Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-06
OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR AND FEEL
Low DEFENDANTS CHARGED
WITH ILLEGALLY SECURING IT,
TILE TO TOWN LOTS.
BUSINESS MEN
STAND BY THEM
MASS MEETING HELD FOLLOW
ING RETURN OF INDICTMENTS
AT WHICH CONFIDENCE Ac.
CUSED MEN is EXPRESSED.


Muskogee. Okla, Feb 4.-Sixty
leading business men of Musko-
gee held a mass meeting that last
ed until early today to discuss the
seven indictments returned here
yesterday by the federal grand
jury in the governments town lots
investigation. The meeting was
presided over by Mayor Martin.
Expressions of confidence in the
high standing, integrity and honor
of the indicted men We're made and
committees were appointed to cor
rect what was termed as the erron-
eous impression as to the legality
of the land titles existing in Mus
kogee and eastern Oklahoma.
Muskogee, Okla, Feb. 4.-Governcr
Charles N. Haskell of Oklahoma was
indicted by the federal grand jury
which reported yesterday afternoon for
conspiracy in connection with the
scheduling of Muskogee TOWNSHIP lots.
The maximum penalty is $4,000 fine
and two years in the penitentiary.
Six other men, prominent in the at
fairs of Oklahoma, were indicted at the
same time They We're c. w. Turner
A. z. English, F. B. Sewers, w. r. Eat
on, w T. Hutchings, and ] w Hill,
all of Muskogee. English is now at
Los, Angeles, Cal Bond in each case
was fixed at $4,000
The Indictments were returned under
section 5,44O of the federal statutes,
which reads as follows:
eff two or more persons conspre
either to commit any offense against
| the United States or to defraud the
United States in any manner and for
any purpose, and one or more of such
parties do any act to affect the object
of the conspiracy, all the parties TO
such conspiracy shall be liable to a
penalty Of not more than $4,000 fine
or to Imprisonment not to exceed two
years, or to both fine and imprison-
ment, at the discretion of the court
The men will be brought to trial inn
| mediately, their case being heard be-
fore Judge Campbell at this term Of
court
Each one of these indictments first
recites that the United States has al
ways exercised official functions N
the matter of protecting Indian tribes
in the enjoyment of the lands set
apart for their use, supervising the
selling of such lands and also taking
care of the proceeds for the Indians
and then the act of March 1, 1901, is
| referred to-
This act provides for the selling of
lots in the townsites in Muskogee on
the Creek nation reservation at auc.
ton to the highest bidders at not less
than their appraised value. The act
however, contained provision in ia
vor of persons already in occupancy of
the lands within the townsite in that it
permitted such persons to purchase not
more than two lots at one-half Of their
appraised value.
How Alleged Scheme Worked.
Under these circumstances it is
charged the defendants in violation OF
section 5,440 of the revised statutes oil
the United States conspired to man
age matters by means of dummies
so that they finally would come into
possession of many valuable leases ir
Muskogee at one-half their appraised
value
They were first to schedule with the
townsite commission the names of al
the persons they could think of in the
different parts of the United States
and SO set the government machiner,
in motion which would finally result il
the issuance of patents in those names
While the machinery was grindin:
the defendants would secure quitclain
deeds from those prospective paten
tees Having secured the record fit],
the defendants would then hasten tt
dispose of the lots to innocent thir;
parties. The result of all this is Al
gued as fraud upon the United State
and also upon the Creek nation
wards of the government.
: Haskells Career in Democracy.
Il The troubles of Governor Haskell
began to gather during the late pres
Dental campaign, in which he seem
to have been the lightning rod tina
drew the lightning upon the dwellin
Of the Democratic party. The NOR
conspicuous he became the more trol
Bile he brought down upon himself an
his associates.
Haskell appeared on the scene at tn
Democratic national convention q
Denver as the first apostle of Bryan
He was the repository of pure Bryan
| ism and the guardian of the Peerles
. Ones Utmost convictions He wa
chief executive of the new state thu
had put pure Organism into operatio
in it's state constitution and he pr
ceeded to take charge of the Brya
forces in the field.
Down here in his own state thel