The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-28
DEMANDS AN
INVESTIGATION
Dawes Commission Asks
Hitchcock To Take Action.
CHARGES ARE FANATICAL
Claim That Work of Years is
Threatened.
CHARGES ARE FANATICAL

Washington, Aug 27.-Secretary Hitch
cock of the interior department today
announced his intention of having a thor
Ough and impartial investigation made in
10 alleged Irregularities in indian Terri
tory. This announcement was made in
response to a request from the Dawes
commission which relates that the result
-of years of unremitting toll Is threatened
by fanaticaI reports and questionable
Journalism. we urge that there be as
signed to the work Of investigation one
whose reputation for honesty ability ani
fearlessness is well established and whose
feelings viii be universally accepted.
The following is the text of Secretary
Hitchcock's request OF the Dawes COM
mission:
Replying to your telegram requesting
that an immediate and searching investi-
-gation be instituted with reference to
the integrity of your work and your 1idel-
3ty TO duty, in connection with your of,
fetal position as members of the Dawes
commission, 1 beg to inform you that
syour request has been anticipated and
that arrangements are in progress which
viii be consummated with the least pos
sibIe delay
washington. Aug. 27-The determina-
tion Of Secretary Hitchcock to send TO
Indian Territory a man not connected
with the department of the interior to in
vestigate conditions there is understood
70 be for the purpose Of supplementing
The work of the secretary himself and of
other Representatives Of the department
in that territory. Since early last spring
the secretary has been giving personal at
teneion TO the situation in the territory
and a number Of inspectors and other Off
cials Of the department have been engag-
ed in the effort to ferret out frauds and
protect the interests of the Indians. Fill
lowing IS an abstract of an authorized
statement OF the departments attitude
toward the situation in The Indian Terri
tory as well as an outline of what it
is doing there for the protection Of the
Indians:
The secretary made a tour Of the terri
tory in May. largely for the purpose of
making inquiry regarding reports that
/ had come to him Of efforts to deprive the
Indians of their rich landed inheritance
and the result Of his personal invesdea-
ltion was TO confirm the report that there
was persistent effort to secure the In
dian lands at prices far below their real
value
As consequence OF this inquiry he
snade a radical revision of the regulations
for the sale Of the allotted lands. and the
-developmeuts since that change was made
sindicate that ne has saved the Indians
Alarge percentage over what would have
been paid them IL the original regulations
Aflad stood. The now rules require that all
Indian lands which are for sale be adver-
tised ana appraised by a competent Off
cial. The secretary has cancelled all sales
made prior To the time that the new reg
Olations took erect There are - Of
these deeds. calling for an aggregate pay
Inent Of 1860. 900. al these deeds. with the
checks have been returned to the pur-
chssers and the prices received on inher-
fted lands indicated that under the new
regulations the prices paid will exceed
The old prices by from fifteen 10 one hun
dred and twenty-five per cent. The ma
Jority Of the Indian land owners are en-
tirely. ignorant Of business methods ana
are easily made the tools of designing
men. whether leaders of their own race or
white men.
Secretary Hitchcock discovered that
clerks in the office of an Indian agent had
denied a hearing to the Indians national
sttorne. who represented some 1900 In
dians. The secretary immediately de
nounoe3 This transaction as an abuse Of
official authority and provided for the ad-