Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-08-31

1
closures made In the story connecting
Senator Burton's name with the
Chickasaw warrants. Our investiga'
tion was mot made for the purpose ol
duplicating Senator Burton. We in
vestigAted the Chickasaw warrants
and turned the entire matter over to
the department Of justice. lpresume
that in prosecuting the inquiry II
was discovered that Senator Burton's
name figured In the issue Of the war
rants. What services Senator Bur
ton ever performed for the ohickassw
nation / do not know. He did not
appear as attorney for them in this
department after he became senator,
nor was his brother ever in the de-
partment that l know Of.
1.-THE facts are that Secretary
Hitchcock refused to indorse a con
tract between Burton and the Chicks
saws by which the nation was to pay
him fec Of 5000 Q year for repre-.
senting them before the department.
This was before Burton had been
elected senator. Because Of this re-
fusal there were differences between
Burton and the secretary which were
never reconciled. Secretary Hitch
cock maintained that there was no
reason why the Chickasaws or any
other Indians should have lawyer to
represent them, and that all matters
could be settled between tbe depart
ment and the Indians.
"Whlle the secretary refused to Ap'
prove the contract for Burton's en-
ploymeut 1t was impossible for him
to prevent Burton's engagement BY
the. Indians. The Indians had fund
for paying the expenses Of their tribal
government which was under their
direct control and with which the
secretary could not interfere. Out
OF this fund Burton was paid $4,000
q year. presume the services rem
dered by him we're before be became
a senator. What these services could
have been | haven't the remotest
idea. Az to Q. 7. Burton, l know no
more. He never appeared before the
department in any capacity. After
J. R. Burton bec.me secretary he
evidently turned his business over to
Q. T. Burton as the records show that
Q. T. Burton has been paid in Chicka-
saw warrants at the rate OF IS, QUO q
year."
Judge Ryan wanted the fact en-
phasized that the department had not
begun Its Investigation for the pur'
pose Of duplicating Senator Burton in
the Chickasaw warrant issue. "That
is matter entirely disaSsociated from
the object of our Investigation" he
said. 1--WE discovered there had been
fraudulent issues Of the warrants and
begun an investigation which showed
there were $50, 900 in fraudulent war
rants. 1t was probably in following
out this investigation that the dis
covery was made that the names Of
Senator Burton and Q. T. Burton
we're carried on the records IS being
paid ct the rate Of Is, 900 . year"
sit Is stated that in the report
made to the department Of justice OF
the cases against the persons who
have been indicted for fraud, there Is
o record that shows the name Of the
psyse Of every warrant Issued BY the
ChickaSsw's treasurer, including both
the payeeS Of the fraudulent warrants
aud those that were Legitimate and
that the names OF Senator Burton and
his brother appear on twsnty-Six war
rants Of the latter class. Senator
Burton Is declared 10 have had moth
ing to do With the alleged fraudulent
warrants in any shape or FORM"