Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-08
HOW NJ MURRAY GOT
INDIAN CONTRACTS
Hired Indian TO Go Among Tribes
men and Induce Them to
Sign Contracts.
HE PAID A DOLLAR A HEAD
So Choctaw Observation-Disclosures
Said They Came to Him Orig
inalIy Against His Desire.

McAIester, Okla, Aug S.-How the
contracts were procured. By which, ac-
cording to Senator Thomas Z. Gore,
81. 100000 in attorneys fees was TO be
made out OF the sale Of land given TO
the Indians by the government was
related before the special congressional
investigating committee today
W r. HOLMAN, a Choctaw Indian
testified he had been employed by j. f.
McMurTay, holder OF the contracts. to
go out among the oklahoma Indians
and induce them to sign the documents.
At the same time. Holman related, he
was paid IA dollar head" for secur-
ing contracts appointing McMurray to
act in tax cases. In this way McMur-
ray procured 10000 contracts 20 sell
land.
The terms were 10 per cent attor-
ney's fees. or $4,000 900 profit for Nc
Murray and his assoc lates. To promote
this deal In Congress Senator Gore con-
tends he was offered a $4,000 or $4,000
bribe.
Holman testified that he himself
had signed the 10 per cent contract
because he, In common with the other
Indians, had become discouraged on the
governments promise to sell the land.
81 would have given IS per cent 70
McMurray." said HOLMAN, ~ he could
have gotten US the money quickly"
He said he believed some Of the In
dams would be willing to have given
McMurray 75 per cent,
McMURRAY's VERSION.
In a statement to the committee and
without going on the stand McMurray
today declared that the contracts came
To him originally against his desire.
He said tho Indians at war council
had demonstrated their impatience at
the governments alleged slowness in
selling the land and had called upon
him 60 take the job at 10 per cent.
which nc did with reluctance. McMur-
ray viii go on the stand later.
Questioned further. HOLMAN testified
that a. was the belief OF the Indians
that their property was worth from
$50 coo 900 TO 100000 and the under
standing WIS McMurray was TO get
10 per cent OF this.
rs It the belief Of the Indians that
McMurray has some power at Wash
ington by which he would be able TO
get money more quickly than II you
left II to the government" asked Con-
gresham l. a. Saunders Of Virginia
I'VE didn't know how he was going
TO do II. but thought he knew how
was the answer.
Ibid you think McMurray was a
magician o.
1--WE thought he knew how TO do H.
us II actually the belief among the
Indians that they have 60 pay some
body else TO get what the government
has SAID riEhtfully belongs 20 them"
THAT has become the bellef-that
they have TO give W n good portion OF
what they get i'm attorneys fees"
MCURTAIN REPEATS CHARGES.
u. c. McCurtain, Choctaw Indian
and an attorney for his tribe, went on
the stand and reiterated his charges
that McMurray in 1906 In the lobby OF
the Raleigh hotel NJ Washington had
offered him a $4,000 bride 90 withdraw
tribal opposition 10 old contracts which
were disapproved by President Roose-
welt He declared he had once been
employed by McMurray while he was
delegate TO Washington for his tribe.
but he asserted the work for McMurray
was In behalf OF and with the consent
Of the Indians. When the bride was
offered he was not associated with Me
Murray and he did not share In the
$4,000 attorneys fees granted McMur-