The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-10
DGLY CHARGES
( HAVE BEEN MADE
9cretary Hitchcock Accused
of Improper Conduct InvOIv-
ing Payment of Money.
ST. LOUIS LAWYERS GRAFT
SENATORS LOOKING INTO THE
MATTER.

Investigation of the acts Of Secretary
Hitchcock in Indian Territory matters.
which has been I'm progress by a select
committee Of the senate, took a new
turn today when formal charges of
improper conduct on the part of the
secretary were filed with Senator Clark.
chairman of the examining committee.
by representatives OF the eastern tribe
of Cherokee Indians The charges are
being examined by Senators Clark of
Wyoming, and Long of Kansas. and if
found as serious as appears on casual
examination. Secretary Hitchcock will
be called upon by the senate commit
tee for an explanation. The charges
were i'm the form OF certified coDies of
contracts, court DEGREES and records of
the department of the interior. which
showed chat Secretary Hitchcock had
secured payment of fees to certain at
torneys I'm st. Louis who were employed
by his approval amounting TO S14S, 900
for recovering for the Cherokee Nation
sum not exceeding $4,000.
Paid Out of Other Funds.
-The money thus recovered not being
Authcient to pay the fees Of attorneys
fac fec was paid out Of other moneys
collected for other Indians Under the
terms of contract under which the at
torneys selected by Secretary Hitch
cock were employed. only FIVE per cent
OF the first million dollars or any part
thereof. could be paid TO the attorneys
The court Of claims allowed the attor-
neys FIVE per cetn on $40. 600. or s.. 300
and certified the decree to Hitchcock
for payment Hitchcock certified to
the secretary of the treasury that a
bill rendered for $14S0O0 by the attOr-
neys was i'm conformity with the terms
Of the contract under which they were
employed. the decree of the court of
claims and the statute. which certifica-
ton resulted in the fee.
Connection by Marriage.
The attorneys who were employed by
the approval of Hitchcock were men,
bers Of the firm of Finkelburg. Nagle
and Kirby, one of the members being
p connection by marriage OF Hitchcock.
Prior TO the employment of this firm,
the case OF the Cherokee Indians was
placed by the Indians themselves i'm
the hands of the late attorney William
NJ. Springer. This selection was sub
9ect under the law 10 the approval of
Inc secretary Of the interior and he
refused to ratify il and insisted upon
the employment OF another firm. the
one finally selected being the St. Louis
firm mentioned, which Hitchcock APP
proved.
Ask Return of Money.
Payment of the fee of this firm was
made from funds collected for the east
ern tribe of the Cherokee Nation.
which was entirely separate and in
dependent from the fund collected for
the Cherokee tribe. The eastern Chero-
Eees have now placed the matter before
me senate committee with a view to
having the funds thus taken from them
restored. Regardless of the result of
the charges as they may effect Secre-
tary Hitchcock personally, il is the
opinion Of Senator Clark and the other
members OF the senate committee that
the eastern CherOkees viii have TO be
reimbursed for the amount of fees ev-
identity wrongfully taken from them.
and paid to the attorneys Of the Cher
Okee tribe