Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-27
WANT INVESTIGATION :!|N||
IL
1Qt qo.H
Officials ID Indian Territory
Deny by Charges.
sn,t, 2
SECRETARY WILL ACT
PROPER MAN Looked FOR TO AS
CE1TAIN TRUTH
Messers RixBy and Needles Say They
Are Without
Fault.
SECRETARY WILL ACT

There were two important developments
In the Indian land scandal this morning.
Secretary Hitchcock received a dispatch,
signed by Tams Bkby and T. B. Needles
OF the Dawes commission, requesting an
immediate investigation OF the business Of
the commission and its members.
Senator William Stewart of Nevada,
chairman Of the committee on Indian at
fairs of the Senate, stated this morning
that he intended to go to Indian territory
to make an investigation and would prob
ably be accompanied by several other men,
bers OF the committee. He said he be-
ieved that Senator Quay of Pennsylvania
would be one of the members Of the party.
The dispatch received by Secretary Hitch
cock from Mr.. Bixby and his associate of
the commission. came a surprise to the
Interior Department officials, who have sup
posed all along that Bixby and his asso-
ciates would ignore the published reports
and allow Secretary Hitchcock to do what
he pleased as to investigating the affairs
Of the territory. Bixby does just the OPP
posite of this, however. He resents the Inn
putations that have been put upon the
work OF the commission and terms the
charges that have been made as fanat.cal
reports and Questionable Journalism. The
full text OF the dispatch follows:
Investigation Wanted.
Secretary Of Interior, Washington, D. G.
widespread and continued newspaper
criticism OF most serious character, involv
Ing integrity OF our work and our fidelity
to duty, Ntmpels Is to request that an i'm
mediate and searching investigation be in
stttuted and that the President be informed
of this desire. A work unparalleled in the
history Of civilization, the result of years
OF unrem1tting toll, is threatened by fanat-
renOrtS iQYY1
We urge that there be assigned to the work
OF investigation one whose reputation for
honesty, ability and fearlessness is well
established and whose findings will be uni
"TAMS BIxBY.
ct B. NEEDLES,
commissioners"
Although Secretary Hitchcock GOES not
believe all that has been charged against
the officials of Indian territory or the
Dawes commission, he is not disposed to
characterize the charges as "fanatical re-
ports and questionable journalism" by any
means, and he Is not only ready, but most
willing. to grant the request Of Mr.. Bixby
and Mr.. Needles to have a full and free
investigation of7the affairs of the territory
and the commission, as is evidenced by his
reply to their dispatch, in which he said
that as soon az the proper man is found
he will be sent to the territory with in
structfons to make a complete and impair
tial inquiry into the conditions there, and
to spare no person or persons.
Action Of Senate Committee.
The members of the Senate committee
will probably leave here some time in Oc-
tober and will spend a month or two prose
cutting their inquiries The Dawes commits
sion was created by Congress, and it is con-
sidered that the duty of investigating it
rests as much with Congress as with the
Interior Department.. For many years
past there have been frequent charges of
fraud made in the committee rooms of
both houses regarding the administration
of the Indian laws and It Is the intention
OF the members of the Senate committee to
endeavor to sift some Of these charges.
Secretary Hitchcock has not yet received
a reply from President Philip c. Garrett
OF the Indian Rights Association to his
letter Of last week, and therefore will make
no statement Of the condition Of the affairs
or the truth of the charges.
The following is the text of Secretary
H1tchcock's reply to the request of the
Dawes commission:
Replying to your telegram requesting
that an immediate and searching investt-
cation be instituted with reference to the
integrity Of your work. and your fidelity
to duty, in connection with your official
position as members Of the Dawes commis-
sion, I beg to inform you that your re-
quest has been anticipated and that ar
engagements are in progress which will be
consummated with the least possible delay.
(SignedD &c A. HITCHCOCK.
"Secretary."