The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-13
HJGE SIEA. REPORTED
On investigation Of Cherokee
Fiscal affairs,
BOGUS WARRANTS ISSUED
Amounting to Nearly $780,
000--Ihe Report in Full,

Talequah.. Z T., Nov. 12-One Of the
most gigantic frauds known In the his
tory OF the i've civilized tribes has been
revealed in the Office Of theaudifor Of
public accounts Of the Cherokee nation.
This frad outrvals the famous Creek
warrant frauds and makes the freedmen
fraud Of sl25000 a small matter as com
pared with this present frsad.
Last November the senatorial commit
tee on claims undertook to make q set
Element with the auditor Of public ac-
counts. and investigation proved that
something was wrong. The matter was
brought to the attention Of the Cherokee
national council and a commission Yves
authorized to Investigate the matter. This
commission was composed Of G. Y. Eog-
ers and Wilson @. Bruton on part OF the
Cherokees. and was aided by j. W. Zev-
ely. special inspector for department Of
the interior The commission found that
frau6ulent warrants to the startling
amount Of slg8. 1854 have been issued and
the public debt 81 the Cherokees sweued
that much The following is the report
of the commission;
"Hon r. NJ. Burlington. Principal Chief
Cherokee Nation Tale1uah, J. T.
'lIuscogee, J. T.. June I2-Sir: In com
pliance of a nact Of the national council
approed December Is. 1898 and approed
hy the president Of the United States
January IS. 1890 entitled, AN act proYfd-
ing for the iuvestiga ton Of the Irregular
ties reported 10y the committee on claims
TO have been found in the auditors Office,
the undersigned, your commission, duly
appointed and commissioned, have the
honor to submit the following report:
an performance Of the duties imposed
upon us we have been confronted with
many obstacles. some of which we might
herein mention:
''First-Upon investigation we find that
the reports Of the district clerks Of the
several districts Of the Cherokee nation
are by no means complete; either there
have been many fiscal usrters during
which there was nothing to report OF the
clerks nave failed to report them. The
law reuiring the clerks to report monthly
to the principal chief Of the Cherokee
nation was not passed until about the
year 1898, and even these reports we find
very incomplete
''Second-The records Of the several
clerks Of the several districts Of the
Cherokee nation Of certificates issued in
their districts have not all been turned
into the executive department. OF the Cher
okeen nation as required by law, and
among those that heve been turned in
we nave been unable to find a complete
record Of certificates issued durign the
several months and quarters i'm the sew
eral districts respectively; we have there
fore been compelled to rely On the copies
Transcribed in the auditors record OF the
clerks reports, and whether or not these
are true and correct copies Of the original
reports Of the several district clerks dur
inc the past six years. or that they have
been changed, modified and enlarged upon
your commisslo MAS been unable TO de-
termine
with reference to the reported break
Ing into the Office Of auditor and taking
therefrom large amounts Of certificates
ana relative to fraudulent claims this
commission has spared no expense and
has used every available means to secure
the testimony Of witnesses relative there
TO- The testimony Of such witnesses you
win find hereto attached for yor fnforma-
ton and is made a part Of this report
Many of these witnesses have lived
great distance from the capitol and in
different parts OF the Cherokee nation
and In scoring their attendance and pro-
rring their testimony the commission has
been necessarily delayed 10 it's work and
has had 10 use q considerable amount OF
the appropria ton thereof. In some IN
stances we have been compelled to visit
them at their homes.
"Unfirtunately for the Cherokee nation
and for the progress of this investga-
ton, the Cherokee national council by its
act That after claims have passed the
Inspection OF the committee en- claims
aad nave been reported upon. and after
The tickets have been poperly audited ana
cancelled. all certificates composing such
claims were required to 5e burned in the
presence Of the senate thus destroying
the best evidence Of fraud that misht