Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-26
CLEAN SWEEP OF GRAFTnRs.
RauiGontions Of the Gang In Indian
Territory.

Territory.
Senatorial criticism Of the Interior de-
partment for suspendiug the sale OF a
portion Of the public domain I'm Indian
Territory, which law Of congress directed
should be opened 20 settlement becomes
particularly interesting in connection with
the operations Of land grabbers IN the
southwest The Washington correspondent
OF the New York Sun reports that Secre-
tary Hitchcock Is determined to make a
clean sweep Of government officials who
are under suspicion of standing in with
the grafters In the territory. A malodor-
Gus condition Of affairs exists there. The
statement is, made on the authority OF a
high officer Of the department that Indian
Territory harbors, in addition to many hon
est people the most ingenious band OF
grafters ever organized.
Loot is the watchword of these brig
ands." said the official. They consider
1t perfectly proper TO rob the Indians OF
their lands and their money and have
conceived the idea that the Indian tribes
were made to prey upon INSCRIPTIONS
palefaces are not the only Offenders. Ger
tain civilized Indians have violated the
moral laws as well as the laws OF the
land"
| The latest scandal to be disclosed in In
dian Territory is that involving valuable
tracts Of land belonging to the Creek ma
ton. Recently William Dudley Foulke spe.
cial Investigator sent to the territory by
President Roosevelt to investigate charges
made, submitted his report to Secretary
Hitchcock It discloses that a little coterie
in Muskogee and other towns of the terri
tory have come into possession through
fraud of valuable townsites and town lots.
Whether government officials are involved
cannot be learned for a certainty This
! significant statement was made by an on
/ cial at the Interior department:
! Unfortunately the statute of limitation
will apply in these cases. The offenses were
committed more than three years ago."
The charge was made, and is substant-
ated in the report of Mr.. Foulke. that the
frauds committed in connection with the
Greek lands were planned and executed
: about as follows
| Under the law governing the disposal Of
/ the Creek lands, town sites covering an
area of four acres may be procured by in
dviduals If they desire to erect a home
and business houses on such tracts. The
law prohibits an individual from acquiring
more than one site or lot. Through
method of fraudulent scheduling a number
i of persons, among them whites and civil
lied" Indians, secured town lots aggregat-
ing in value something like S5.0O0,OOO or
! &c. 100000. A better idea of values in the ter
ritory Is given in the assertion, made upon
( the authority of a department officer, that
certain tracts in Muskogee are worth $500
front foot. The grafters, It Is asserted,
were enabled to get land TO which they
were not entitled under the law by employ
ing dummy purchasers who transferred
title after the deal was closed. 1t is as
serted that certain officials in the territory,
or at least corporations with which they
are connected, are in possession of Creek
lands that were Secured through fraud.
! It is the purpose Of the department Of
hcers to continue the investigation that
was started by Mr.. FoullSe. Marshall L.
Mott, attorney for the Creeks, was in con-
ference with Secretary Hitchcock, Indian
Commissioner Leupp and Mr. Foulke to-
day. IN the extended investigation Mr.,
Mott will be in charge of the interests both
of the government and the Creek nation.
If 1t Is found upon further inquiry that
the statutes Of limitation do not apply
criminal proceedings will be instituted.
| A few days ago Tams Bixby, commits
sioner in charge of the Five Civilized
Tribes, was summoned to Washington to
tell what he knew Of the townsite scandal.
Mr.. Bixby will have an opportunity to ex-
plain certain OF the transactions in the
territory that were brought to the atten-
ton of Secretary Hitchcock by Mr.. Foulke
and Mr.. Mott. There is reason to believe
that Mr.. Bixby will soon resign his office.
Special Investigator FouIke refused to
discuss his work in the territory in rela-
ton to the scandal or to tell what his
report to Secretary Hitchcock contained,
but he was perfectly willing to talk about
some of his experiences in the Indian Ter
ritory.
Investigators got a warm reception
down there" he said. ION my arrival in
the territory a number of narrowing tales
were related in my presence for my special
benefit One story was told of how a
government Investigator after few weeks
in Muscogee had gone crazy from over
work and worry, Another was slugged and
mysteriously disappeared. Still another
was threatened and he also disappeared.
when they see an investigator coming"
continued Mr.. Foulke they just laugh.
Down there It is called the horse laugh
I got it, All investigators who go there
get It,"
Mr.. Foulke intimated that all sorts of
obstacles are placed in the way of those
who are sent to the territory to find out
facts concerning charges Of fraud in Indian
matters charges that come to Washington
nearly every day in the week.
Heroic measures will undoubtedly be
taken by Secretary Hitchcock to bring to
an end the scandals that have developed
I'm connection with the affairs OF the Five
Civilized Tribes.
OVERRIDING THE SQUEEZE.