The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-15

What Became OF Nearly 81 200. 900 OF tho
Choctnw Claim Money.

Shoctnw Claim Money.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sr: The an
! nouncement that the Treasurer OF the Choctaw
Nation is an absconding defauter is fitting
ending Of one Of the most impudent transact
tons that ever disEraced the public service.
In the Choctaw Nation there are two parties.
One consists largely OF what is left OF men OF
Choctaw blood. and the other. which had heir
man McCurtain its real leader. was made
up Of half breeds. few full bloods. but largely
! OF white men unlawfully in the country. OF
! whom there are moro than there are OF
Choctaw Indians The Indian tribes. usually.
find it extremely difficult to get what Justly be-
longs to them from the Government but when
genuine claim is swollen to large dimensions.
and a considerable amount OF it allowed
for collection. the difficulties disappear. The
Choctaws and Chickasaws. who happened to
be Joined together in landed interests. leased
! more than forty years ago n considerable part
OF their western lands to accom- odate certain
| tribes the Government had desired to place
thereon. BY the treaty Of 1856 the Choctaws
and Chickasaws coded and conveyed to the
! United States all their title to these leased
! lands for the settlement OF other Indians. The
| Iheyennes and Ar8pahoes were located on n
considerable portion OF the tract. After the
oDening OF the first part of Oklahoma, on what
| was the original Creek and Seminole lands, the
| United states Commissioners negotiated for
| the land OF the Cheyennes and Arapuhoes. At
this stage OF the game certain parties, repre-
| sentinE tho Choctaws and Chicknsaws, nut in u
claim OF so much Dor acre for tho change from
Indian to white settlement
! While the claim WAS not without some
equity. It belonged to Il class the Government
had not been in the habit Of paying much at
q fee Of - per cent. was given for collection.
Under this impetus the scheme ilourished.
and some two years ago a bill was passed
through Congress allowing tho Choctows and
Ghlckasaws nearly three million dollars in
withnnf ftrnn ipf at tap inn and
secretarles and. legal, advisors recon-
Torrance to be lust. legal. &c President Har-
riSon IT seems. had been pretty thoroughly
and refused to allow the money to be paid.
re even sent to Congress the most remark
mcStary G9dy in Which, after calling tn pnri at
tention to the fact that in their haste they had
appropriated $4,000 more than was claimed,
preston that the fee of upward of $780, 900
involved In the settlement Of the, case was
pay somebody. perhaps Senators and mem
1ers. It Is proDably tho most pecu!iar Senate
Ing on the toes Of Senatorial courte es feAa'
A., The last Congress- passed a bill deductin4
hs t fnd
tne eap was Isgaiy Tight and ought to BE-
parliamentary transaction since representa-
tive governments were evolved. In the face of
this there was no hesitation on the part Of the
torney-General and the Johnny Jumpups to
Gs tine claim into shaPs and send it M to the
bills and resolutions and solicitors and Seers-
tIaIllees. ne sent II back to the department for
The Cleveland, Administrations legal adj
y f discovered the claim was perfectly
are are Legal. They even discovered that Great
hh pa had been inflicted on these claimants
not generally believed that Mr.. Cleveland or
msn Secfet ihSyv would have permitted this
character. 1t so happened however. that be-.
bnS s nrGe m t% OF the new
divided between, the bowling combination
s Wm1 GAINED portions OF it. and the residue
some 81 100000 vent into AI the oh snds
treasurer ,si McCurtain for the Choctaws
money money was PAID. The great body OF the real real
performance. Growing out Of the election Of
the MsCgrtain party chief" there was great
ders McCurtains chief" organized BODY
Si ms part partssns as militia aud arrested
other party and charged them with nlnrdss
h ,Sr Sma nni scene was witnessed OF drawing
AdmiaIstraton. Various steps were taken to
yisers, however, insisted that everything was
regular. The matter was laid before the Cab
if fhI: ana me executions were not permitted.
ms sanguinary measure was intended. TO
strike terror into the Choctaw5 before the iuo
s sotb SS!eet9n The august election came aud
H.. orahches OF the Legislature passed Into
'h Sa nandS 81 ne real Choctaws,
paln somewhat over million OF tho money
~ MS ,hanust but instead OF paying I'm cash
ne paid a portion in his own checks upon re-.
mote bank However there were plenty of
hem at 80 and 30 cents on the dollar At last
before the payments could be closed, the new
gyTF e who demanded a settiement. some
SsiS.O9o OF the general fund Of the nation was
the dedication is nobody knows, but ii Ia
'nes % "a al the way from $4,000 70 500. oOo
d. their nation. eonrtmen'
TIsHoMISdO. Oct 10. 1893.