The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-24
SCANDAL IN INDIAN LANDS.
FRAUDS IN ALLOTMENTS TO DE
INVESTIGATED.
Attorne, General Knox and secretary OF
the Interior Hitchcock Insist 1hat
ALLEGED Criminal Acts Said to EaI'iai
Those In the Post once he uneartheu.

WASHINGTON, June est was lear ed
to-day that another Government scandal.
as serious in it's way as the recently
discovered post office frauds Is aoou'
to be exposed. These are alleged 81
gantc frauds in Indian Territory iaho
allotments and in the enrolment OF tribes
men for individual allotments in prepara-
ton for the dissolution Of tribal relations
For some time runlors have been IN ciic"-
lation which limited at extremely serious
conditions in the administration OF ahairs
in the Indian Territory, both under the
jurisdiction of the Department OF JUSTICE
and of the Department of the interior.
Recently the reports Of these alleged condl-
tions became 30 tangible that president
Roosevelt has commissioned Francis r..
Leupp. newspaper correspondent OF
Washington, who is a close personal iriehd
of the President, to visit the Indian Terri
tory, and particularly the Comanche'
Apache and Kiowa Indian reservations
and make a complete confidential report
on conditions there under the admin istra-
ton of the officers OF the Departments OF
Justice and the Interior. Mr. Leupp will
leave to execute his mission within Few
days.
The Department Of Justice recently re-
called to Washington Pliny l.. Soper, Tor
merly of Kansas. and now Federal At
torney in the Indian Territory 1t is con-
know that the conferences which Mr.:
Soper has had with the Department OF
Justice will be followed by some interest
ing developments.
The remarkable thing about the situation
il that inspectors have often visited the
In Il off pf DpDArt-
ments Of Justice and the Interior believed
they were in the closest possible touch
with affairs in the Indian Territory
1t has been found impossible. however
to ignore the fact that discoveries have
seemed to indicate conditions of wide
spread corruption. and Secretary OF the
Interior Hitchcock and the other officers
Of the Government under whose jurisdiction
the Indian Territory Ia governed intend to
60 to the bottom OF the present situation,
vestigation rs is now being made in the case
OF the postal service scandals.
1t Is said that certain recent designations
were in connection with these scandals.
and it was further learned from an all
thoritative source that other designations
would have been forthcoming If there had
been a chance OF their being accepted by
the proper authorities Secretary Hitch
cock has recently returned from the In
dian Territory and Oklahoma.
1t was said TINS morning Dy an OIllcer
in a position to know. that II the bottom
is ever reached in the Indian Territory. and
Indian Reservation scandals the facts
brought forth will rival in importance. if
not in general interest, the present dis
closures in the postal service. II is known
that both Acknowledgement Knox and
Secretary Of the Interior Hitchcock are
unit on insisting that the alleged irregu.,
laritiesand criminal operations be unearthed
and the guilty persons punished
No estimate can be had OF tho number OF
acres Of land that have been "irregularly
allotted" in the process employed, but 1t
is said to be enormous.
Secretary Hitchcock informed THE Sun
reporter this afternoon that there was
nothing definite in the alleged scandals In
land allotments by the Interior Depart
ment which could be made public at present.
The Acting Assistant Attorney General Of
the Interior Department said this afternoon
that number of F ,deral attorneys had been
working for some time on the charges filed
with the Department regarding the alleged
land frauds and that reports were expected
from them within short time OF suffi-
GENTLY definite nature to warrant action
Of some sort by the Department.
portion OF Mr.. Iaupp's work will be
to Investigate certain charges made by
a number Of Kiowa Indians to the effect that
out OF nearly 5000 allotments of land TO
members of the Kiowa. Comanche and
Apache tribes a large proportion were
illegal These charges accuse Indian In
spector Messler and Ma jor James F. Rand
lett, formerly in charge of the Cintah In
dian reservation, of connvance in irregular
and unlawful payments Major Randett
IL one of the oldest officers in the service.