The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-03-15
THREE HAVE RESIGNED.
Secretary Aylesworth, Of Dawes Com
mission, Third to Surrender

] DNNtldl 10 AhlAf AsHdutAs
Muskogee, I. T., March l5.--Allison
Aylesworth. for the past seven years
secretary of she Dawes commission.
yesterday rendered his resignation to
hat body and 70 was accepted The
resignation has been forwarded TO
Washington for the approval Of the
secretary Of the interior
Ir Aylesworth assigns as a reason
for surrendering his position. which
is one Of the best in the service OF
the commission, that his health is bad
and he desires to be relieved of the
lconhnlng duties he is now compelled
to endure BY those who know him
Tn is not believed this is the only rea-
stat which prompted him to take this
step The fact that he refuses 70 say
what he Intends to do is takeE by
some to mean that he has business
enterprises On foot, and that he ex-
lpects to remain in Indian territory.
/ Mr. Aylesworth is the third chief of
department under The Dawes com
mission to resign within the last
month. and people in the territory are
| beginning to inquire what it all means.
H. Van " Smith. disburslng agent for
the commission was the first TO re-
sign This was before the Bonaparte
report had been made. but he was in
Washington at the time and may have
been informed of dts contents
The second TO withdraw was Chill
lioin Riley. chief law clerk Mr. Riley
was not criticised in the reports. but
his close affiliations with members
who were, may have prompted him TO
withdraw at Glis time. Mr.. Ayles-
worth va criticised in the report
The manner in which he impaired
his usefulness" was by purchasing
/ city properly beyond his means While
/ he declared fccently that he didn't
have a single town l@ worth more
han $1,000. and but few OF these. it is
likely that the sdnging words of the
report were felt by him and had their
effect in causing his resignation.
4 The people and press OF Indian terri
tory who until last summer spent all
their spare time blaming the Dawes
commission for all the delays and
troubles incident to official business.
have lately changed their tune. Ever
! since the Bnoslus report to the In
dian Rights association there has beer
a gradual change. and the Bonaparte
report served to rally many to the
support OF the commission. for should
the commission to a man resign the
people here are convinced It would
seriously hamper the termination Of
tribal affairs.
A. P. Murphy, attorney for the
Creek nation, who was 50 pitilessly
scored in the Bonaparte report, is not
taking his drubbing very seriously.
He left last night for ST. Louis, where
he is to be married Before he left
he said
1T will take more than three days
star chamber proceeding to satisfy
me of the thoroughness OF the investi-
cation | am willing, upon the testi-
mony given at the hearing TO rest my
case with a fairminded man.
He was asked If the adverse report
on his actions would not make good
campaign thunder for his opponents
in the Seventh Missouri district where
ne is candidate for congress.
20, | guess not" he replied with a
smile. They know me up there much
better than Mr. Bonaparte does. They
knew all the meanness In me long be-
fore he did