The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-19

.GOMN|QNI.S||I.L |. / ! |
DECLARES |. SMITH
Il Interior l2e-
plies to Criticism Made
BY Hitchcock.
SAYS cHAR C. IS 4. BA AS s
Arraigns Present Secretary y y Who Who
Bore False Witness gaillst@
Predecessor iii Office
SAYS c HARGE IS BA \; {: 7. :. S.
(By Associated Press. J

- 10
WASHINGTON. Feb. 1S.-In an author
ICED statement, given out tonight, former
Secretary OF the Interior Hoke Smith,
replying !, to- a statement issued by Sec
rotary Hitchcock regarding the action
OF Mr. Smith In approving an oil and gas
lease made with the Usage Indians In
1896, severed arrai gns Secretary e y CHI
cock as making IA baseless charge.
u. Mr. Smith arrived In Washing ton TO-.
day to examine the records Before ileav-
Ing Georgia he teleGraphed q to q friend
3inHthis city to make "a a search 4 OF the
records. and the result Of that search
was placed before HIM to-day upon his
arrival Mr.. Smith said to-nightfhe had
5not$sfound 1t necessary to- Y go TO ~ he
Indian office or the Interior Department
in person. FIis8statement follows ~
$ 1.-THE statement furnished the press
by Secretary Hitchcock. in which he II
crlticscs b the administration of n tho IS
Interior Department for approvlng an 3;
i5 oil and gas lease made by the Usage u
Indians in 1886, lis misleading and de-
}ceptivc. .5ftg5 sS g.
9s 55''When the lease was approved no OIL 5sB
had been found in TeXns. and not q N.
5 grent deal In Kansas $. There wa $ scar
hone to encourage tl,eifoxpense Of 8
boring wells in tho Usage county
VI Even IL oil could BIO discovered the
problem Of Transportation was tho y
most serious A lease was applied for II
by It, B. Foster to prospect and bore 4
forH OIL and gas. The property { be ~.
q elongel to tho tribe. The Osage ms n
!. tionals council passed an net directing
tho lease. The lease was carefully
guarded with provisions and forfe
+ ures unless the work Of prospecting &
and mining was prosecuted with dill 81
! gence. "a Ell iii. t3 Z
9iinle ROYALTIES to the indians III case II
x uil or gas was found, Tho lease was 4
recommended by Colonel Freeman Of
The United States army, acting agent
4{of the Usage \ tribe. s
s "Records Of the Indian office show q
d how carefully the lease was there a
5S considered IT finally went to the
seoretnry's ONCE with the recommen-
dalton Of the Indian commission that
1T he approved The letter reconi- e
mending approYalis initiated by Mr..
I,arrabee.l the present assistant COM
missioner OF indian Affairs. thereby Il.
II carrying his approval. The. recorus
show tile approval In the Office Of tho \
Secretary of the Interior was. made -
( by Assistant Secretary Reynolds. as a
4 acting Secretary. who has been res Il
Gently elected to Congress 4rom I'enn- "
sylvnnia. Il, !, #
nDuring the month Of July, 1896, the 4
lease was brought 10 my attention
by letter from ex-senator Blair,
ciitlcislng the lease This letter vas
sent to Colonel Freeman through the
Indian office for a report, Colonel 4
Freeman $reportad against Interfering
With the lease,
.sWith this record in his Office. Sec
Il rotary Hitchcock declared 4 the lease, \
was approved by the then Secretary
ofEthe Interior Alr. loke Sn,sa.'' and
u lie uses this further Ia ne sla go y ha3