The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-02-03
HEARING LASTED 10 DAYS
ANO WAS AOTLY CONTESTED
Case First Of Number Which
VIII Come Before the
Courts


Special to Daily Leader
Shawnee, Okla, Feb. 2.--lne lrst
trial OF the famous "KiolSapooH land
cases, In which W 4, Chapman aud
various other well known local men
Nere defendants and tho indian plain'
THIS WAS represented and backed BY
Martin J. bentley. has resulted In vic'
tory for the defense The case WAS
tiled before Judge and Jury, Il lasted
ten days aud was holIy aud ably con
tested on both sides, II was probably
the longest civil ease ever tried Ia
lPoltawatomle county
The case Ia tho lirst Of q numb Il
which viii come before the courts
Back az bentley are u numbar Of pronl-I
lincnt men In Washington political life.
and the prosecution Is backed by one
arm Of the government Other cases
Aill doubtless be brought 20 trial
among them the ones which viii re,
suit from recent indictments secured
before federal grand Jury at lsaRle
Pass. Tex
lsasmuch rs the case just closed was
one OF the strongest which could be
brought. u may be that ho prOsecu
ton Will lose some of It's gisOr nnd
that lhe remaining cgses may be drop
per
June 81, 1906 Congress PASSED an
act removing all restrictions from th'
ale and encumhrancc Of an npnresi
dent KlckupoO Indians II Was repof'
cd, and generally believed. that this
act was passed to enahle large nun
ber Of Klckapoos. who had removed
10 the Republic OF Mexico, apparently
through the influence Of Mnrtain d
Bentley. to sell their lands Al any
rate, the act had that effect and in.
| nedlately upon It's pasaage y numnet
Of Shawnee citizens went 10 Mexico
armed with plenty Of ready money to
secure d part Of these lands.
A great deal Of bitterness deyeloped
between Martain ] Henllty who hau
always stood close with the lndsans
and those shawnee men who went q
Mexico. with me result that henllel
alled 10 get anything like compile
control Of ail the INDIAN lands IN Quaa
tlon. Bentley, by ihe way claiming o
act merely 90 the friend ui iae Indians
ana claiming ue sell % merely liplN
the land IN escrow.
THE case just decided Was 0uR q
many Instituted hg Bentley III behnil
Of the Indians ln which D. Is asserted
he IS endeay0rlng No set 81 deeai
obtained by oIher parties caneflled
u.apr thai secd'M deeds taken hy bim
self from these aeme INDIANS wHulc
hold good
The verdict is Il signal ylHnre lVl
IS. i. chapman. who. with assfa
Brown. Gglmse and G. Benson. Wef'
I, named as defendants and iH a alan u
the face Tor ne report Of The speeia
senate committees. which consisted q
ennnlofs Curtis and iclier. ans
claimed gross fraud up0n the parl .
Chapman. al THE Jury WaH on
only three hours and 81 saIa's Hai
Unanimous
Wide lutltuda was granted the plain
: lilns IN the case. iu Tie lnfDGueliql
4 Of evidence, and the charges of ffau
, coercion and intimidation winch Het
, made against the defendants and h
!, which they claimed these deeds wer
secured ives lliolylushlg lhpeshed ui
4 ny the court and jury
II developed from lhe eyldi nee gpl
mlllod that an the deeds tahan y
Chapman and hts asp0elafee were iaA
en- and execUtnd beiure the hlehp'
. .adge In the state Of conhnlla, Reap
7 Ile 81 as Sslee iniesi1ii cbprl aud In "a
Z PRESENCE of afss indea O. letiefs. an
\ ihe court officials, this iudee havih
I Jurisdiction and dignity correspondent
! with the jurisdiction u the fedora
Judges of our United States circGi
j. courts.
A certified copy o. the court record
4 showing The appearance of the Indian
I thoreto YVES introduced BY the cetend
ants