The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-07
Man Who Made Charges of
Bribery in Connection With
Indian Contracts Sorry He
Used Vice Presidents Name
M'MURRAY NOW ACCUSED
OF OFFERING BIG BRlBE
Senator Curtis and Represent
tatiVe Mcclure Appear Be-
fore the House Committee
10 Clear Skirts of Blame,
AGED CHOCTAW ON STAND

USKOGEE, Aug. 6.-Senator Gore
M tonight Issued The following
statement relative to Wee Presl-
dent Shermant
- have never. either In the senate or
before the investigating committee,
made any charge Whatever against MIR.
sherman. 1 never said he WIS inter
ssted iA the McMurray contracts, HI
reetly OF Indirectly. The vice Presi-
dents was mentioned 90 me by
HamOn the men higher up who was
Interested In the contracts. When 1
testified before the committee was
nader obligation 20 relate all that
HEmOn had said and when a. came 10
mentioning what Ham0n had said 40
me about Mr.. sherman, L named the Vice
president with extreme reluctance.
had no alternative but 10 tell tho truth.
4 think 1 owe a 10 MIR. sherman ard
che country 10 hope that the facts that
Hamon mentioned about MIR. sherman
VIII be relegated 10 perpetual oblivion"
Not only Jake L. HamOn. but J. E
McMurray was named a would-be
briber in the investigation Of the $780,
100000 Oklahoma Indian land deal be-
fore the special congressional commit
tee today.
AIoMurray is the holder of the con
tracts with the Cboef IA ana. -1tllchs-
saw Indians. 10 promote which in Con-
gress Senator Thomas p. Gore charged
he was offered a bride.
ID. c. McCurtain, a Ch0etaW Indian
ERd delegate TO Washington for his
tribe. charged that MeMuray, In 1906,
offered him a bride OF S25, 900 to with
draw opposition to the old tribal Nc
Murray contracts, which were subse-
quently disapproved by President
Roosevelt.
Green McCurtain. chief of $4,000
ChOctaws and a venera BILE Indian Of
c. years then took the stand and told
the committee that one George W
Scott. whom he believed acted In the
interest OF MoMurray, had offered him
one fourth OF the profits 20 be realized
from the land deal provided he in
duced the tribe To Withdraw all OppOsi-
ton. This offer referred TO new con-
tracts held by McMurray, which are
the cause OF the present investigation.
Amount Was $4,000.
The amount of the bribe mentioned
4 D. q. McCurtain. who is a son OF the
chief. is the same as that which Sena-
tor Gore alleges was rendered him on
May by HamOn. 10 put through the
pending contracts, which. according TO
Senator Gore, would result in the sell
ing OF $4,000 acres OF coal, asphalt
and timber lands owned by the Indians
90 a New York syndicate on a basis
that would give McMurray and his as
sooiates an attorney fee Of ten per
cent, or $30O0.00o
The presentation # the charges
AGAINST McMuTray followed another
Hav OF sensational testimony. in which
Senator Charles Curtis OF Kansas and
Congressman p. & Mcclure of Okla
homa appeared on the stand to refute
statements that they were interested"
IN the deal The name OF Vice Presi-
dent sherman was gain mentioned and
conference held by President Taft
over the McMurray contracts were re-
ferred TO.
both President Taft and Vice Presi-
dent Sherman. according to Senator
Curtis. had declared that the 10. per
cent attorneys fees asked for was eN
cessivs. The opinion vas unanimous
At the Presidents conference he said.
that in the sale OF the land no attor-
news assistance was needed. the
government by treaty already had
stipulated 10 sell the land on its own
responsibility.
Something of a spirit Of Indian war
council was presented when Chief Nc
(Continued ON Page TwO.)