Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-11
STERRETT REMOVE D
New Town Site Commissioner
for the Cherokees.
RESULT OF INQUIRY
DWIGHT FUTILE OF CONNECT
CUT SELECTED FOR THE PLACE.
Surveyor General of Arizona Dismissed
and Chief Clerk Murphy
Suspended.

pointed Dwight Tuttle to the position of
townsite commissioner for the Cherokee ma
ton, vice Sterrett removed. The removal
of the former incumbent of the office of
TOWNSHIP commissioner for the Cherokees,
which was made public for the first time
today, when the appointment of Tuttle was
announced, was accomplished fortnight
or more ago as result Of charges that
were brought against him. The allegations
were presented to Secretary Hitchcock and
later were forwarded to the President.
Powerful political influence was brought to
bear and it is said that an investigation
exonerated Sterrett from direct completely
in the maladministration of the affairs of
the Office with which he was charged, but
the result Of the investigation, while 1t
cleared the accused, did not satisfy the
President or Secretary Hitchcock as to the
desirability of maintaining him in office,
and he was dismissed. Mr.. futile is ma
tive of Connecticut and is said to be thor
oughly familiar with the work he will be
called upon to perform
Many Applications for Place.
AS result Of a paragraph published in
Chicago newspaper yesterday Secretary
Hitchcock received this morning nine let
tiers from residents of that city, together
with three letters from citizens of the state
of Illinois outside of Chicago, Offering their
services as investigators in the Indian land
scandals. The paragraph referred to stated
that Secretary Hitchcock looking for
a capable man, and that he would pay a
high salary to the right person. The nine
persons from Chicago presented their claims
to the honor of being selected. and each
asserted that he was thoroughly equipped
for the job. The same statements were
made by the three Illinois citizens who do
not reside in Chicago. Letters have been
received by the Secretary from modest, pa
triotic citizens from all over the country,
who confess themselves to be the person
the Secretary is looking for. AS yet how
ever he has made no appointment, although
it is believed he has made his selection.
Arizona officials Implicated.
A new scandal has been developed in the
department in connection with the admin
istration Of the Office of the surveyor gen.
eral of Arizona, as a result of which Hugh
H. Price, the surveyor general, has been
dismissed from office. and w. E. Murphy,
chief clerk has been suspended pending
an Investigation into the charges against
him. Murphy has forwarded his resigna-
ton to the land office, but the resigna-
ton will not be accepted Immediately. and
not at all unless the charges filed against
him are found to be groundless The con-
dition of affairs was brought to light by
an investigation instituted two months ago
by Secretary Hitchcock.
The surveyor general and his chief clerk
were charged with having extorted money
from prospectors through their official po
sitions. Applicants for patents to mining
claims are required to deposit $50 with the
surveyor general when their applications
for patents are filed, to cover expenses
for clerical work. This money goes into
the United States treasury and has all
been accounted for. Most of this sum
would have been required for clerk hire,
etc, it is said, had the work of the Office
been properly performed However it is
charged. that the two officials against
whom charges are made. had the work
done outside of the office for small sum
and kept the rest of the money themselves,
accounting to the treasury for the entire
sum as used in clerk hire.
Other Allegations.
The law requires that 500 worth of work
shall be done on claim within a year after
filing or the prospector forfeits his claim.
Under this provision, it is charged. Price
and Murphy would delay the granting of
patents until near the expiration of the
year. and the applicant would then be told
that the time too short for the proper
examination of his claim by the available
force of clerks and that in order to expe-
dite matters by having the work done out
side of the office it would be necessary to
pay $50 more on each claim. 1t is charged
that some of the applicants were forced to
put up the money for claims as much as
twenty and thirty times.
Just how much money was obtained in
this manner the department officials are
unable to ascertain. But 1t Is claimed that
Murphy has been conducting business on
this plan ever since he was originally ap-
pointed, six years ago, and that Price con-
tinued the business for two years, during
the time he was in Office. He admitted
when questioned that he had received a
large number of such deposits.
Income on Maps.
1t Is charged also that these two officials
obtained an income from making maps of
private grants. The clerks, it is claimed
would make use of the government maps to
facilitate the work, and the money paid for
the maps would go into the pockets of
Murphy and Price.
AS soon as Secretary Hitchcock was made
aware of the true condition of affairs he
ordered the dismissal of Price. 1t is un-
derstood that Murphy was to be dismissed
also, but that a number of influential Geor-
gians. from which state Murphy originally
came, asked that a full investigation should
be made and that Murphy be given an OPP
portunity to defend himself. This was done,
but Murphy wired Commissioner Richards
of the general land Office yesterday that
he had forwarded his resignation, with his
answers to the charges. 1t is not known
now whether the department will dismiss
the man not.