw If lf SEAR LEONARD WOOD woo FRIEND FR Continued From Jom Page One those tho e matters mattel q except N on the th t I I 1 did not Asked Alted bi bs Senator Walsh It If le e Anew J R ht t reply General Wood pad had mad Oll said ald I I was sas told he walked up and f do down n at 1 Is la h hotel te 1 and said ald It was wasa a 0 shady shad de ho he would have nothing to do with It it and havel that then the wi Wt std jid hale ne h e to defeat at him The then railed Jam James 8 G DaYl Damien n whose hose name namo has ben been II with dl disclosures disclosure closure In hI the th ind nd Te Teapot Dom Dome In- In in Juh Ie Process 1 Ben had re- re re 0 to locate him foi tot n a month but re e denied he hid had tried to avoid e pi l rates k lIe He said suld ho was r away Ilay fro fron froll homo home much nuh fUCh bat hadl had read d that he was sough sought and Im- Im f j had notified W fir J Burnet of oC the department deportment of ot ju said he h had kno known n President Harding a long time and had become Intimate with th him duro dur- during ing the tho pre ire recon campaign In 1920 Did Sou ou aid In bringing Ing about I Us nomination I did aid c Hr thinS I 1 rould could Did you ou raise any money j 1 I did new now and then a aery very ery I I tie lle s lit lit-I I Where did you ou raise the mone money mon- mon ey e Among m ms friends some ome ot of my b friends Do you ou Ino know v Joseph Hall ot of New e Yarn Yort I u met t et him during the Harding He came to see sea us and santel to help Mr Daugherty berty as c l OUR OttS D Darden Da den said he also alo became ln- ln Intimate Kith nUh Attorney Attorn v t dUlIn during the Harding cams cam Senator Walsh took the inquiry It Te Teapot pot Dome Doine Doto and nd nd told Him he ho got tot claims in the Salt Creek field as well as u In the naval n reserve He H said there were 1 GO acres acrs In Teapot ol ln and twice twice- tWIce a s much h outside It was vas v s durIng the he Vils lIs n he ho said Id that he took look the mater mafer mat er up n Ith I th the department Asserting tha Iha thai a ll Ml JU Ta TO Taylor lor has had hadI hadd decided to 0 cont content t with him hIs hl I right to the laid lind III on TI Teapot Dome Darden continued r Mr employed a 11 a Ji Ml VII Wil- Wilson son IVil-son son the lip th presidents president's brothEl Mr Payne the secretary ot of the tho tote tote- Inte Inte- Interior decided In our favor for a mall acreage He ne never neier er said aid any anything t thing tin about bolt acres sere I 1 never nc discussed ed oil with w Mr Ha ding or Mr Dougherty Daugherty until ll Ills le matte came up said tl tic the wit wit- witness ft ness it-ness nesS He lie said eaid ned through gos sip thit was wa 08 to get g pot Tea Tea Tea- Teapot pot Done Dome Don Don- e two 1 inon before the thelea I lease e e was Has signed on April 7 1922 This Till o g-o goa lp lp came from Crom oil men mn wore were rc coming cornIng and going at at DArden said Tu F ES IT UP Did tou au ou take It up with Hh President dent 11 I ding and Mi Mt h Daugherty DaO her h ty asked Dill Democrat fie hington ton 1 did didI I went ent first to see jec Assistant See Sec Sec I Finney of ot the tho I Interior de- de department department who told me the old oliman man was as handling the matter milter Later Darden said aid aide e toe saw aw A B BI Brail Brail Brail rail then secretary of oC the InterIor interiors I I who ho told him he had no claim He went west est to J F Cam Cam- Campion Campion Campion pion one of ot ills hi partners he said I seeing Prel President ident Hardin Harding I hut but the president later wrote rote him calling him here I Hale Hiie you iou ou that letter asked ask Senator Walsh I I have It home and nJ can furnish It I Darden said ald he got rot fits hus his claims from the tho BIo Belgo com an which J bought out after atter he se- se secured se-J se cured e-cured cured the tho lease He presented what hot purported to be a copy of ot the I deed which was wan Included in n a bill billat of at complaint against the Mammoth Oil company comp by Derden and his partners Campion and R G Tay- Tay Taylor Tay-lor Tay lor lay I I What What did you pay for your our snare asked Walsh Campion Campton and Taylor Talor Ta lor were to tl- tl tl-nanco tl nanco nance portion It and I was as to pay poy my pro proportion pro