East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-08-06
Kansas Senator Declares He
Never Was Interested in
McMurray Contracts.
M'CURTAIN TESTIFTES
HE WAS OFFERED $4,000
Congressional Committee Still Prob
ing Charges made by Senator Gore
OF OklahOma-SenatOr Curtis De-
MICS He Was Interested In Contracts
--McCurtain Says McAiurray Offer
ed Him $4,000 to Withdraw OppO-
sitiOn TO Bill.

Muskogee, Aug. 6.-Senator Curtis
OF Kansas, before the congressional
committee today denied Senator Cores
charges that he was interested in the
McMurray contracts. He said: u
have never been interested in the Nc
Murray contracts. I am a member
OF the committee on Indian affairs
and knew McMurray and Gore. As
far as / can remember ! never met
Hamon."
an April President Taft said he de-
sired to see Sherman and myself" said
Curtis. I'VE went together TO the
White House. Taft asked for infor-
nation regarding the proposed grant
ing Of tribal rolls, and asked US what
we thought about it, and ! said
thought it would be a grave mistake
for him to take any stand on the
question" Curtis declared Gore told
the committee on Indian affairs that
q certain man interested in the land
deals was to get two commissions and
said Gore afterward named Richard
Adams, the Washington Attorney
At Cores request a statement pre-
viously published was read before the
committee. Curtis then resumed his
testimony So far as he knew, Curtis
said, McMurray had always dealt fair
ly. He told Of many Indian land bills
that had come before the committee
and declared whenever there was any
doubt as to the benefit that might be
derived from the measures the COM
mittee always sought to protect the
Indians.
Curtis was then excused.
McCurtain Testifies.
D. d. McCurtain was called TO the
stand following Curtis. He testitied
McMurray offered him $4,000 II ne
would withdraw his objections to the
sale of Indian lands. McCurtain was
then a delegate representing the
Choctaw nation.
McCurtain said: II thought II i
displayed too much activity, McMur-
ray might marshal his forces and Sc
cure the passage of the bill. The or
fer Of twenty-five thousand for the
withdrawal of my opposition was
made in the lobby of the Raleigh Ho-
tel in Washington"
McCurtain further testified that the
bill he opposed would have resulted
in the sale of 1000, 900 acres of Choc-
taw land. "I was to get $25, 600 only
in event the secretary of the interior
approved of the bill as drawn NC
Murray told me that he was more
powerful in Washington than ever be-
fore and | feared II 1 displayed 100
much activity he might pass the Dill,
60 1 told him | would think the mat
ter over. Later 1 told him l would
accept his proposition"
Gore Not Surprised.
81 am not surprised that one Will
ing to debauch would be willing to
defame," was Cores comment on
lannon's testimony yesterday, in
which the witness intimated that
Cores charges might have been in the
spirit of revenge. Gore sent numer-
Gus kilograms last night, and while
the nature of the messages
IN unknown, it is believed he expects
by them to show the nature OF the
telegraph correspondence between cer-
tain congressman and those interested
in the Indian contracts, and that he
is asking some of these congressman
to appear before the committee.
The committee expects to finish its
hearing today and then goes to Nc
Alester to start its sessions Monday.