The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-12-03
TO BE IMpEACHED
PROCEEDINGS TO BE BROUGHT
AGAINST CHEROKEE OFFICIALS.

Chief Mayes and His Couueu Will be Re-
quired to Give IN Account of Their
Stewardship in Connecrioa With tho
DisbsrsemeDs Of Certain Tribal Funds
About Which the Delaware are Max
Ing Trouble-A Steal Of SIe6.0o0 /.
Chsrged-Righfs OF the Negro Freed
men are = Main Point in lssue.
st. Louis. Dec. 2--As the result Of a
| meeting held in this city today by men,
bers OF committee Of the Cherokee
council. proceedings for impeachment
will at once be brought against Chief
Mayes. OF that nation. and his council
]. B. Raymond, William Vann and
George Sanders, members OF the sub
committee recently appointed by the
council Of the Cherokee nation 20 inves-
tigate the alleged fraud in the payment
of $4Oe. 900 to the freedmen of the nation,
by which, il is said. $l26.o00 was stolen.
came here with ]. R. McIntire. speaker
of the Cherokee house, and 7. w. Perry.
clerk Of the senate, for the purpose OF
investigating charges made by r. c.
Adams, attorney for the Delawares.
A meeting was held last night and
again today the committee came to-
gether. Just before train time this fore
noon j. 3. Raymond and William Vann
left here with affidavits which they will
use as a basis for impeachment pro-
ceedings as soon as they reach Tahle-
auat, 1. T. After these two members
left, the committee continued in execu-
tive session
r. C. Adams, attorney for the Della
wares, came to ST. Louis in advance OF
the committee and will remain several
days. He acted as spokesman for the
committee and said:
1.-The committee came here 10 meet me-
They called me 70 account for charges
brought against the council of the Cner-
okees and called on me 30 prove my
statements. 1 was ready for them with
affidavits, which were eonvinving-
Impeachment proceedings can De tne
only result now. The Deiawares claim
they were defrauded OF their righ1ui
share of the money from the eale Of the
Cherokee strip and other lands.
"When we sold our lands AT Fort
Leavenworth in 1867 and bought COM
munal right in the Cherokee Nation we
we're in the position of stockholders In
a business concern The consideration
we paid gave us a proportional interest
in all the land in the nation. The nrsf
trouble came when the Cherokees rent
ed certain lands for pasture. They oon-
tended that we had no right TO rental,
though they did not question our Inter
est in the land. The supreme court sus-
tanned us and. with the Shawnees ana
the negro freedmen, we were AWARDED
s75. 300 OF the rental money collected IN
1928 and 1888. Since then we nave got
no portion of IL.
"When the Cherokee strip was sold
We were entitled to our share OF the
purchase money. We contenoed all
along that the negro freedmen had no
right 10 any share, as they had paid
nothing for the communal interest.
s.When the money from the sale was
distributed. 100000 was set aside for the
freedmen. We contend that this action
deprived us of a portion OF our share
of the money. We have what We re-
gard as conclusive evidence that loo
negroes were brought into the strip 20
act as claimants and received portion
of the money.
''TNe meeting now in session is TO con-
slider my proofs of this. The connection
OF r. II. Kern and ]. Milton Turner OF
st. Louis with the matter was consid-
cred by the committee. / cannot tell
You whose testimony was taken or the
exact nature of the evidence. II was
considered conclusive"
1t is claimed that the meeting, which
resulted in the voting of an additional
s400. 900 to the freedmen after they had
been awarded 1905, 254 by the courts. was
held IN the Office of Chief Mayes. with
the knowledge OF the council.
This charge will be the most important
Of those 10 be presented against the chief
and his council. Attorney Adams says
an effort will also be made 70 disqualify
the ex-officials OF the nation from ever
again holding office He will not give
their names.
Attorney Robert Fl. Kern was much
surprised when told that his connection
with the apportionment OF the Cherokee
Strip money had been discussed.
81 was the attorney for the freedmen"
be said, "and my actions Will bear the
closest scrutiny. Every freedman who
vas awarded money was entitled to Il.
The charge that outsiders were brought