Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-07
Investigation Will Begin in a
Few Days.
RECENT INDICTMENTS
INFORMATION FROM UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY SPEED.
Interior Department Will Reveal the
Results of the Inquiry-An Early
Appointment to Be Made.

1t IS considered extremely pfoDdDic tiihl
within the course of the next four or five
days the name of the person who will fnves-
tigate the Indian land scandals in Indian ter
ritory will be made public and the investiga-
ton begun. An intimation to that effect was
received today at the Interior Department.
although Secretary Hitchcock would not
commit himself far to say that the
man had been selected. The Secretary be-
lieves that he mas selected the man. and 1t
is understood that he is awaiting an ac-
ceptance of the position. The policy or the
Interior Department has been to proceed
with the investigation as quietly as possible,
and it was the intention that when the
person who was to make the investigation
was selected his name would be kept from
the public. 1t is believed that the facts
that have already become public property
have uncovered part of the condition that
exists. and it is now the desire that the
whole truth shall be known. as the investi-
cation uncovers It.
Three Indictments Returned
Evidence of this fact is found in the
action of Secretary Hitchcock in giving out
for publication dispatch received from
United States Attorney Horace Speed Of
Oklahoma in which the information Is given
that the federal grand jury has brought
three indictments against Contractor
Stokes and the three commissioners for
Kfowa county for making false vouchers
and certificates in connection with the
building of bridges in that county for the
purpose of defraudfng the government
Stokes was placed under arrest, the dis
patches state. and has been released on
1880 bond to appear for trial. The three
Indicted county commissioners have fed the
country. The indictments were found in
pursuance of instructions from Secretary
Hitchcock to Attorney Speed to place be-
fore the federal grand jury the facts that
he had found in connection with the gross
frauds that had been practiced in several
of the counties In Oklahoma. The frauds
have all been discovered in counties that
were but recently opened for settlement,
ana they concern the construction of build
mgs, bridges and other improvements out
of money received by the United States
for the sale of land.
Much has been said regarding the action
or Secretary Hitchcock in depoSiting in the
subtreasury at St Louis the funds that be-
long to the United States through the sale
of the lands before mentioned. The de-
posits We're made after the investigation
made by the Secretary in Oklahoma last
spring. and were for the purpose of pre-
venting any more frauds. 1t has also been
charged that Secretary Hitchcock's action
delayed the construction of needed i'm
prOvementS in a number of Townships and
that the money he withdrew from the hands
OF the persons who previously handled it
was placed in private concerns in st. Louis
IN which the Secretary was interested.
The revelations made to the federal grand
jury, which resulted In the indictments of
which the dispatches from Speed speak,
refute the charges that have been made
against the Secretary and verify the state
ment he made at the time the charges were
brought, 10 the effect that the reason the
money was placed In the subtreasury and
the payments were stopped was because
there was jobbery and fraud In all the i'm
provements, and he proposed to put stop
to 1t.
United States Attorney Speed has been
placed In possession of Information which
the Interior Department officials believe
Will lead to the Indictment of a number of
residents of Oklahoma. He has charge of
the investigation and will push it to the ut
most limit
Secretary Hitchcock to Mr.. Garrett.
Secretary Hitchcock yesterday made pub
lie the following letter to Mr. Philip c.
Garrett president of the Indian Rights AS
ISOLATION. requesting explanation of the
publication of charges ag iinst officials of
the department in Indian territory before
the charges We're communicated to the Sec
rotary:
Department of the Interior
WASHINGTON, August 49, 1903.
Mr.. Philip C. Garrett. President Indian
Rights Association, 1905 Arch street,
-
ST. i'.',ia nc rs,o.,. a. -
NJ. ,1,e,,. S- Gu YOU D uateo Ala.uar,
Dntb irstart - ~ Ip .r ~ tiiIle VI tle
of tba $50 -. ftia ZIG i' Pal asi dpii
~ an, au.u So ho,,o h .-.
-, ~ va ION iioihe' as nave peeH
actIv how the cnr,ias 90 NJ W p 1,o' -. g.
1vars sent ont :, - " ~ ~
This il i, ran1, to Wv, ,o..o - a.. ,o.. O..
,yo,1 which uyas,s -. "a e -''ii ~
..Irnon INV return 70 w. o,+ ~ ,o,.
L az ba inc
fncIosinp a letter ~ yn,r Mashinls,a,,
agent 8 M Rros,ns W-hich 1,st a-n', So ~
seems M me 1vouI 70 ,raSan. -. i 49,
Iarities on the mart Of nfticiaIs .nnoirtad Nv
the government which have a fandanc,, 70
wrong the Indians-and r take the uharty of
submitting a cow of If TO Won in or,,ar that
if thought proner bv Won the snhtact NAV.
be officially Investigated
Before replvinp more fnl,r, 70 yor- Lat
ter as above acknowledged will thank
you to kindly inform me whether or NOT the
widespread publication in the press of the
country. on or about the date of your letter
to me inclosing said letter, was authorized
by yourself OF any officer of your associa-
ton
My purpose in thus addressing you was
70 ascertain whether or not you had au-
thorized or were aware of the fact that
the letter of Mr. BroSius inclosad with