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Trials Clear Doheny Of CoK'Murder Of Son, BattlesIn Court MaiBy STAN GORES(Of the Commonwealth Reporter)Vyrni President Warren Harding dead and Calvin Coolidge in the White House, the Senate Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, late in 1923. began what many regarded as a “muckraking” investigation into the leasing of naval oil reserves in California and Wyoming.Given the task of groping through the mystery of whispered scandal was Sen. Thomas .1. Walsh, a sober-faced, bushy-browed native of Two River. Wis., who was an honor graduate of the University of Wisconsin. His strong face masked the fact that in many instances he was shooting blind in attempts to learn the details, and he moved eautiouslv.VThe first witness was former Secretary of the Interior Albert B, Fall, who had retired from Harding's Cabinet earlier in the year to a more comloriable life on his ranch in New Mexico. Fall, a longtime friend of Edward L. Doheny. the Fond du Lac-born oil baron--who had leased the Elk Hills reserve while Harry F. Sinclair was obtaining rights to the Teapot Dome reserve, was an annoyed, impatient witness.Sitting straight in his chair, his blue eyes fixed on Walsh and his expression an almost permanent scowl, Fall defended the leases. He said the oil storage tanks that Doheny was going to build at Pearl Harbor would make the Navy strong in the Pacific, and added that Sinclair's contract seemed shrouded in secrecy only because this was the case in matters of national security.Sen. Walsh also questioned Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby, who supported the leases while admitting hetainly do not think that it is.” “I only want the facts,” Walsh replied.“Well you cannot get facts out of me by citing this asbad policy or that as goodEDWARDLDOHENYAtTrialIn1926didn’t understand everything about them. Sinclair was the- _ -3policy,” Doheny snapped. “Policv is not fact. Don't aska Jme about conclusions. Ask me about facts and we can go right along.”Another member of the committee, Sen. Irvine Lenroot of Wisconsin, inquired if Doheny had any knowledge about Fall profiting in any way from the leases. Doheny said no, and expressed his admiration for Fall.At this stage of the investigation, the committee figured it could make the most progress by checking into Fall's finances. Fall was asked to testify again.Before returning to Washington, however. Fall asked Ned McLean, publisher of the Cincinnati Enquirer and the .Washington Post, to meet him in Atlantic City, N. J. While there, McLean, who was on his way to a Palm Beach, Fla., vacation, was asked by Fall if he would say he had loaned him $100,000 — the amount borrowed Nov. 30, 1921 from Doheny. He reportedly assured McLean the cover-up had nothing to doxx/rffi Qtnrlair nr mottor nf“ ♦ « , • ♦ s «t, f* • • » i• * ITHIS MANSION in Los Angeles was home for Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Doheny. It was merely one of many lavish homes in the Chester Place area of Los Angeles owned by the man who was raised in a small house on Rose Avenue in Fond du Lac. Doheny died In this home In 1935. The photo is from a 16-page brochure prepared by Ruth and Charles Powell for a tour of the premises by historical society members and architects.in Washington keep him informed on plans of the committee. As many as 100 to 150 telegrams were exchanged in a day. McLean later leased a wire from Palm Beach to Washington, and the codes continued.By Jan. 9, 1924, McLean learned Walsh was coming to Palm Beach to question him. What he didn’t know, was that the Signal Corps had broken the code he had been using and the committee knew what was being said in the peculiar messages flying back and forth between Washington and Palm Beach.When Walsh talked to McLean the publisher was unable to produce check stubs or provide any evidence of having loaned Fall $100,000, despite a vague story about having done so. McLean also was unaware that Walsh knew Fall, too, was in Palm Beach, staying in the same hotel withOn Jan. 20, 1924, Doheny and his lawyer conferred with Fall in the Hotel Roosevelt. The California multimillionaire later testified thatI*ft 4 4 * ft % »%% ■ • « 9 m -» ft 4 # 4 ft ft ft 4A4• # • *4* ♦ ♦ ♦ A ■ *- * * i/i ft ■ * * » • p. ■ * ♦ f ft. ft 444 v i bft 4 4 • ***•lt; *'4 *44■ v f ^ * ***« a*!«#•«•«■ *4 ft ft ■ * # ■ a p ft 4 ■ 4 * iVI*4 ft 4 * ft P.* ft ■ .ft * *.*.■ * .■*V.VaW.V4.^V*^'.*.V4V.'JLast In SeriesThis is the fourth and last in series of feature articles on the life of Edward L. Doheny, the “richest man in Fond du Lac’s history.” However, an additional Commonwealth Reporter feature will appear soon on the Dohenv mansion in Los Angeles, reflecting the life of luxury attained by the Fond du Lac High School graduate after he made his fortune in oil.t » * ft ft lt;4ft ft ft ft 4 4r m m w mm 4 m 1*1 4 4 4 ft ft ft ft ft 4 ft ft J ft ft ft » ft 4 a a 4 ft ft a ft 4 A/lVA% | |V,he had been annoyed with Fail for having made such a mess of things.Didn’t Follow AdviceA nxrnAtif
Newspaper Details
Fond Du Lac Commonwealth Reporter
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, US
Tue, Dec 14, 1965
Page 18
Full Page
Clipped by
Debbie R.
NA, 29 Jan 2022
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