Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13
FRAUDS ON INDIANS
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERALS
REPORT TO HOUSE.
Result of Investigation of Department
Of Justice Into Charges Of
MI. Brosius.

Acting Attorney General Day has trans
mitted to the House the reports Of the
examiners of the Department of Justice
in response to the resolution of inquiry as
to the investigation into the alleged Indian
territory scandals. Mr. Day also transmits
copy of a lengthy report made by the
Attorney General on the same subject to
President Roosevelt under date of Febru-
airy 1.
The Attorney General states that the in
vestigation was begun on allegations made
June %, 1903, that Pliny l.. Soper and Leo
E. Bennett, respectively. United States at
torney and United States marshal of one of
the Indian territory districts. had been
guilty of receiving share of the profits
arising from the contact for feeding pris-
oners at Muskogee Another allegation is
also made, during the same month, that
through officers of the Interior Department
the United States courts of the Indian ter
ritOry seemed to be inclined to overthrow
the authority of the Secretary Of the In
terror in the territory, so that he could not
as effectual1y as formerly protect the in
terests Of the Indians by summary action.
While the investiga ton of these matters
was going on the charges of 8. M. Brosius
were filed with the Attorney General, I'M
plicating several assistant district attor-
neys, q marshal and several other officers
of the territory under supervision of the
Department of Justice. These irregulari-
ties were said to have, been in connection
with the leasing of Indian lands. Three ex
aminers were sent to the territory with in
structions to make an exhaustive inveSti-
CATION of all the matters mentioned.
With the report of these examiners before
him the Attorney General says he is able
to make the statement that there seems to
be no ground for the belief that the courts
of the territory are, or We're deciding cases
in any other way than according to their
Of ri
for feeolng prisoners is concerned, the At
torney General says that no testimony from
a reliable source has been produced.
The Brosius Charges.
AS to the Brosius charges, the Attorney
General says it seems to be clear that the
practices of some of the land companies
operating in the territory are at least I'M
fair to the ignorant Indians with whom
they deal. 1t is also clear, he says, that all
of the officials of the Department of Jus
tice referred to in the charges have given
occasion for the suspicion that they were
connected with the land companies. AS a
result of the investigation Deputy Marshal
j. c. G.. Rogers and Constable II. l.. Rogers
of the northern district were removed from
Office.
Deputy Clerk r. G. Owen was requested
to resign on grounds Of diserderly con-
duct, drunkenness and immortality.
charges against Pliny Soper the Attorney
General concludes:
Il think Mr. Soper is clearly censurable,
notwithstanding his frankness for urging
public reasons upon the commission to ac-
complish, u questiOnab BILE end for his ac-
knowledged client, Mr.. Rolf.
Further on the Attorney General says:
mr. Soper has done much important work
as district attorney and some on behalf Of
the Indians, and in view of this and be-
cause of the conclusions stated verbally by
the late Examiner Chalmers. that he had
been unable to find anything against him.
I am not prepared to recommend his re-
naoval from Office
As to Other officials.
The charges against Assistant Attorney
Clay H. Huckleberry, jr., of the northern
district, as stakeholder and counsellor of
tine International Bank and Trust Com
pany. the Attorney General says he can
Not recommend any action adverse to Mr..
Huckleberry. AS to Ben II. Colbert, mar