The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-06

bloIner OF senator core; -. T., Gore ha d
testified that Hamon made the remark
Just after the senator refused the al.
legged bribe
Still More Denials.
That he had ever said, 'T want to
make q lot of money and / don t care
much how / make it., in the presence
of J. Leroy Thompson. Senator Gore s
Stenographer; Thompson previously had
testified that Hamon had made the
remark.
Interrogating the witness, Congress
man +, w. Saunders, member of the
committee. said:
Now. Mr.. Hamon. you have denied
the testimony of all the witnesses who
have preceded YOU. You have branded
the assertions Of the senator, his broth
absolutely false. 1t would appear from
your denials that Il conspiracy had been
entered into grossly to misrepresent
you, How do you account for that2'
"That's beyond nv power 10 under
stand, y replied Hamon. 81 never. had
one penny S worth of interest in the
McMurray contracts and never offered
a bribe to anyone.
E'Jt is barely possible that l did see
Senator Gore on May last. when he
says the offer of bribe was made. ]
saw him frequently but at this time I
believe he took me up into the IL
brary of the senate and closed the
door He wanted TO talk over with me
his coming campaign and see how |
could help him out financially, AL
though I am Republican and he a
Democrat. I was in the habit of help
ing him out. -
Was Friend of Cores.
"You and Senator Gore had been
good friends. had you not?' asked
Chairman Burke.
eyes, I had known him as friend
for about name years and had business
dealings with him -
Asked to explain some of his busi
ness dealings, Hamon said several years
ago at Lawton, Okla. when the gov
ernment decided to sell at public auc-
tion some lands belonging TO the In
dians, he. Senator Gore and others, en-
tered into a combination not to bid
against each other, so that the prop
erty might be obtained cheaply.
All of them secured some of the
land, he said.
Chairman Burke-Don't YOU know
that there is federal statute against
a combination to prevent competitive
biddingl
Hamon-I did not know of that law
then. but I have since thought of it.
II was lust a desire on the part of all
of us TO get the land as cheaply as
possible, 1t was understood between
us that we would not bad against each
other.
Congressman Miller-You knew that
TO the Indians. Do You think that was
honorable toward the Indians7
In the "Western Way
Hamon-We did not look at it
that way In fact, we don Z do things
out west Just in the same way You do
in the east.
In some Of his business transactions
with Senator Gore. Hamon testified.
money loans were invested
"Just before congress adjourned ~
said Hamon, "the senator came TO me
and said he had to pay $4,000 which he
owed TO Senator Owen. He had $1,000
of cash, ond wanted me to raise the
other $4,000 for him from client Of
mine. -
Explaining what he was doing in
Washington when Senator Gore said
he was offering bribes, Hamon stated
he was attending, among other things,
to the interests of Governor G. N.
Haskell of Oklahoma. who was under
federal indictment In the Muskogee
town lot cases.
luton asking that the senate commit
tee appointed to investigate f'third
degree methods practiced in various
parts Of the country, be also empowered
to investigate the circumstances leading
up TO the Indictment Of Governor
Haskell
Gore Not Yet Through.
More evidence from Senator Gore
probably will be heard. The senator
announced he intended to accompany
the committee to McAlester. where
sessions will be held Monday. Senator
Curtis and Congressman McGuire prob.
ably will testify tomorrow.
Speaking of the plans of the com
mittee. Chairman Burke said
"Under the house resolution order
ing the investigation the committee
is ordered to Investigate, not only the
McMurray contracts. but all contracts
made with the Indians known as the
five civilized tribes in this state.
"Almost every tribe has contract
with an attorney. For instance, one
attorney, with headquarters in New
York, received a salary of $4,000 a