The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-11-10
LOOKS BAD FOR BINGHAM
Some Crooked Work Being Practiced
dawes Commission Employees In Il

testimony was given In the hearing
of G. w. Bingham, the Tishomingo
attorney, who was summoned before
the Dawes commission here TO show
cause why he should not be disbarred
from practicing before the commits
sion.
The hearing was conducted before
Tams Bixby, chairman, and G. D.
Rogers, chief counsel. Final decision
was deferred until the other mem
bers Of the commission can be con
suited. Two clerks have already been
discharged, +. G. White and w. Nc.
Davitt, as a result of an investiga
ton from Washington.
Evidence was introduced at the
hearing to show that Bingham had of.
fered bribes to the janitor to get pos.
session Of records and had advanced
his clients ahead OF those of other
lawyers in their turns of filing at the
land Office, contrary TO the rules OF
the commission. Mr.. Rogers intro.
duced testimony given by Bingham at
previous hearing. which was in sub.
stance:
Last Saturday night I saw Turner
near the hotel. / told him I did not
have all the records necessary for
my work. told him would give him
500 for the use of those rolls Satur.
day night and over Sunday. About
that time a third party came up and
that stopped the conversation. made
the offer for the purpose of finding
out who was getting information that
l could not get and how they were
going about it,
j. w. Morris. a Tshomingo attor.
ney, testified that Bingham told him
that he (Bingham could get informa.
tion by paying for it
81 heard him say" continued the
witness, that he could shove people
ahead Of their regular number by pay.
ing for it,
S. w. Burton, mailing clerk In tho
land Office and close friend OF
Bingham. stated that ono night he
went to the attorneys house and saw
book in his room which looked iden.
tically like one of the roll books Of the
land Office, and tina: stenographer
was taking data from it. Turner saw
this through an open window.
In rebuttal Bingham attempted to
show that it was the common practice
at the land Office to advance people
out Of their turn where they were rep.
resented by favored attorneys.
Walter Worden testified that mum.
bers were taken out of the ONCE Of f..
c. White and placed upon the spindle
in the filing division before they
should be reached.
Fred II. Mari, chief clerk at the
land Office, was placed on the stand
by Bingham's attorney in an attempt
to prove that at least ten persons had
the combination to the valut where
the records were kept. some of whom
were not at the time employees of the
commission. Mr.. MARI explained that
some ex-employes, VINO previously had
right to access to the vault, still re.
tanned the combination, but that 1t
was not given to anyone who had no
business with 1t.
Mr.. Bingham's attorney attempted
to prove that Mr.. Mari had assisted
Bingham in opening the safe one even
ing MARI said that ne did not remem
Der such an occurrence.
In an attempt to prove thatp lats o.
the allCted and unailc>ed lands were
given out from the land Office con
trary to the rules OF the commission
John Mcclure, OF Chickasha, wal
placed upon the stand and swore that
he bought such plat from land
man by the name of Chapman, who
declared that he could get them when
ever he wanted them.
Mcclure testified that he acted "A
a go-between for another man, who