Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-21
HITCHCOCK INDIGNANT
CHARGE OF DEPOSITING FUNDS
WITH TRUST COMPANIES.
He Makes Emphatic Denial and Says
Every Cent Has Been Deposited in
the Subtreasury.

Secretary Hitchcock Of the Department OF
the Interior was very indignant at the re-
ports published regarding his alleged &C
ton in depositing government funds with
St. Louis trust companies, and with re-
tarding improvements in Indian territory
and Oklahoma for which appropriation was
made by Congress. Efforts have been made
by several newspapers to connect Secretary
Hitchcock with the frauds that are alleged
to have occurred in the administration OF
the Indian land laws, etc. and statements
have been published in which statements
Of various kinds are made in which In
stances of the Secretarys alleged wrong
doing are brought out. 1t was charged that
funds appropriated for the towns of Law
ton. Anadarko and Hobart had been placed
in which the Secretary is interested, and
that the work in these places has been re-
tarded considerably.
The secretary's Statement.
For the first time since the charges were
made the Secretary consented to make
statement yesterday. He said. in part:
Il am amazed that creditable papers
should give publicity to charges. some Of
which are so gravely erroneous. For in
stance, the allegation that have caused to
be deposited In trust companies in st. LOUIS
funds accruing from congressional appro-
priationS and from the sale OF improve
ments in the Indian territory. which funds
are to be devoted to certain municipal pro-
jects, as bridges, road improvements, wa
terworks. etc. and that 1 have delayed
these improvements in order that the de-
positaries might profit by the interest, are
wholly without foundation.
Every cent l have received from these
sources has been converted Immediately
into the United States subtreasury at st.
Louis. Delay there has been. but II was
unavoidable. Specifications for the re-
quired public improvements were prepared
and bids submitted, and, In some cases, &C
cepted by the local authorities, but on eS.
animation 1t became evident that graft
rather than the benefit Of the community
was sought by practically all the bidders,
at least by all whose bids had been &C
cepted.
One Case Cited.
CAS- an instance 1 might cite one case
where a member of Congress received an
offer Of $500 from a competitor who sought
the influence of the member in getting MS
bid accepted Metaphorically speaking. the
member of Congress threw that bidder
down stairs. That is sample OF the class
of bids first received. On investigation
found that specifications had been prepared
for the erection of waterworks In places
where there were no adequate water sup
erect permanent bridges on piling already
rotten Under these circumstances l deemed
II necessary to throw out all bids and then
sought the assistance of experts of the ge-
illogical survey. Some of their photographic
men are now engaged in selecting the best
possible sites for waterworks. Others are
making surveys and preparing specihca-
tions for bridges which will prove of suit
able character. In the meantime there Is,
of course. indignation among the grafters
whose bids l have turned down.
The Brosius Charges
In discussing the Brosius charges regard
ing the Indian land allotments Secretary
Hitchcock repeated substantially what was
said in The Star Monday afternoon-that
an investigation had been in progress since
last spring and that he made trip through
the west especially to make inquiry. He
has written to President Garrett OF the
Indian Rights Association, calling on him
for an explanation to how and why the
charges made by Brosius were given out
for publication before they were presented
TO him.