The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-08
CHICKASAW
CLAIMANTS
GET LEFT
incompetent Fund" viii be
Distributed Per Capita.
ENTAILS GREAT WORK
Interesting Financial Story Is
Given From Beginning,

South 8IcAster, I. T, Aug. 7-As things
look now it is highly probable that the
s2lsO09 Chickasaw Incompetent fund
win be distributed per capita among the
Chickasaw citizens, instead Of being di-
vided among the "a claimants who are
after it as the heirs Of 'Incompetents.'
This week, GIessrs. Mansfield. Mc3Iuuay
& Cornish, attorneys for the nation. have
fled with Indian Agent J. Blair shoenfelt
at Muskogee. d brief, in each Of the "a
cases, each brief consisting Of three or
four pages Of typevriting matter. and it
is confidently predicted that, when the
Indian agent examines ther1, the claims
of the ''ircompetents' VIII be wholly dis
allowed.
The history Of the Chickasaw 'incom-
petent' fund, should It ever be written.
viii relate some Of the most astonishing
developments ever recorded in the history
OF Indian affairs, but TO part OF such
history would be Interesting as the story
Of the work Of one man, AIelven Cornish,
the junior member of the law firm of
Mansfield AIcATurray & Cornish, 10
whom fell the task of running 70 earth
the stories and claims of the pa per
sons who have undertaken to prove their
exclusive rights to participate in the dis
trlbubon OF this princely fortune Aside
from its legal aspects, the story Of the
manner and thoroughness with which
this task has Deen performed is deeply
interesting, and a good story.
The Chiclasaw incompetent fund has
had a varied experience. anu has been the
occasion Of mere fraud il is alleged,
than anything ever connected with IN
dian claims. Away back seventy years
ago. when the ChickasaWs agreed to scll
their lands IL AIississippi to the Great
Father at Washington, who at that time
was the second Adams. there were amcng
them many persons. who, through age,
ignorance or other disability. We're Who'll
" incompetent to hardle the funds, and
the money due them was placed I'm the
treasury of the United States in trust
for their benefit. and denominated the
incompetent fund" Afterwards IN the
eallv forties. scEemers who wanted to set
hold Of this money corrupted the commis-
sion whose duty it was to pass upon the
competency or inconpe petency of these per
Sons procured certificates of competency
secured an assignment Of them for
scarcely nothing, end had them paid out
of the Incompetent funds" and thus this
fund aggrcSating something less than
half a million dollars was pai6 over to
them. very little If anything of value
ever having reached the pockets of the
"incomperents." Congress. having relieved
its mind. and the treasury. let the mat.
ter rest for a good many years, until
finally sufficient proof was forthcoming
of 1852 authorizing the institution Of
claim was drafted and ratified, q new set
OF claim asents went into congress. and
asserted that the money had been inprop-
erly disbursed. had never reached the i'm
oompetents' and was stHl due them: and
IS there VAS not the slightest doubt but
that glaring frauds had been commit
ted the claim was compromised. ana tho
sum Of $4,000 was appropriated in 1888
Ia liar Of the principal sum above re-
ferre5 10. This money was paid over
70 the tribal authorities. and an attempt
made to pay it over to the heirs of the
incompetents. but the history of that
proceeding is now n part o. TIE records
Of the Chickasaw nation ana shows con-
clusivdy that the attempt to locate such
persons, after the great lapse of time
was wholly futile the most slaring
frauds, perj1ry and irregularities were
practicad and the greater part of the
money Tarceled out amorg few favor
ties who posed IS claimants witnesses. /
and their attorneys.
no sooner h51 this principal sum Of
ke.Mo been pai6 over r. the Chic5asaws
than thcv conN avied tho idea that they
ought 10 have had interest for an these
years. ana Ii was then mat a claim was
set ur for arrears Of interest amounting
30 $4,000 The claim agenls made this
contention So good that provision was
Inserted in the Ato'5a asreement apIr5-
priatius such arrears of interest Im-
mcdiately thereafter Governor Johnston
Informed the government that It would