pro- proportion proportion I I Pressed as to what he was to havo paid Darden said It never I had been settled He e a ro- ro re recalled called one payment ot of o about 21 2 2 as expenses Incident to the fight with Hh the Belgo company be- be before be before fore tore the compromise in Juno 1920 When did you apply It you ou ever did tor for a a lease lase tor for the acre acres sl In Teapot 1 We W never did I Describing his hit con with witt l I I I I I I I I I I President Harding Daiden said Tho The Tho president sail said Jim how I property you think you own on out In Wyoming Well I Isaid said aid I do not know Just what It Its lis I cannot tell toll you iou ou We Ye felt I n ve e owned It because we had spent some money on It He H said Tall all is a kind of oC T r He H did not say much more about It it Then we w went on to discuss discus Senator bursum Bursum He lIo wanted to 10 1 know what hat I thought though of ot him I Isaid ISaid said said he was a a good fellow tellow I Well he said What are you OU oi going to do about It l I 1 said Well we wo may hase ha e to go Into the th I courts i i went nent ent to Mr Daugherty one on day day and said Daugherty It li Is a s shame shame hame fall Is I going g to io dri-io 0 us In- In Into to a lawsuit la 10 suit We this land Ho said tho the courts court seemed tobe to to to- be beth th only relief He H said Fall Tall Is beI going to get the tho land He Is go- go fog Ing going to send the marines out there to get it It Darden said MId rail ra told him Sin Sin- Sinclair Sinclair Sin Sinclair Ito clair would settle with him for tor hi his claim as he was wae able ablo to settle set set- settie tie tle with the other claimants claimant I Secretary Secretory Fall was nas as kind of ot peevish ish about anything he wanted to todo todo t do the witness said ald He said Mid he could not find any title to my claim Ho wont went on to So say Sin Sin- Sinclair Sinclair Sin Sinclair clair would take care caro of ot the claimants I What What did you au go to Fall for fort I asked Senator Walsh I went there to get geta a lease on the 10 acres acre What do you think I went for tor a dog Darden said laid he h agreed with th the Oil company to do toe drilling dr in to Teapot Dome on a basis of or that compan company paying e ere ex expenses and taking 60 per cent 01 the oil DRIVEN OFF OF It was as the Mutual Oil that was as dl en oft off b bi the marines hp he said Mid ald Attorney Bright ht said that the Mutual company did not go to the reserve until 1 after arter the le lease se to Sinclair had become known Why did iou Sou ou advise your ell ell- clients cl to go on then asked Sen- Sen Senator Sen Senator ator Walsh I I thought the th lease lense was vas old cord and that we should mako II a a tight fight Bright explained that he be did not belle e the executive order b by President Harding transferring the tho rese reserve to tho Interior de- de department de department was legal Senator Walsh Insisted Darden Could have had no claim unless oil had been found In the acres I I didn't squat on this land Darden said ald I didn't I d Iso anybody any bod to seek title The witness added that thit he was as satisfied ho he had no claim ria after I Finney and Fall Full had told him so but his hl partners partner wanted anted to e go 10 ahead to enforce their claim I Did you try to dissuade the officers from Crom sending ending marines to eject the Mutual Oil compan 1 I asked Senator Walsh I I 1 d did not OF OP LIFE t Darden said he lr was born bom In n North Carolina went to the tho Texas panhandle when a bo boy and lived 11 for tor years yeara in New Mexico engaging engaging ing In the th electric light ht lie He also lived In Buffalo and In Colorado and spent some ome time In Chicago as ice tice Ice president ot of o the tho United States Ginning company Are ou 1 a a married man 1 asked Senator Walsh sh o I am not I hale ho 0 been Dar Dar- Darden Darden den said ald and asked Senator you ha hate ha e a II right to gp go this way Into a mans man's life lite history ho how many women omen he haa ha had around and the tho like I I had no Intention of ot going Into that Bald Senator Walsh Darden Dardon said sold he had hod been In In politics In New Mexico but had spent no considerable time timo In Washington except In 1920 Tho committee then adjourned until tomorrow |