The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-17
Particular Friend Of McMurray
FOrgets Where He Secured
Sum of $4,000.
DEPOSITED CASH AFTER
M'MURRAY GOT $75O,OOO
Investigation of Gore Charges
Continues TO Grow i'm
Significance.

SULPHUR SPRINGS, Okla, Aug. 16
Douglas A. Johnson, Chickasaw In
dian and chief of the 5000 members
of that tribe, answered. "L don I
remember" before the special con
gressional investigating committee to-
day when asked how 1T was that he
was able to deposit the $4,000 to his
personal credit few days after j.. F.
McMurray had received $750,000 as at
torneys' fees.
Johnson has testified that he always
had approved of what are known as
the present McMurray contracts,
which provided for the sale of S30,000,-
600 worth of land belonging to the In
dians, and which would allow McMur
ray 10 per cent, or $3,000,000, in fees.
He also has urged other Indians to
sign them. He testified he was a
particular friend of McMurray. He
citizenship cases several years ago that
he approved of a contract in which Me
Murray got a salary of $4,000 a year
and $1,000 a year expenses. A short
time afterward he approved of another
contract, on which McMurray obtained,
for doing the same work, contingent
fee of S750,000. The latter fee was to
nave DPcU Tl ,oUU.Upb, DuI WIS CUT uuN III
one~half by the government.
Wilt to "DiR up
HWhy was it you wero willing to
give McMurray $I50.000 for doing
that for which be already was paid a
salaryq' asked Representative G. B.
Miller of Minnesota.
" Because we thought he earned it, =
replied Chief Johnson. "He kept off
the rolls 5000 claimants to our property,
and thus saved us $4,000 for each person
so kept of, or total of $16,000,000. !
would have been willing to have paid
him 80 per cent, or $S,000,000."
graft money in order to save that
much land. is that it9 Now tell us
why il is that a few days after that
S750,000 was paid to McMurrny you
were able to deposit to your personal
account in bank at Denison, Texas,
$4,000. Where did you get that $75,-
0007'
Just Poor Memory.
81 don't remember; | was dealing
in cattle. and my account varied, so
/ don t remember
personal account produced so little i'm
preston on your mind that you don t
remember; when you became chief or
governor Of your tribe. isn't it a
fact that your bank account was only
$4,000? How. then, would you be able
to DEPOSIT $4,000 Just short time
after McMurray got his $750,000 fee'"
he was asked.
Chief Johnson insisted he did not re-
member. Asked why $500 in warrants
for expenses rendered by McMurray
had been made out in his own favor.
Johnson explained he was accustomed
to pay on the expense bills incurred
by McMurray. johnson said his salary
as chief executive Of his tribe was
$4,000,
In response TO questions the witness
said he never had received financial
aid from McMurray. He declared a
majority of his tribe favored paying
McMurray $3.0O0.000 fee in the
present proposed sale of land.
Johnson occupied almost the entire
day on the stand. Governor c. n.
Haskell today telcgraphed his desire
to testify. but probably will not be
called. 1t was stated TO the committee
that other Indian witnesses, who had
said they waived the contracts. had
asked to be recalled TO the stand fol
lowing Chief johnson s testimony.