The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-09-22
MURPHY OPENS
The SCANDALS
St. Louis Republic Tells His
Version Of Story.
TRYING TO QUIET HIM
Charges Are Made That His
Witnesses We're Gagged
and That Certain Con-
ditiOns are Dis
graceful.
TRYING TO QUIET HIM

Inc appenueu eAtfdcto Wetc SuiiSe
from an article published In the ST
Louis Republic OF Friday, and speak
loudly for themselves. The articlS
deals with the relations Of Arthur p,
Murphy Republican candidate for con
gress from the 10th Missouri district,
with certain territorial otficiails'
Murphy has suit pending against
Gen. Pleasant Porter chief Of the
Creek nation, for $4,000 damages for
alleged breach Of contract. The Re.
public says;
POLITICALLY, Murphy Is In a peculiar
position. In the affidayits that are
on file here facts regarding the gov
ernment OF the Indian TERRITORY,
which are disgraceful, are shown.
Murphy, appealing TO the higher au-
thorities. was told TO make charges.
He did 80. He was not sustained, and
lost his position"
According to the deposition on tile
here Murphy had gone TO Washington,
where Secretary Hitchcock OF the In
terror Department asked him concern
ing conditions In the territory.
Murphy talked Of drunkenness among
some OF the appointees.
''The first result was the loss OF
Clarence b. Douglas job. He was
clerk 10 Indian Agent J. Blair Shoen-
feldt and crony OF Shoenfeldt and
Porter. Shoenfeldt and Porter were
up In arms. A telegram was received
by Murphy, while In Washington, ask
ing him why he had made the charges.
Murphy told Charles ]. Bonaparte
when he went into the territory that
Porter did not know what he was do
ing when he signed the telegram.
From that time on there was trou-
bic. Murphy found himself In fight
with the strongest organization OF pol
iticians imaginable. He found that
Shoenfeldt was backed by the late
Senator Quay Of Pennsylvania, and
Senators Clark and Warren OF Wyom-
ing. and q string Of their friends, who
had investments in the territory.
''As the Indian Territory scandal
became better known, President
Roosevelt sent Charles J. Bonaparte
and Clinton r. Woodruff there to In
vestigate. The depositi0ns In the
Murphy-Porter case tell how this In
vestigation was carried on. The two
investigators went only to Muskogee
where they spent three days In CON-
pany Of Shoenfeldt and Douglas
"The deposition Of James II. Har-
ris, vice president Of the Wagner, I.
T. National bank, tells Of this lnyestl-
CATION. He vas a witness 10 prove
that the conduct Of Shoenfeldt and
Douglas was not Of the sort 70
justify their retention in the Feder-
al service.
Two Indian police guarded the room
OF the Indian Agent where the inyes-
tigation was held. When Harris went
10 the Office subordinates tried to per-
suade him to 60 away, while Others
tried TO persuade him that he would
be contadicted on the stand.
According to Harris, shoenfeldt
took him into a private room and az
gued with him before he vas permit
to appear before Bonaparte and Wood
ruif. When Harris had finally testi-
fed, he asked that other men sub
stantiate what he had said, but the
commission refused. Practically the
only witnesses who we're examined IN
the case we're Shoenfeldt, Douglas
and one or two Of their friends.
Murphy's friends were excluded.
To show what he could have prov
ed before the commission, Murphy
has fled the depositlons Of dozen or
more witnesses coroborating his
charges Of drunkenness and miscon-
duct, These witnesses, according 10
their afidayits, were taken from ali
classes Of citizens
Efforts tocompromise the suit have
been made, but Murphy insists that
he shall have hls entire salary up TO
the end Of his appointed term.
'sTo show how closely woven the
Indian Territory gang Is, Murphy
cites q telegram he sent April 10, 1904,
the day Of a trial he had before Sheen
Z ldt, 20 Thomas ]. Akins. then State
nalrman The next dag Douglass
received . telegram from W. A. Jones,
indian commissioner, reading as FOL.
inNE Murphy wires Shoenfeldt
dunk. See shoenfeldt at once"