Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-06-27
Both Houses Name Committees to
Probe the Charges.
Ex.KANsAs SENATOR ON THE SPIT
Allegation Made that Red Men Have
Lost Millions of Dollars.
TROUBLE GROWS OUT OF LEASES
Closing Hours of the National Legis-
Iature Marked by q sensation of
Most Gigantic PrODor-

WASHINGTON, June 26.-Each house Of
congress marked its closing hour by voting
for an investigation OF the McMurray In
dian contracts. Instead of the usual scene
OF comparatively undignified relaxation
from the business OF legislation. both
houses devoted exceedingly serious atten-
ton to the charges OF attempted bribery
and other forms of improper influence made
in the senate yesterday by Senator Gore
Of Oklahoma and subsequently in the house
Of representatives by Representative Muir
ply OF Missouri.
Senator Hughes in presenting reso-
luton for a senate investigation stated that
Senator Cores accusations were so grave
that they could not be ignored. The reso-
luton went through without opposition. 1t
is as follows:
Text of Resolutions.
Resolved, That committee Of five be
appointed by the chair be, and is hereby
directed to investigate and report whether
any senator of the United States is, or
during his term of office has been interested
or connected with legislation affecting the
approval of Indian contracts or has done
anything because of said interest, whether
any improper attempts or efforts to prevent
fecting the approval Of Indian contracts
have been made at this session of congress,
and said committee is authorized to sit and
proceed in the vacation"
Letter from ThursuOn.
| At Senator Carter's instance letter was
read from ex-senator John M. Thurston of
Nebraska, demanding an investigation.
Proceeding upon the theory that Mr.. Gore
had made a charge against him, he said
that he was entirely inaooent. He said,
however, that in connection with ex-senator
| Long of Kansas he had acted as counsel
for McMurray.
Speaker Cannon appointed the following
| committee to conduct the house investiga-
| ton: "a. -.
Messrs. Burke. South Dakota, chairman;
Campbell. Kansas; Miller, Minnesota;
| stephens, Texas, and Saunders. Virginia.
| Vice President Sherman announced the
following committee to conduct the senate
| investigation:
Senators Jones. Washington; Burton,
Ohio; Crawford, South Dakota; Hughes,
Colorado, and Percy, Mississippi.
To Sift the Matter.
| Two separate Investigations are provided
for, one in each house. Each body adopted
a resolution creating a select committee OF
| five members to pursue the inquiry to the
bottom during recess of congress and to
report whether any of its members are, OF
| have been interested in any Of these con-
| tracts.
Until late hour in the day it looked
rather as il the matter would go by de-
fault. But as soon as the two houses re-
convened at o'clock tonight, after a re-
cess since afternoon, the matter come ur
with a rush and crowded galleries listened
| with intense interest to the proceedings
which ended in the vote to probe the
charges.
During the proceedings In the senate in
the marble room" adjoining the senate
chamber were ex-Senators Long of Kansas
and Thurston of Nebraska, who have been
mentioned in connection with the Indian
contract matter. as well at Attorney J. T..
McMurray of McAlester, OSl., whom Sena-
tor Gore named as the principal owner OF
the Indian contracts in question.
Mcclure Other Man.
Mr.. Mcclure of Oklahoma, who was the
member of the house referred to by Senator
Gore in his speech in the senate yesterday
as the house member who had been repre-
sented to him as being interested in the
McMurry claims, brought the matter be.
fore the house tonight by rising to a ques.
tion of personal privilege and demanding
an investigation into the entire matter He
denied that he had or ever had any interest
in the McMurry claims. He presented q
resolution providing for an Investigation
by a subcommittee of the Indian affairs
committee to be appointed by the speaker
He asked the house to authorize a search,
ing investigation of the matter
|, The house adopted a substitute resolution
offered by Mr.. Tawney Of Minnesota
creating a committee of five to investigat,
I contracts with the Choctaw, Chickasav
and Usage tribes, the inquiry to embrace
any acts Of bribery, fraud or any othe
improper influence. The committee is L
> file its report when completed. with tn
| ~ tho