The Saint Paul globe., 1903-10-31
BIXBY MAKES FLAT
DENIAL OF CHARGES
Says Dawes Commission Did
Not DeaIin Indian Lands and
Invites Investigation.

rams B1xby, member of the Dawes
commission, which has charge of In
dian affairs in Indian territory. is in
st. Paul, and when seen nv Tbe
" 20 last evening regarding the
charges which have recently been made
against the members of the commits
sion and which are soon to be inyesti-
gated. said the commission had no fear
OF an investigation into it's affairs.
Inc Dawes commission has been
charged with almost everything excent
murder, said Mr.. Bixby. sTf I were
guilty OF half that has been charged
against me, 1 should be sent to the
penltentlary for the rest of my life.
The charges, which intimate that
members OF the commission have prof-
lleu Dy lands and other deals with the
Inolans grow out Of the report of s. M
broslus, an officer of the Indian Rights
association. His report contained a
NUMBER OF charges, and was sent TO
Presldent Roosevelt, by whom it was
rior Ae mt
When the attention of the commits
sion was called to the charges by the
secretary of the interior, who asked
each or the members to make a report
on the matter, the commission reouest-
ed that an investigation be made. and
actlng upon this request Charles ].
Bonaparte, a prominent attorney of
baltimore and the head of the bar of
that city, was selected to make the
investigation. Just when this inyestio
gation Will be made is not yet deter
mined, but the members of the COM
mission are ready for 1t at any time.
IL Is true" continued Mr.. Bixby.
that some members of the commission
are interested in trust companies which
90 a general banking business. but
none OF the companies in which the
members OF the commission are inter-
ested has had any dealings whatever
with the Indians, as charged by Mr..
Bros1us, and they have nothing to do
with Indian lands
Even If the charges that we had
dealt In Indian lands and leases were
true, there is nothing in the law to
prevent us doing so. It might, Of
course, be considered an impropriety
Ior us to deal in Indian lands, but
there would be nothing unlawful in
our doing so. But we have not"
Mr.. Bixby admitted that he was in
terested IN a number of companies in
Indian territory, of one Of which he
was the president. He denied. how
ever, that any of these companies had
peena guilty OF the charges preferred
by Mr.. Brosius.
=. This is the first interview since the
charges have been preferred in which
! have made a denial OF the fnsinua-
tions," said Mr.. Bixby. "The mem.
bers OF the commission prefer to await
the investigation, and we have no fear
OF the outcome. The papers in the
Southwest have been attacking us CON
tinually for months.
so far as the government is con-
cerned, there has been no investiga-
tion demanded. the request for such
action coming directly from the COM
mission"
Mr.. Bixby was not inclined to treat
the situation seriously, saying the
charges thus far and the talk of scan
dal was mere newspaper talk"
Regarding the country, Mr.. Bixby
was enthusiastic over the prospects of
Indian territory. He said the land
there ranked with the best to be found
In the entire United States, and he
predicted a great future for the coun-
try.