The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-08-05
VICEPRESIDENT
INVOLVED IN
INDIANSCANDAL
Blind Legislator Names Senate
Chairman as Higher Up"
in Land Deal
Senator Curtis and Congress-
man MCGUIRE Also Brought
Into Bribery Inquiry

AOChOGE<E1s Oh4o-s aug 7--ff hat
happened in the private Office of
D United States Senator Thomas P. Gore
at Washington at noon on May 6 last
formed the basis of sensational charges
involving the names of Vice President
Sherman, Senator Charles Curtis of
Kansas. Congressman B. S. MCGUIRE of
Oklahoma and others in a hearing be-
fore a special congressional investiga-
ting committee here today.
During a conference held in that Of
fee, Senator Gore testified, he had been
approached by Jake L Hamon. former
chairman of the Oklahoma territorial
. republican committee and also former
chairman Of the Oklahoma state repub-
lican committee, and said that he had
been offered a bride of $4,000 or $50
900 10 remove certain legislation pend
ing in congress so that s3.O0O,0 600 might
be paid to J. f AcMurray. an attorney
Of ATcAlester. Okla, and his associates.
The money was to represent attor-
ney's fees of 10 per cent on SSO.oOO0OO
which was to be secured from q New
York syndicate for 100000 acres of
coal and asphalt land now owned by
the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians in
this state.
SHERMAN INTERESTED"
Vice President Sherman's name was
mentioned by Hamon. Senator Gore
testified. as being interested" in the
land deal TO the extent of favoring the
approval by congress of what are
known as the McMurray contracts with
!: the Indians.
: What happened in another private
room in washington where, it was al
LEGGED. HamOn made more "overtures,
was told by Congressman c. E. Creager
. of the third Oklahoma district Con-
gresham Crea ger supplemented the
testimony of Senator Gore. He said
that last June Is he had been invited
by Hamon TO meet him in a private
room at the Occidental hotel in Wash
ington.
Having gone there, Creager testified,
he was informed he could have sub
-apr interest" in the land deal if he
prsrl5 ithdraw his opposition to the
1U- 5-a Of the McMurray contracts by
ASKED the question: Were any fig-
ntioned as to how much you
were 20 receiver Creager replied:
6l5 not let it go so far as that.
rrde II plain I was not open to
etE nf Ienced in that way. I had
a4ns1v ene on record as being firmly
c73os 20 the granting of such an
eslarr ls Zee to attorneys
McEE1aE OCCUPIED SUITE
Corg essman MCGUIRE of Oklahoma
VINO .,as c1arged by Senator Gore with
being interested in the McMurray
contracts. was said by Crea ger in his
testimony. TO have been. at the time of
his visit. an occupant of the same suite
OF rooms with Hamon and McMurray
al the hotel
Creager said Hamon had urged him
not to testify before the committee.
Clerks Of Senator Gore testified to
having been invited by McMurray and
Hamon to frog leg" suppers at Wash
ington, at which the Indian contracts
were to be talked over" These invita-
tions, it was declared, were all turned
down.
- on one occasion, testified Cores
brother. who is his private secretary,
!: Hamon said Senator Gore was lawfully
hard on his friends" This was the
occasion when the bride was said to
have been offered and declined.
Senator Gore, in his testimony, as
serted that the offer of bribery went SO
far that Hamon said the $4,000 or
$4,000 would not be paid over in the
form of q check or marked money but
that lit would be all clean, hard cash
:: CONGRESSMAN INVESTIGATING
The committee that heard the charges
was appointed by resolution of the
house Of representatives to investi-
gate the McMurray contracts, which
ARE declared to have been made by Nc
Murray individually with 10000 In.
dams, each of whom agreed to turn
over 10 per cent of their profit from
the sale of their land. provided the
= contracts were approved by congress
The committee, headed by Congress
man Charles H. Burke of South Dakota
chairman, is composed of Congressman
Phillip P. Campbell of Kansas, Charles
B. Miller Of Minnesota, John J. Stew
ems Of Texas and E. w. Saunders OF