The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-08-07
Oolenate Testines.


ID. c. McCurtain, who described
! himself as a delegate TO Washington
for the Choctaw. preceded his father
on the stand He testified that be.
! fore the disapproyal OF the old tribal
contracts by President Roosevelt In
1908 and while they were still pend.
ing, he was approached by McMurray
in the lobby OF the Raleigh hotel at
Washington. McMurray had been
talking with Cecil Lyon. national Re-
publican committeeman of Texas, but
Lyon went away before the subject
OF the S25s000 was diScusser.
d C. McCurtain testified:
i met Mr.. McMurray in the lobby
and he said,
You know we have a contract for
the sale of tho lands said heard
H. but had never seen copy of the
contract. He said: We have de-
cided We Will give you $4,000 If you
will not oppose the c-ntract'
McMurr7y tisd S25,Oco for Him.
He said: II the secretary of the
interior approves the contracts in its
present form we will give you $25. 900
II he scales the contract then the
$4,000 probably Will be cut down ac-
ther about this matter
Il did not see McMuTray for several
days. but in the meantime | GOT to
thinking about the poropostion and
knew that they were going 10 bring
powerful political Influences to bear
In support Of that contract thought
may be Ii did not manifest too much
opposition To that contract | would be
In position ultimately 20 defeat It,
but if ] became too antagonistic,
might have no opportunity to get my
forces together and that they might
In some way secure the approval of
the contracts
Several days after thatt saw Nc
Murray in the capitol and said
81 have decided to accept your
prorcsition,' but / die net learn any
more about the contracts by that
means. The matter went on for some
tine and no effort was made TO get
The contracts npprSYod Then the
matter went along until the constitu-
tional convention OF Oklahoma ap-
pointed committee TO investigate
whether it were possible TO purchase
the coal lands from the Indians
McMurray Again Active.
"McMurray became active again he
wanted 10 appear before this commit
tee rs the representative OF the Choc-
tew Indians Ho endeavored to obtain
a written statement from Governor
McCurtain to the effect that McMu-
ray represented the Ch0ctaws and
they so recognized him McMurray
came ont 10 my house TO see me He
stated he thought he was In q posi-.
tlon to do the nation a great deal of
good. Then I says Mr McMurrSy, ,
] don't want anything to do with your
contracts
Mr. McMurray In an interview de-
MED he had made the offer, He said !
Lyon had been. financially interested !
with BIN In the contracts
Much of Congressman McGuire'S !
testimony related To whether he oc-
cupied part OF a suite al a Washing.
ton hotel with Norman He said he
paid for the apartment and II was the /
custom fer bis friends from Ol;laho- /,
ma 10 stop there. Hamon. he said. !
had stopped there two or three times |
Never Received Financial Aid.
Have you ever received any flnan.
cial assistance from any person nav !
Chairman Burke asked
Il never have" replied Mr Nc
Guire
There never was the suggestion of
aid 70 be given me Ly McMurray or
any enc else
TT there any reason Why Senator
Gore should feel unfriendly toward
you?"
None that ! know OF Yet he has
done his utmost to give me 8 black
eye. Moreover, he has done good
deal of labrlcatinE He showed this I
In his attitude toward our efforts 10
secure approximations for federal
at Guthrie. Blackwell and
King Fisher, oklahoma Fe, wrote
letters saying he would do all he
could to help get the buildings and
then wrote letters saying he had dcne /
MI he could 10 get them, but to a
dead certainty he did al he could to
have the appropriation knocked out"
Made Apartments His Home
How many time did Hamon stop
at your apartments in Washington
We'll. ! never locked the door at
those apartments. Anybody from Ok
lahoma could come and make them.
selves at home Haon came there
because ] had known hi for wears. but
Hamon never discussed with me the
McMurray contracts
J. Milton Turner of St Louis. for
mer United States minister TO Liberia
testified as 10 his efforts TO Improve
conditions among the negroes who
live on the Indian lands.
The committee win continue its In.
vestigation at McAloster, Okla, on
Monday.