The advocate., 1890-09-24

Creeks; il was kept a dead secret from
them lest they should raise an objection.
After the secretary refused TO approve
the sale, Crawford fell back on his FIRST
contract, which was approved by Secre-
tary Lamar, but not by the Indian coun-
Gil.
The following official letter dated Fish
ertown, l. T., April 93, 1880, Is TO DIR, 4.
A. Bland, Washington, ID. c.;
DEAR SIR The national council OF the Creek
nation, nj u called meeting last February, agreed
10 allow a fee Of iOper cent 10 be paid To some
attorney, 10 Insist upon the government purchas-
! Ing the Greek interest In the oklahoma lands. 10
was represented 70 members Ot the council Dy
the delegates, which had been sent to Washing.
ton by the council, that such an allowance would
! be absolutely necessary I'm order 10 effect sale
! chat unless such "A fee we're given, nothing could
DO accomplished In the way Of sale; AZ our peO'
| pie were anxious tO dispose OF these lands, they
consented 90 the proposition, believing what the
| delegates told them WAS true. Many Of our lead
| ing and intelligent citizens happened tO learn
! that the old contract made between H. q. Perry
man and - j. Crawford, February, 1885, was dis.
approved by Secretary Villas
! We also learned that Mr. Villas refused tO mp.
prove the Creek sale In any shape until the Craw'
ford contracts were Cancelled, thus thinking 10
save the Creek people the 10 per cent OF Tie
whole amount OF the proceeds OF the sale, or In
other words, two hundred and tWenty-eight thou
sand dollars (S22s,OOO) But the Creek people have
never received one cent Of this money, and the
consequence Is our people are much excited over
the matter and feel that they have been unlustly
defrauded Of thls amount by some one We
write you TO get you tO write the full particulars
OF this matter. We want 10 know exactly who
received this money direct from the government.
lSlgnedl WILLIAM FISHER,
O. WADswORrH,
G, w. FISHER,
WAATKA HARtO,
Members OF House OF Warriors Of Creek Ma
tiOnal Council Committee
To the above communication DIR. Bland
replied, under date Of April 20, 1889:
GENTLEMEN Replying to your favor Of the
23d ut, VIII state am informed nc the Indian
Office by assistant commissioner OF Indian ailalrS,
Mr., Belt, that the 10 per cent OF the amount
which the United states agreed 10 pay for the
| Creek lands, In addition 10 the 10 per cent per
acre already paid, has been placed To the credit
Of the Greek nation In the sub-treasury nc ~.
Louis subject TO the order OF the treasurer OF
the Creek nation, when authorized by the Creel,
council, TO receive and dlsburse the same.
Several months passed. The Creeks
could hear nothing o. their money. They
again wrote TO gentleman in Washing
ton 10 investigate the matter, and, II pos
sible, trace up the lost money. lie at once
wrote to the sub-treasurer at st. Louis.
A letter from that officer stated that he
knew nothing Of the fund in question, as
no advisement on the subject had ever
reached his office. Upon inquiring Of
the dlsbursing officer Of the Interior De.
partment, he said he knew all about It,
He stated that 10 per cent, was drawn
out of the treasury at Washington by
Pleasant Porter, David M. Hodge, and
Esprecher, the Creek delegates. The re-
ceipt Of these gentlemen bears date Of
March IA, 1889, and the amount they got
was $27s,2OO. This was on the basis Of
10 per cent. on the illegal Crawford and
Perryman contract of 1885, which the
Creek people thought was cancelled by
the department, and that they would moi
have to pay any fee.
The Indian commissioner and secre'