The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-04-15
CURTIS WOULD PROTECT lNolAh
ROLLS.

has made the following report on the
Murphy bill to prevent the copying,
selling or dlsposing OF any rolls OF
citizenship Of the Ave civilized
tribes:
THE existing law provides for
roll Of the citizens in each Of the
Ave tribes Of Indians who are en-.
titled to an allotment and a share In
20 distribution OF the 'unds Of their
resp ctivo tribes These rolls are in
the course Of pre- roparatlon. Some Of
them arc about completed, and they
are all IN the custody Of the commits.
sion to the Ave civilized tribes at
Muskogec. l. r.. whore they are kept
IN vaults which are open and acces.
slblc 10 the employees during the day.
They are not public records. but are
the property OF the government, and
no person is entitled to examine, copy.
OF use them for any purpose whatever.
Ncopt the employees and government
officials
This is necessary. for II tho rolls
should fall into the hands OF unscru.
pulous persons II would enable them
to locate members Of the tribes and
obtain leases. deeds. and contracts
from allottees. and II not allotted. 20
lsCatc an Indian on some tract OF
land in tho nation which the party
having the roll desires 10 get under
his control. whether lawful or not.
and In this way would enable him 90
get possession and in the end become
the owner OF land that ne otherwise
could not secure. and the object Of
this bill, as said before. In TO prevent
these rolls. or copies thereof. IRON
falling into the hands Of this class Of
people
The government should take all
necessary steps to prevent grafters
and interruptions persons In the In
dian Territory from securing yalua
blc information which the rolls would
give them. and should prevent In cy
cry way this class Of peop., from be
Ing able TO dcfraud the Indians. aud
prevent them from securing posses
sion OF valuable lands In an unlawful
way During the mont,1bt March. 1906.
tho roll OF the Creek nation was cop
led from the records by parties I'm
known. and the record book contain
ing the original and authentic rolls
Of the Seminole nation WAS stolen
from the vaults In Muskogee. anu ~
ter was found In a hallway In the
building occupied by tho commission
pr to the Ave civilized tribes. Copies
of these rolls have been reduced 90
pamphlet form and are being offered
for sale throughout the indian Ter
ritory AZ prices ranging from $50 TO
siOo. Names are ON thcse copies that
have been approved by the govern
mcnt and added TO the original roll
within the last few weeks. The pco
pie who stole these rolls from the
vaults az MusKogce and are using
them for private gain and TO enable
them 10 cheat and dcfraud the Indians
should be prosecuted and punished
There Ia no law covering cases OF
this kind. and your committee recon
mends speedy action upon this bill
which Il believes viii prevent further
disposition of these rolls and cause
those now In existence 20 bo destroy.
ed Such action ia OF vast Importance
% the law abiding and honest people
OF the Indian Territory and TO the OF
hccrs of the government who arc try
Ing 10 protect the interests OF the In
dian"
Tho Murphy bin as adopted by con
gress, Is as follows:
THAT any person that shall copy
any roll OF citizenship Of the Crecg
Cherokee. Choctaw, Chlckasaw, O.,
Seminole tribes Of Indians, prepared
~ or under the direction OF the soc
rotary OF the interior, the commission
20 the FIVE civilized tribes. or the com
missioner 10 the Ave civilized tribes
whether completed or not or any por
sou who shall. directly or indirectly
exhibit. sell, offer 90 sell, give away
oncr to give away, or IN any manner
Dr by any means offer 10 dispos Of
or who shall have IN his possession
any such roll or rolls, any copy OF
,hc same. or a copy OF any portion
thereof, shall be- deemed guilty Of
misd mcanor and punished by I'm
pIsoumout for not exceeding two
ears; PROVIDED, that this act shall
not Apply 10 any persons authorized
5y the secretary OF tho Interior, the
commissioner Of Indian affairs. or the
commissioner 20 the nve civilized