The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-17
The Allotment Frauds.

The Allotment Frauds.
Tho charges OF fraud in the execution
of the allotment law under which Con-
gress designed to have the Indians OF
the Indian Territory take title to home
steads and hold their lands in severalty
involve 10 many persons that the inves-
tigation they call for will require the SER
vices of the most competent men Score
tary HITCHCOCK of the Department OF
the Interior can induce to take it up.
Several months must be devoted to the
work, for the frauds are alleged to have
extended over series Of years, and hun
dreds Of Indians are essential witnesses
to the facts.
The Indian Rights Association, through
its agent, SAMU Ell NJ. BROsIUs, has named
q number of men in high Federal Office
whom it accuses of neglecting their Off
cial duty and practically conspiring to
defraud the Indians who were under their
care The gravity Of the charges is shown
by the number and official place Of the
accused At the head of the list are TAMs
BIxBY, president of the Dawes Commits
sion, and THOMAS B. NEEDLES, a men,
Der of the commission, whose duty was
to make the allotments and to see that
the Indians we're not cheated. Yet each
Of them holds Office in corporations
whose business is largely made up Of
the lease, purchase and sale Of Indians
lands.
Mr.. BIxBY does not deny his interest
in land companies, but excuses it on the
ground that it ia small. He is president
of one such concern and vice-president Of
another Mr.. NEEDLES is vice-president
OF another concern. Other United States
officers are interested in these corpora
tons. Indian Inspector WRIGHT of the
Interior Department, who was sent to
the Territory by Secretary HITCHCOCK
to watch Mr.. BIxBY and his fellow Com
missioners and see that they behaved
themselves, is himself director Of one
OF Mr.. BIxBY's concerns.
One Of the speoialties Of these corpora
tons has been the dealing in the lands
Of deceased allotees. The Government
does not give title to the Indian occupant
Of homestead until he has occupied it
for twenty-five years; but the practice
has grown up, in defiance Of law, of al
lowing the heirs Of an allotee to sell his
holdings on his death. and Mr.. BRosIUs
charges that Mr.. B1xBY's companies have
made very profitable thing out Of this
illegal business.
The land and trust companies have
frightened the Indians until many al
lotees are afraid to Lease their lands to
any one else and are also afraid not to
lease them to the companies 1t is al
legged that the companies obtain the
lands at far below their market value
and RELEASE them at great profit. a part
Of which goes into the pockets Of the very
mon who are supposed to protect the
Indians.
President ROOSEVELT appoints the
members Of the Dawes Commission
Secretary HITCHCOCK appoints the
Indian Inspectors. Secretary HITCH,
COCKS friends say he has known of the
charges Of fraud for several months anc
has been investigating them quietly. The
general public knew nothing of the al
legged frauds until Mr. BRosIUs's report
was made public MIR. HITCHCOCK ha'
seemed to attach more importance tt
the publication of the report than the
incident deserves. Overlooking this, hi:
duty is to investigate all the charges ex
peditiously, impartially and thoroughly
thus proving that there is no neglect O
duty in the Office Of the Secretary of the
Interior.