The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-06-09


1ntsrsatins story of Indian Territory 0rAft
More Of the history Of the trouble at the Cherokee
Land oce referred to In yesterdays issue Of the Chief
TAIN has been learned and the facts In the appear
| to be about as follows;
ON May 2, 1904 when the Cherokee Land office opened
for business there great rush for oil land and the
people who held return numbers were at the door asking
admission. When the doors were finally thrown open,
those who held return numbers were admitted at the
north door and given return numbers as they APP
peared by turns and after tho numbers Issued the
first called II that there were dozens OF
people after what is the Hazerg place, lying
in section Immediately north OF the town OF Bartes
Vile and on account of of the land ocals holding
that land in the Delaware segregation could not be filed
on and for other this tract of land not filed
on on May 3 1904.
Tams Blxby, chairman OF the commission, came over
from Muskogee on the evening Of May and conference
OF the commission held and ruling made as TO the
Delaware segregation and citizens were permitted to file
on land In the Delaware segregation.
On May 5 1904, Arthur f. Chamberlin, OF Vinita APP
piled for twenty acres of land In section one north Of
Bartlesvile and at that time II unalotted land and
he was permitted 70 file it, Chamberlln entitled
to file this land for the that he owned the inn
proyements on IT, having purchased from other par
ties and having fenced the balance Of 1t himself,
1t was noticed that Silas d. Ross called repeatedly
on MAY and failed to respond but the 4th Ross ap
peared and wanted to Jump" the Hazelrg place. He
had no improvements of any kind or character the
land but desired to make the first filing that the
commission rejected the Hazergs then his filing would
be the first on the land and he would get ID.
When Ross learned that the land had been filed the
day before by Chamberlin he made the claim that he
held No II and Chamberlln held % and that he could
not file May >, because the socaed ruling of the com
mission would not permit him to do Ross then filed
on lot of land for his son. George Ross including the
land Chamberlin had filed on, and did so on Mays
After Ross had finished filing Bruce c. Jones chief
clerk, and Homer Needles, allotment clerk, concluded
that because Ross held No u he ought TO be allowed
hle ahead Of Chambern, Jones directed that Cham
berln's allotment be held in suspense, and that Ross
filings be placed ahead Of Chamberlins
The Ross filing records have been badly mutuated and
changed: all the dates are erased where May 1904"
appears, the figure a" being erased and figure 2 in
serted, making the whole read May ?, 1904"
The notarys official certificate has been changed and
now reads Subscribed and sworn TO before this
second day Of May 1901 when the truth Of the matter
Ross subscribed his to the papers May and
this part is not denied by Jones But the chief clerk
now tries hide behind mosquito bar cloak by saying
that il was a mistake of Office that prevented Ross
from filing May , and that he IS simply rectifying
that mistake But this is a mere subterfuge Il is re-
ported that the American oil company is behind Ross
that this company have Ross lease Homer Needles
has resigned as allotment clerk and has gone to
for an oil company and il is rumored that the company
lie working for Is the American Tie public may draw
its own conclusions
With Bruce C. Jones as clerk In charge OF the Chero-
kee land Office taking such active part IN the mutia-
ton Of the land ONCE records the public might well
have little faith in the allotment records and another
Brosius report is now IN order
II Bruce c. Jones is straight Brosus investigation
OF his activity In this instance viii do him no harm.
Let him be investigated