Official report to the House of Representatives of the 58th Legislature of Texas Page: 51 of 94
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We have, therefore, advised Attorney General Wilson that employees
of the Interior Department are prepared to appear before this Committee
to answer questions concerning certain personal affairs. We
have also advised Mr. Wilson that these employees have been instructed
not to discuss any matters relating to the functions of the
federal government.
He gave as the reasons for this refusal that it was essential to the prosecution efforts
being undertaken that publicity be avoided and secondly that they wanted to maintain
traditional constitutional lines of authority separating the state and federal governments.
Mr. Hale then inquired why the solicitor general would issue such an instruction
as that to the employees, telling them not to cooperate with a duly constituted
agency of the state government trying to enforce the law. Alleman stated
they were attempting to avoid a disclosure in public hearing of the investigation.
Alleman said the witnesses could testify about any matter that fell outside the scope
of their federal employment or information which was obtained through the source.
Mr. Blanton testified that he did not own any oil and gas interests and that the
only interest in his family were some royalty interests acquired by his wife through
inheritance. He was then given the names of some of the slant well operators. Some
he knew, and some he did not. However he admitted knowing Harry Harrington for
27 years. He denied having any business dealings with Harrington or with any of
the other operators. Neither had he received any gifts, or gratuities from any of
the operators.
Carl Hall, James Hale and Gayle Oglesby are all investigators for the Federal
Petroleum Board. Each testified that he owned no oil and gas interest and had received
no favors from operators.
The next witnesses to testify were a group of operators who had been subpoenaed
for previous hearings, but whose testimony had not yet been taken.
D. S. Starr of Longview declined to answer on the grounds of self-incrimination
questions relating to the C. S. Staff-Freer Lease; whether he operated the
well on June 1, 1958 when it was kicked 2,668 feet at an angle of 48 following
which the production rose from 300 to 1,000 barrels per month.
Arthur Vaughan of Longview declined to answer on the grounds of selfincrimination
questions as to the Vaughan-Scherrow Lease in Rusk County on
which a well was kicked a distance of 1, 500 feet at an angle of 430 following which
the production rose from 235 barrels per month to 1700 barrels per month.
Tom Cook, Jr. of Longview declined to answer on the grounds of selfincrimination
questions relating to the Tom Cook-Major Kennedy Lease; that
Hearne Directional Drilling Company filed a directional survey on that well in
1957 indicating an inclination of 1-3/4 but that the Eastman survey of June, 1962
indicated the angle of inclination to be 520; or whether he had junked wells on the
Butts and Emma Montgomery Leases.-50
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Texas Legislature. House of Representatives. General Investigating Committee. Official report to the House of Representatives of the 58th Legislature of Texas, book, 1963; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5869/m1/51/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .