Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-16
Witness Saws Congress Should Take
Look at Laws.
children ARE DEFRAUDED
Minor Gets Three Hundred and Fifty
from Half Section.
PROBATE COURTS KNOW FACTS
Judges Said to he Fully Aware Of
Manner in which Thousands
of Acres Are Transferred
10 whites.

a
scheme by which land grabbers. organ
ized Systematically to enrich themselves AT
the expense Of minor Indians were related
at the congressional investigation into In
dian land affairs today.
In one Instance II was asserted the cost
| OF disposlng Of the property of an lS-year-
cid Indian was s2075 more than the property
brought and the condition which permitted
TINS and similar deals was declared to be a
disgrace to Oklahoma,
Hearing that the scheme nrevailad g.-or-
ally. Representative Philip A. Campbell Of
Kansas member OF the Investigating COM
mittee, had put on the stand James Yarbor-
ough, Chckawa Indian by intermarriaRe
DO you cali this sort of thing grating or
Just plain steallng?" asked Mr. Campbell
after the witness had related the circun
stances.
We'll the people down our way think II
is scandal that the laws permit such a
thing' and we think it is time that congress
take notice of it,"
The probate court at Durant allowed tho
guardian to sell for $500 a tract of 14o
acres OF what is known as the allotted
land owned by an 1s-year-old child.
The guardian then put in a claim on the
proceeds.
Big Fees Claimed.
| The claim included $3.50 for acting aH
guardian, $3.50 for improving the iands-s
SoOo Tor Darn, $50 for posts. SIS for fences.
SeS Tor witnes fees and more money Tor
other purposes. 1t was found when the
deed was closed that the child owed his
former guardian $2015, and now the guar
olan is threatening to have the property
or the child sold In order TO get the a.O75.
Il know of another case in which as ACRES
were sold for an Iidian child and when Ali
the claims were paid the child got sSbo
IN another instance A,500 was obtained for
zoo acres. but the ehtid only got sl2o. In
other words the olliIdfen OF deceased In.
dians In this state where are located one
third OF all the Indians in the United states.
are systematically being robed OF the es
tates allotted them by the government. The
property is sold at prices dictated nv the
land robbers. The children are robbed al
Doth ends, at one end by their guardians
and at the other by the purchasers"
do you mean to say that such things
are countenanced by the probate court?"
Yes they go on with full knowledge OF
the judges"
Thousands of Acres Taken.
| thousands of acres OF property thus ara
taken from the Indians and thrown into tba.
LANDS of white people, the Indians getting
poorer and the land graBbers richer Most
OF today's testimony was given by wit.
nesses for the defence ]. e. McMurrsv.
whose 10000 contracts allowing him a 10
per cent attorneys fee for the sale of $50
100000 worth of Indian land caused the
present investigation, sought to show that
large percentage of the signers vera
still In favor OF his terms A dozen Chick
ava Indians testified they were willing
TO increase the fee IL 1t would result In
the prompt sale OF allotted holdings bv
trusts and the government.
Thomas b. Crews, attorney of St
Louis, testified he had contracts with ZOO
freedmen, or negroes who claim Indian
blood or claim to be descendants of former
slaves or Indians. These freedmen assert
they were wrongfully kept off the cltizen-
SHY rolls. on the basis of his contracts.
Mr.. Crew said he would be allowed a s5
per cent attorneys fee. citizenship right
is estimated to be worth 5000 The 700
claimants, II successful In litigation, II was
said, would acquire claim on the gov
ernment OF about $500 The attorneys
fee involved would be t1,225,OOO it was es-
timated
Mr. Crews said he also had contracts with
about 100 negroes who desire to take ad.
vantage OF right to purchase 20 acres OF
land at an appraised valuation, in dddition
to the acres given them as freedmen. I'm
der contract, Crews Is TO furnish the cash
|
half the land.
In another set of contracts he said about
100 Choctaw Indians in Mississippi want
to get enrolment here. on a Is per cent
basis.
More details Of ]. e. McMurrays alleged
activity at Washington to promote his 10
per cent attorney fee contracts in the sale
OF $SO,OOO.OOO worth of Indian lands were re-
lated before the committee today
w. r. Johnson, former United States at
torney, testified that certain indictments
against McMurray in 1905 were ordered
dismissed by the attorney general The
indictments were returned against Nc
Murray and others In connection with a
$SOo,OOO expense account which McMurray's
firm had filed against the Indians in
prosecuting citizenship cases II was al
legged IN the indictments that the expense
account had been padded"
At the time the indictments were being
investigated Cecil a. Lyon national re-
publican committeeman for Texas, was in
Washington. Mr.. Lyon previously had
testified he had urged the attorney general
TO investigate the indictments but he de-
clared he never asked that they be dis
missed. The indictments later were
ordered dismissed. Mr., Lyon then became
interested with Mr. McMurray in what ars
known as the old tribal contracts ana
talked with President Roosevelt in regard
TO them.
Only Indictment Dismissed.
During your term OF office how many
indictments were returned?' Mr.. Johnson
was asked
About 5000"
How many Of these indictments were
dismissed?"
only one. that against McMurray"
After the McMurray indictment was re-
turned, was called 20 Washington. / took