Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-09
DOLLAR A HEAD WAS
PRICE PAID To GET
INDIAN CONTRACTS
In This Way J. F. McMurray
Procured Ten Thousand
Contracts With Total Fee of
100000
INDIANS BELIEVED THAT
McMURRAY "KNEW HOW"

MALISTER, Okla, Aug. Show the
contracts were procured, by which, &C
cording to Senator Thomas p. Gore. So
out of the sale of land given to the In
dians by the government, was related De-
fore the special congressional investigat-
ing committee today.
w. 7. Holman, a Choctaw Indian, tes-
titled he had been employed by ]. F. Nc
Murray, holder Of the contracts, to go out
among the Oklahoma Indians and IN
duce them to sign the documents. At the
same time. Holman related, he was paid
"a dollar a head" for securing contracts
appointing McMurray to act in each case.
In this way McMurray procured 10000
contracts to sell land.
The terms were 10 per cent attorneys
fee, or $3,0O0.0OO profit for McMurray and
his assistants. To promote this deal in
congress, Senator Gore contends he was
offered a SIS, 900 or $4,000 bride.
INDIANS DISCOURAGED.
Holman testified that he himself had
signed the 10 per cent contract because,
In common with other Indians, he had
become discouraged on the government
promise to sell the land.
'I would have given Is per cent to
McMurray," said HOLMAN, IF he could
have got us the money quickly" He
said he believed some of the Indians
would be willing to give McMurray
per cent. In a statement to the commit
tee and without going on the stand,
McMurray today declared that the con-
tracts came to him originally against his
desires. He said the Indians at a war
council had demonstrated their impa-
thence at the governments alleged slow
ness in the selling of the land, and had
called upon him to take the job at 10
per cent, which he did with reluctance.
McMurray will go on the stand later
Questioned further, Holman testified
IL was the belief OF the Indians that
their property was worth from SO, 900, 900
to 100000 and the understanding was
McMurray was to get 10 per cent Of
this.
THOUGHT M'MURRAY KNEW HOW.
rs it the belief OF the Indians that
McMurray had some power at Washing
ton by which he will be able to get the
money more quickly than II you left II
to the government" asked Congressman
E. w. Saunders OF Virginia.
we didn'tknoY how he was going to
do 1t, but we thought he knew" was
the answer.
Did you think McMurray was a ma
gician7'
IL.
rs IL the belief among the Indians
that they have to pay somebody else to
get what the government has said right
fully belongs to them?''
THAT has become the belief, that they
have to give up a good portion OF what
they get in attorney fees"
REVIEWS BRIDE CHARGE.
d C. McCurtain, choctaw Indian, and
an attorney. for his tribe, went on the
stand and reiterated his charges that Nc
Murray in 1906, in the lobby of the Raleigh
hotel at Washington, had offered him a
SIS, 900 bride to withdraw tribal opposition
to old contracts which were disapproved
by President Roosevelt.
He declared he once had been en-
ployed by McMurray while he was a
delegate to Washington for his tribe
but he asserted the work for McMur-
ray was in behalf OF and with the con-
sent OF the Indians. When the bride
was offered he was not associated with
McMurray and he did not share in the
3750.00O attorneys fees granted Nc
Murray in the citizenship cases several
years ago.
HAMON IN LIMELIGHT AGAIN.
Jake L. Hamon again figured mo-
mentarily in the testimony. He had
been charged by Senator Gore with
having offered a $4,000 brfbe in Nc
behalf, but in his testimony
Hamon said he went to Washington
Governor Haskell's indict-
ment with the Muskogee town lot
cases and had nothing to do with Nc
c. B. Stewart today testified he was
attorney for Governor Haskell and
that he had not heard OF Hamon being
so employed.