Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-10-03
I ACCUSED
Counsel Makes
Charges.
.EREST In LEASES.
Interior Is Charged With
> Defraud the Indians, Such
3couraglng White Men Who
Squaw Wives to Make Claim
Lands.
ACCUSED
sEREST In LEASES.

sgton, D. c. (SpeciaD.-Jus-
Eerson, of the Supreme Court
District of Columbia, gave an
in the injunction proceedings
sIDelaware Indians against Sec
= Hitchcock and the Dawes Indian
mission, dissolving the temporary
nction heretofore granted.
he case involved the right of the
ssretary to pass on the $4,000 acres
Land in the Cherokee Nation segrc-
led for the use of the Delawarcs.
IL Indians claimed that the Secretary
without authority to approve or dis
!7prove of the segregation, as it had
seen approved by the Indians inter-
:sted, and asked that he be en;oined
against taking such action pending the
Publication of the same question by
y he CoVrt Of Claims.
y Soon after the case was filed the
court granted a temporary injunction.
but Judge Anderson dissolved it. After
the decision was rendered Attorney
Walter S. Logan filed petition i'll the
Court OF Claims on behalf of the Della
wares against the United States, ask
ing that damages be awarded in the
sum of $I,ooo.ooo because of the ex-
pcnses to which the Indians have been
subjected by the necessity of defending
title to their lands. In this petition
they make some sensational statements.
One OF these accusations is that MEM
bers of the Dawes commission are in
ferested in oil leases and companies
HnIdst,rr fa,coc do ff,o,r 1,,,jc h-r
Cherokees claiming title. Mentioning
the members of the commission by
name, the petition alleges that, not
withstanding the lands have been prop
erly segregated, the Dawes commits
sion, disregarding their official duties
as agents of the United States toward
your petitioners, have conspired and
confcderated and are conspiring and
confederating together, and together
with the said companies to cheat and
defraud your petitioners so as to gain
possession of their lands for themselves
or for their said companies, under pre-
tense of allotting said lands, in their
official capacity as said Dawes COM
mission, to divers persons who are
willing to enter into contracts of lease
and sale with representatives of said
trust and land companies in which the
members OF said Dawes commission
are interested, and said Dawes COM
mission and the members thereof have
thus wrongfully allowed, and after the
making of said segregation, as herein
before referred to, continue to allow
filings to be made upon parts of the
lands of your petitioners, SO segregated
as aforesaid, and over which said COM
mission has ceased legally to have any
further jurisdiction or control, but are
wrongfully assuming the same, and
said Dawes commission and the men,
bers thereof have thus wrongfully after
said segregation was made allowed
more than 200 persons, not Delawares.
to make selections for homes upon
parts of the said Delaware lands so
segregated as aforesaid. and have al
lowed such persons to file applications
Tor allotments thereon, and have sought
by recommendations contained in their
reports of April 20, 1903, to the Secre-
tary of the Interior, to cause steps to
be taken to prevent the Supreme Court
of the United States from rendering
such judgment in the cause now pend
ing therein as would confirm in your
petitioners the title to said 1000 acres
so segregated as aforesaid"