Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-03-07

lWo Btnt uVttlot VUt OF hHt room
named, and when, Soghi'(G eorge)
Saunders was drunk I got five bot
ties out Of the parlor where he and
Mr.. Lyons had been together with
other men. | saw these men, Mr..
Lyon, Hutton and Eldred, give
numbers Of the Indians whiskey.
-A-
John Miller's statement was as
follows: III am member of the
council branch of the Cherokee
national council and from Delaware
district. On Friday morning Mr..
Wolf Coon introduced bill TO re-
lease the Cherokee Strip for the
same rate as before, to-wit: $780,
600. 1t was Immediately referr-
ed to the committee Of which Dick
Drenenburg, chairman; Dick In
water, George Downing, Bill How
ell and myself were members.
The chairman proposed we should
vote upon it at once, but by insist
ing that u was too important to
act hastily, | got the vote put of
till p. M, but they ovorruled me
and put it to $4,000 a year. /
then proposed TO make a minority
report. Dick Denenburg said l
had no right to do so, as II was not
customary to do so. insisted on
it, and my report was accepted by
a vote of 2S to 13, l believe, when
presented to the house. IL was
then Wolf Coon tried to withdraw
1t. That was not permitted, and
then he proposed to suspend the
rules and put the bill on its pas
sage without the amendment
adopted. 1t was tabled till this
morning, aud this morning ii was
tabled till next fall by a simple
motion without vote"
THE SEQUEL.
On the day succeeding the pub
lication ofthe above, the following
appeared as Washington special
to the Globe Democrat and if it
don't result in serious regret on
the part of Maj. Lyons, we shall
be surprised
Maj. John +. Lyons, who is men,
toned in Ovens report, denounc-
es Owen as q blackmailer, and de- |
clares that the report was con.
structed with a view to influencing
the interior department against
the Cherokee Strip Live Stock as
soci9tion, in order that a Texas cat
tie syndicate in which Owen was
personally interested, might Sc
cure the coveted lease. This rec
ommendation, it will be observed,
was made in Ovens report, and
the Cherokees declare that it was
Ovens sole purpose. Maj. John
f. Lyons, who is now hero, says
that Owen has a reputation in the
Indian Territory as a perjurer aid
a liar, and he expresses surprise
that the department has paid any
attention to OVENS allegations.
"0wen's official career has been
an outrage upon the Indians"
says Maj. Lyons. "He has mis-
represented matters not only in
the present instance, but in nearly
every transaction to which he has
been a party. He should have
been bounced long ago, and l hope
the new president may find occa-
sion to dispense with him en- the
5th day of March"
The Cherokee council at its last
session, it will be remembered,
took occasion TO adopt pretty Sc
we're resolutions rejecting upon
Ovens honor and integrity, and
an attempt was then made TO Sc
cure his removal. Mr.. Villas and
President Cleveland, however,
seemed TO have found Owen a con-
genial spirit, and he was kept in
office. According to Lyons, Owen
is guilty of the sort of bribery
which he charged against others in
his report. He cites instances
where Indians were paid claims in
which there was no justice, the
sole reason being to purchase the
influence Of the claimants. Owen
himself, so Lyons says, was paid
claim Of this character. the amount
which he thus received being $500.
He originally asked for $4,000, but
the Cherokee Strip Live Stock as
sociation paid him only $500. Not
only is Owen guilty of receiving
"bribes, as he characterizes them,
but the Cherokees further accuse
Kim of giving bribes. Lyons says
Owen paid $3.50 to members Of the
Cherokee council to secure his
confirmation as school commits.
sioner.
"Not only did Owen do this"
says Lyons, ''but afterwards ad-
mitted it,"
When the indictments were
brought last summer against rep
of the Cherokee Strip .
Live Stock association, as q result
Of Ovens charge, some of the !
Cherokees and cattlemen iled pa !
pers with Attorney General Gar.
and, showing up Ovens record.
Lyons, it appears, was shown 0w-
EMS report at the time, and he !
fled reply to the effect that it !
was false in nearly every particu.
ar. In this connection be also Sc
cured an affidavit from John Hol- a
and, one of OWENS witnesses,
,ontradicting the affidavit which !
Holland had previously made be- :
ore Owens, and which was sub !
nitted TO the senate yesterday. In ,
his affidavit, which is now in the .
.ttorney generals office, Holland, K
uhn ia . nnnrn hnlf hrnnL 1870 L. | q