Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-26
Former Clerk Douglass Of
Indian Service is Here.
RED MEN DECEIVED
HOW MEMBERS OF DAWES COM
MISSION HAVE OPERATED.
Attorney General Knox VIII Make
Complete investigations Diff
culties Encountered.

Clarence b. Douglass, former clerk to
the Indian inspector stationed at Muscogee,
Indian territory, is in Washington. and 1t
is understood that he will make efforts to
obtain q rehearing OF his case.
The dismissal of Mr.. Douglass from the
government service several weeks ago by
Secretary Hitchcock for the good of the
service" stirred up controversy that con-
tinued for several weeks, and which finally
brought MIR. Douglass to Washington.
Douglass was employed in the office of
George Wright, an Indian inspector. and 1t
Is charged that he was summarily dismissed
and was not accorded the right to bring
evidence in refutation of the charges. If any
were brought against him.
Mr.. Douglass In addition to his duties as
clerk, publishes a newspaper in Muscogee,
and shortly after his dismissal published
long and bitter attack on Secretary Hitch
cock and Inspector Wright. He wrote to
Secretary Hitchcock before this, however,
and requested that his case be reOpened in
order that he might acquaint himself with
the charges that were brought against him.
The Secretary replied to this letter that he
had been dismissed from the service for a
good reason, but no reason was given.
Charges Against Wright.
of the division of Indian territory of the
Interior Department, was regarded as one
of the best equipped men in the service by
the Secretary, who was looked upon as his
personal friend. 1t now develops that
charges Of a more or less serious nature
have been made against Wright and that
he Will have to stand investigation.
1t Is understood. though not confirmed.
that Wright was one of the agents Of The
Secretary in the investigation which he in
augurated during his trip to Indian terri
tory In the spring. He is alleged to have
been interested in several of the so-called
trust companies which have been regarded
as the principal agents for the maladminis
tration of the affairs Of the territory. The
department Is looking into the history Of
these companies and has discovered, with
some surprise, that few of them existed
prior to the beginning Of the present calen-
dar year. but that during the two months
ending with March a score or more of the
concerns entered upon an active career
The department is now endeavoring to dis
cover just what the inducements were for
these corporations to start into business so
suddenly.
developed today was that numbers Of minor
officials of the department have been dis
missed during the past two or three weeks.
but that no publication has been. nor Will
any probably be. made of their names. Sec
rotary Hitchcock admits that there have
been dismissals, but he does not think 1t
would Serve the interests of the public in
any way to make public the names of such
officials.
Minor Officials Dismissed.
1t has been learned. however that How
ard v. Hinkley, supervising engineer of
town sites in Indian territory. has been
dismissed and that 1t is probable that sum-
mary action will be taken in the cases of
United States District Attorney Soper, his
In II Inbo nd
United States Marshal Benjamin II. Col
bert. The Secretary of the Interior has no
authority over. these officials, however.
they are directly under the Jurisdiction Of
the Department of Justice and should be
dealt with by Attorney General Knox. The
Attorney General has already taken steps
to prosecute an investigation in his juris-
diction-
AS was the case with the Secretary of
the Interior. one of the persons who was
delegated by Mr.. Knox to make the in
veStigatiOn was himself one Of the persons
who should. be Investigated. and Is one Of
those slated for dismissal; therefore. the
Department of Justice is hampered In it's
efforts to locate. the guilty persons.
This difficulty is to be overcome, how
ever. by the appointment of a special agent
who has no connection either with the
department or with Indian affairs and who
can be depended upon to give nothing but
the truth in his statements. The Interior
Department will take the same course, If
1t has not already done so. Secretary
complished in the investigation by pro-
ceeding quietly and without undue pub
licity. and it may be that he has already
designated the person who will inspect the
affairs of the territory.
No Statement Made.
In pursuance of the policy outlined sew
eral days ago, Secretary Hitchcock will
make no statement to what has been
done until after he hears from President
~
ISOLATION He had not received any reply
to his letter to Mr.. Garrett up to noon to-
day and did not look for any. Commits
sioner William A. Jones of the Indian bu-
reau was In conference with the Secretary
this morning, but neither gentleman would
state the subject or result Of the confer
ence.
A resident of Indian territory who is now
in Washington. is authority for the state
ment that the Canadian Valley Company
OF Muskee, of which Tams Bixby, chair
man OF the Dawes commission. is president
G. w. Hopkins. formerly law clerk of the
commission. is an employee and P. G. Reu-
ter. clerk in charge of the land office Of the
commission, is director, has its office In
the same building as the Dawes commits
sion. and occupies the apartments on the
ground floor formerly occupied by the
Dawes commission, the commission having
removed to the floor above.
How the Indians Are Deceived.
AS result of this convenient arrange
ment the untutored savage walks innocent
ly into the Office of the company to the
representatives of which he explains his
business. 1t is alleged that these repre-
sentatives are not always scrupulous to
explain that they are not. at that particular
moment. representing the Dawes commits
sion, but are members of a private institu-
ton. and the Indian who has valuable lands
to lease or sell completes his business &C
cording to their dictation, makes his mark
in the presence of witnesses and goes his
way, all innocent of the fact that he has not
been dealing with the Dawes board the au-
thorized representative of the President and
OF Congress, and equally innocent, II is
maintained, of the fact that in the lease he
has just executed there Is embodied a con-
tract for the sale of his lands, to take eff
feet when, under the provisions of the law,
he will be at liberty to SELL
Thorough Investigation to Be Made.
1t is stated at the Department of Justice
that he nd inf