New-York tribune., 1910-06-25
BRIBERY ALLEGED
BY SENATOR GORE
Says $4,000 Was Offered Him
Not to Oppose Indian Land
Contracts in Oklahoma.
IA BIG STEAL CHARGED
Story Involves Two Present
Congressman and Two eS-
Senators Who Are Not Named
Congress Holds Up Claims.


of Oklahoma. disclosed to-day what he
interpreted as an effort TO bribe him TN
connection with legislation affecting the
fortune in attorneys fees claimed by j.
F NcMurray. of Oklahoma for services
rendered to the Choctaw and Chickasaw
nations in land and townsite cases
The charge created a sensation in the
Senate, which later extended TO the
House The latter body in consequences
sent back to conference the general de-
| fciency bill. which carried an item re-
lating to contracts between the Indians
and their attorneys
Senator Gore finally involved MEM
| ber of the Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs. a member OF the House Conn
mittee on Indian Affairs and two former
Senators-one from Nebraska and the
other from Kansas-but whose names
were not made public in debate
An Investigation Probable
/ In response to a suggestion by Senator
\ RafIev that he should name the senate
member of the Indian Affairs Commit
/ tee Mr.. Gore demurred. but declared
that he would welcome an investigation
| of the charges. so that the whole mat
ter might be brought out before a body
authorized TO deal with his allegations
Mr.. McMurray declared tonight tnae'
the charges rejecting on him IN coh-
nection with his work in the ChoCId"
and Chickasaw land and town site cases
were absolutely false
Mr. Gore was compelled 10 address tne
Senate three times before that oody was
fully aroused to the seriousness or the
charges he made His first effort was
in connection with the adoption OF 1ne
conference report on the deficiency Dill.
which had been presented oy oena'o.
Hale AS passed by the Senate tnat
measure contained an amendment WHICH
would nuIlify contracts made py the
| Choctaw and Chickasaw nations ana OJ
i,dividual members of these tribes with
their attorneys unless the contracts
were appro--d by Congress
| This provision was in accordance Win
| a resolution introduced by Mr. Gore on
NAV last. 1t was designed to prevent
| Mr.. McMurray from obtaining fees
which. it is said, would aggregate
So OOO OOO. and which Mr.. Gore COM
/ pIained had no. been earned by the at
torney-
The conference report had been adopt
ed by the Senate when Mr. Gore entered
the chamber He announced that he had
| been informed that the Senate mad re-
ceded from the amendment requiring the
approval by Congress of tribal agree
ments. but Mr. Hale explained that the
matter had been properly safeguarded-
MIR. Gore accepted the explanation. but
said that if the contracts were to be rec
ognized Mr. McMurray would receive
S3. 100000 1t was in connection with
this point that he first declared that i'm
proper influence had been exerted by a
representative of Mr. McMurray In an
effort to defeat the provision requiring
action by Congress on the contracts
Denounces Claims as Corrupt.
Characterizing the McMurray claims
as having been conceived in cOrrup-
ton and brought forth in corruption"
Mr. Gore said he had been approached
by an outsider who desired to interest
him in the McMurray claims.
Later MIR. Gore examined the pro-
| vision as agreed on in conference He
lost no time in returning to the Senate
chamber where he moved TO reconsider
the vote by which the conference report
had been adopted The presiding officer
| informed him that the report had passed
cut of the possession of the Senate. Mr.
| Gore then moved to recall the report.
bur MIR. Gallinger moved TO lay this
motion on the table, which was done
Addressing the Senate on a question
of personal privilege. the Oklahoma SEN
ator ampIiffed his charges that corrupt
methods had been attempted to defeat
the Senate provision concerning the Ind
ian contracts.
Mr. Gore explained that on May last
he had offered a resolution similar IN
terms to the amendment he had placed
in the deficiency bill in the Senate and
| that 1t had been referred TO the Commit
tee on Indian Affairs on the following
day Senator Hughes had been directed
TO make a favorable report on the reso-
luton. he said
ION May o. said Mr.. Gore. "a man
came 10 me with an improper suggestion
He was a representative of Mr.. McMur-
ray. a resident of my home town. and
had been my friend in a time OF need.
He assured me IL would be TO my fnan-
cial interest II l would call on the Sena-
tor from Colorado and advise him not
to report the resolution. There was a
suggestion that $4,000 or $4,000 would
be available if the contracts were not
prohibited And I am informed that
similar proposition was made yesterday
TO a member of the House of Represen-
tatives-
Mr.. Gore also charged that AN ex-
Senator from Nebraska and an ex-S Sena-
tor from Kansas are interested in these
contracts" and declared that a large
lobby was maintained in Washington in
that interest. He said he felt in honor
bound To continue these efforts ITO pre-
vent this steal from those defeneeless
Indians In Oklahoma He declared that
! If the contracts We're ever carried into
effect il must be done with the full
knowledg that. whether or not there had
actually been corruption, it had been at
| tempted"
| Learning that the House had not Vet
acted on the conference report. MIR.
| Gore FASTENED 10 the other chamber.
where ne told friends of the efforts all