The Washington times., 1905-08-24
FURTHER CHARGES NOW
AGAINST SENATOR BURTON
Continued from First Page)

date later than seven months after
he became Senator. Whether the ser
vices for which they were intended as
payment were performed before he was
elected Senator is therefore an import
ant question,
II it be proved that these services were
rendered before Burton was elected SEN
ator he is innocent of any wrOngdoing
in connection with them. And if then
it Is proved as to the warrants issued
to his brother, that they were issued in
good faith payment for services actually
rendered by T. i. Burton and for his
sole benefit. the Senator is likewise in
nOcent on their score.
The warrants paid in the name of
Senator Burton amount TO $500; those
IN the name Of Z. T. Burton to 6,7Sl.S6;
and in addition there are alleged to have
been drawn. but not yet paid, six war
rants for $4l6,66 each, in favor of T. L.
Burton. The total is $13,7Sl SO.
The legal status of these transactions
Is illustrated by the proceedings which
have been taken in some other Federal
cases In the former trial OF Senator
Burton he was charged with receiving
compensation for services before a Gov
eTnment department while senator
contrary to law. He was tried in St,
Louis and convicted; but the higher
court held that as the compensation
was paid IN Washington the case should
have been tried In Washington. and ac-
cordingly the verdict was set aside.
New Indictment.
Accordingly. the Government secured
a new indictment. charging, under an
other section of the law. that Burton
was guilty OF agreeing to receive com
pensatiOn for such services in the de-
partment. As this agreement is alleged
to have been made in St. Louis. Burton
can be tried there, and the case isxeX
pected to come up the latter part of
September.
The matter of the Choctaw School
Il
OF the Interior Department, who have
made long investigation. The question
OF whether the alleged partnership be
tween Senator Burton ard 4. T. Burton
was legitimate is understood to have
been gone into carefully, as also the
question Of whether the latter or the
former actually performed the services
for which the warrants were issued in
the name of 4. T. Burton
Senator Burton, when convicted on his
former trial. was sentenced to six
months in jail and $3.50 fine. He at
once appealed, and, pending appeal did
not 60 10 jail or resign from the Sen
ate. His final conviction would, ipso
facto, vacate his seat in the Senate.
1t IS understood he VIII under no cir
cumtSanceS resign but will remain to
the end of his term unless conviction
shall force him out. AS his term will
conclude March f, 1907, IL is possible that
the process Of appeals and judicial de-
lays may enable him 10 retain his seat
until the end of the term.
At the Department of the Interior,
explanation is made Of the accident
by which Senator BurtOn's relations
TO those Indian moneys was brought
10 the attention Of the authorities
The explanation follows:
From the leases of coal lands
owned by the Indian nations fund
has been created, In custody of the
Government, dedicated to educational
uses among the Indians. The nations
issue warrants against this fund and
the Government pays them on order of
the Interior authorities.
AT one time about 1893. 900 of war
rants Of this class We're presented to
the Government. Before directing the
payment, the Department directed full
lnVeStlgation to ascertain if they were
legal and regular
During this investigation it was
found that about $780, ,o05 of warrants.
partly school and partly general, had
been once paid by the Indian govern
ment from their own funds, and not
having been Cancelled, were reissued
and this time presented 70 the depart
!nent for payment.
In the process of this inquiry tn.
warrant issues of the nations War.
thoroughly investigated It Is not i'm
probable that, in the course Of the Ia
Quiry, other warrants were investigat-
ed, not school warrants, and not issued
for school purposes. The books of
course would have shown to whom All
warrants We're issued. The ones which
are alleged to have been received NV
Senator Burton may have been among
the number whose issuance was brought
to light by this investigation"