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XX Wilididn’t understand everything• A AW A V|/W i Vedly assured McLean the cover-up had nothing to doabout them. Sinclair was the next to take the stand, and his bland remarks made little impact on those who were waiting for the first signs of “scandal.”In the following weeks, however, Sen. Walsh and other committee members learned that Fall had made vast improvements to his ranch property, despite having had money problems in the previous year.In December, 1923, Sen. Walsh had an old friend from Wisconsin, Doheny, before They had enjoyed a cordial relationship since their youth, and Mr. and Mrs. Doheny even had housed Walsh at their Los Angeles mansion when the senator was in danger of a nervous breakdown following the death of his wife.Friendship ForgottenBut Walsh made it clear that friendship was not an issue in the investigation. The grey-haired, white-mustached,neatly attired Doheny, then 67, was there to furnish whatever information he might possess. At one point. Doheny became irked at Walsh.“1 claim my lease was made in the interest of the United Stales government” the one-time Fond du Lac resident declared. “You cannot get me to admit that it is a bad lease, because T cer-with Sinclair or the matter of Teapot Dome. McLean agreed.On the day after Christmas, 1923, Fall, stating he was ill, wrote the committee a letter. He said he learned through the press that investigation was being made into his financial affairs, and went on record saying he was loaned the $100,000 he had used toimprove his ranch property by McLean.“I have never approached E. L. Doheny or anyone connected with thim or anv ofVhis corporations,” Fall’s letter pointed out. He said the same thing in regard to Sinclair, adding . .nor haveI received from either of said parties one cent on account of any oil lease or upon any other account whatsoever.”Ask McLean Instead of taking Fall’s word, however, the Senate group decided to ask McLean. He replied from Palm Beach that he couldn’t come to Washington to testify, but had oneof his attorneys declare that%he had loaned Fall the money. Now- that his name had been injected into the picture, McLean began to worry.Using telegraphic code names (“Jaguar” for example, referred to Walsh), McLean had one of his top reporterst«wcio uuawaic uiat rv aioii jmicwFall, too, was in Palm Beach, staying in the same hotel with the newspaper executive.After talking to McLean, Walsh wrote a letter to Fall and handed it to the hotel manager—who denied Fall was there. Walsh told him he knew Fall was in the hotel, even though he wasn’t registered. The manager then accepted the letter, saying he would » have McLean deliver it to Fall.When McLean reached Fall’s suite at the hotel, he found the former Secretary of the Interior writing a message toDoheny, saying he intended to admit receiving the money from him. This was the first time McLean actually learned the source of the $100,000. His comment of astonishment fit the occasion. “Well, I’ll be damned!” he said.Fall did not inform Walsh however, that he received the loan from Doheny, but indicated in a letter that he would give additional details “at a later date.” He then journeyed to New Orleans. Doheny, leaving his home in Los Angeles, headed for the same destination and a meeting with his old friend. Government officials feared the two might be thinking of fleeing the country, and Fall was placed under surveillance. Reporters flocked to the scene.aDidn’t Follow AdviceWhy didn't you do as I told you to do at the begin-ing when these things started —tell all about this thing?” Doheny asked Fall. “You remember that I told you to doso.Doheny then informed Fall he was going to Washington to explain the $100,000.When he appeared before the Senate Committee four days later, Doheny arrived early and was forced to push his way through a crowd.iKftisISF-£
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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