The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-21
INQUIRY NOW
NEARING END
Senator Gore Makes Statement
Exonerating Vice President
Sherman and Senator Curtis
in Indian Contract Scandal.

NULPHUR, Okla, Aug. Wv hht re-
IatiOn former senator Chester L.
- Long of Kansas and former sen
atOr John VI. ThurstOn OF Nebfasi>"
have with the sO-cailed McMurra! con-
tracts was described by j. r. mchuf-
RAJ before the congressional committee
Investigating Indian land deals today.
MIR, AIcNiurray. who seeks by the con-
tracts 10 sell S30,OOO,OOO worth OF IA
dian lands in this state ON a IO PEI
cent contingent Zee, declared Mr. Long
and Mr.. ThurstOn both had been ehl-
plOyed as counsel.
In endeaVOring TO secure approval OF
the contracts, the witness Salu, ME.
Long had called on President Tart ana
Mr.. ThurstOn had called on Astorne!
General Wickersham. Asked 10 explain
exactly what the former senators were
employed by him to do, MeMurrES sald
they were TO advise him ON legal mat
tiers.
You don't call visiting the President
and visiting the attorney general az
vislng upon legal matters DO you
asked Representative +. ". Saunders.
McHurrav declared the visits were
made in relation to legal phases. ~
previously had been shown that tresl-
dent Taft at such visits had eApIeAsed
dlsapl.rOval Of the TO per cent lee oH
The ground that IT was too high.
The witness denied that the former
senators had been employed 10 LOBBY
McAfurray was compelled TO be IN
Washington TO seek approval or MS
contracts, and he selected the former
senators to assist because ne DeHeNcu
they were well qualified TO assist INN
Questioned about Cecil A. Lyon. ma
tiOnal Republican committeemah q
Texas, the witness said certain lndlct-
ments were pending against the NC
Murray law firm in connection win the
$4,000 fee paid IN lSO0 IN the clIlAVH
ship cases. 49,.
Mr.. Lyon had been convinced that
the indictments were not wen Iouhded'
and used his influence at Washington
fv4r~ ST fCrg
cation resulted in the dismissal OF the
Indictments. Mr.. Lyon was not inter-
ested III the present contracts, witness
said.
Statement by Gore.
ITO the investigating committee:
Il feel in duty and in honor bound 70
make the following statement also III
consideration of common justice toward
the parties concerned. Neither the nalae
of Vice President sherman, nor Senator
Curtis was mentioned by me on the
floor of the United States Senate. Tn IL
the name of either of these parties was
alluded TO by Mr. HamOn was stead
lastly withheld from the pubhc unit
this Investigation began.
mo public mention Of their nan
was ever made either directly or IN
directly by me until was required and
obliged 10 do so, testiI--ng as witness
under oath and deta.l-uE the converse
ton which occurred between Nh. Hamon
and myself / then made formal pro-
test against introducing their names,
but the committee in the proper pursuit
of its duties required me 10 make
full answer without reservation.
Their names were disclosed not with
any view to inculpatiug them, nor with
any view Of suggesting guilt, but mere
~ in order that the truth and the whole
truth might be related with reference
to the details of the conversation in
question. The public must realize that
the name Of any man could be used or
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