The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-07-22
ooRRUPrloN CHARGED.

Ohieiala CHARGED with bribery
WAsHEE9TOE, July 19--EesJeroay
Jerry Simpson introduced resolution
in the house directing q day to be fixed
20 discuss and vote on the Peel bill,
opening the Cherokee strip
In the course Of his remarks and
basing them on a letter and some other
proofs in his possession, written and
furnished by Henry s Lands clerk OF
the district court of Medicine Lodge,
Simpson boldly asserted that the
officials OF the interior department
of the United States had been guilty of
bribe taking, corruption and eEtorJiou-
That the cattlemen interested in tEae
Cherokee strip have paid money sud
notes TO the extent OF 30 cents O head
for every hoof on the strip IN brlSes TO
interior department people to withdraw
the troops and allow the driven out
cattle TO reoccuPy the range where
they are today
In the course Of his remarks Mr..
Simpson saidg
s'AIr. Speaker, this is Dill OF very
great Importance There are people
gathered along the southern border OF
Kansas from all parts of the United
States Some of them have been wait
ing more than year for the opening of
this territory. The commissioners ap-
pointed have agreed with the Indians,
have reported 70 the president and the
this treaty.
81 understand, OF course, with the
large appropriations the demOcra tic
party has already made that they may
hesitate about aPpropriatiug this
money, but yet it occurs to me that
after you have appropriated such im-
mense sums for building ships and for
improving your rivers and harbors that
in order to act consistently you ought
to loan this money for the purpose of
opening up such an immense tract of
land TO the hOueseelzers OF the country
Besides this the cattle interest, you
understand, have been the ones who
have delayed the opening up OF this
country They are to-day in colLuslou
with the interior department and are
holding that country back from settle
mcnt ] ask the clerk to read letter
| that I have handed to him that viii
| throw light upon this subject, showing
to you that men high in au-
thority in the republican par
| those cattIemeu and are holding back
this land from settlement. 7 say the
democratic party cannot afford TO be a
party to this scheme that is keeping
/ this strip from being opened. now
/ ask the clerk to read the letter which
I is from "a reliable party-the clerk OF
| the district court of the county in which
] Iive-who knows what he is talking
/ shout"
The clerk read as follows:
/ Last fall when the department was croVdinE
! the catuemCu. they made up sl5tOJ or $1,000
] turbanco and stopping all Interference They
] succeeded, and This spring VI hen the pressure
! became too heavy again. the department went
I In TO drive out the cItIlemen and they sent the
! troops 60 clear the strip The troops started
! were Alarmed aud had been bIcd by the powers
/ that be for the past ten years aad Wanta /
/ nothing but utue time 90 get their cattle fat
/ so they might get them out
! About this time one Guthrie arrived az
] EEiowa and proposed 20 give the caItlemGu pro-
! tactiou for % cents head and 20 assure them
| that they would not be moIested before De
/ CCmbor O. They doubted his authority and had
been Died so freely iu tho past and recently had
! paid soue one nearer home, whose name have
not been able get a. 2JJ for prot1ctL0 L2lat
/ dfd not protect that they at first refused TO
/ deal with him. He then produced letters from
/ officers high ia position, and I think among
! others from Gen. Noble, convinced them that
he had the requisite power 20 protect and then
| they began 10 dickcr with him and finally set
lied the matter on their basis;
They paid him % cents per head cash down
] and gave their note for = cents peg head Ray
! able on December D. the notes being az q
EEiowa bank THIS cash. p cents Der head was
! paid direct % Guthrie and lne notes were made
/ PAYABLE 20 him.
/ No cattle were counted and send you the
I word OF the men az 10 the number OF cattle
I taken at their own figures aud showing the mae
I tire q tla skin game All Ihs was gone
through with. and the notes arc now az the
Whno the troops under capt Paddock were
/ trying 90 get the cattle out this man Guthrie
/ intcrfcrsd so that Capt Paddock taIeErsphcd
| the department about his tGuthFiuJ claims Of
Z authority and his interference, and received a
telegram In reply telling him Capt PadaoclEl
that Guthrie had full authority and that lac
] must rCCoEufze GuthriC's wishes
All the cattle on the strip were transferred
TO this man Guthrie and within an hour were
/ transferred back TO the actual owners the one
transfer 20 be used with Inc department and
| the other for the protection OF tine owners IN
| case Guthrie should be disposed 20 set unfairly,
You VIII see in the beginning Of this letter that
I he Guthrie offered safety until December 4 In
I case he WAS not able TO d I'D the matter on the
I notes were not 10 be collected. but the cash
. . was 60 so anyway. These transfers were with
] o reW exceptions made directly 20 Guthrie Lu
{ the few cases iu which the transfers were made
/ indirectly shore was "a third party between The
1 cattle men ana Guihfle, put the transfer 9lcH
. 10 tho Cutuemen was fin every case direct from
! Guthrie 10 the Owner OF tbe cattle There is
reason to believe that it was brought about il
Noble went to the president and asked to be
l given the control for inc purpose OF aiding the
HEE5E s. LAEu1z
Mr.. Simpson: Now, Mr., Speaker, ]
have "a list containing great many oi
. the names of men who have paid thiz
money. and their notes are in the lEiuVva
bank in my county, and this house can
% If IL chooses TO Investigate the question
! get access to them In conclusion Mr.
Speaker, I say that the people of this
country believe that they have the same
I right as the cattle men of this country
I and they claim that this strip ought
z to be opened at once IF this Dill j,
2 passed it will take ninety days beforg
the land can be opened by the presi
2 dents proclamation. and if yOu delay
= until che next session it viii ba late iI
E the summer before the people can Gel
! 20 this land"
r THE HISTORIANS DESK.