New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-05

been talking about, but when Hamon
left the Senator said he had 5een talk
| ing about the McMurray contracts. and
Hamon had offered him $4,000.
THE Senator said Hamon offered to
increase the amount. That's all that
was said to me about the matter at that
time. Later McMurray came to me and
said he was sure the Senator did not
understand those contracts and he
wished he knew some way of making
him understand He invited me TO the
hotel to talk ii over so 1 could tell the
Senator. He also wanted to know if l
would attend a frogleg banquet which
he was arranging. l declined all OF
these invitations"
J. Leroy Thompson, stenographer to
Senator Gore, testified he also was in
and out of the Senator's room when
Hamon was present. He, too, was In
vited to the frogleg supper, he said, but
declined.
| Representative Campbell-How long
were the Senator and Hamon in confer
ence together?
About thirty or forty minutes. re-
piled Thompson. When Hamon came
out 7 overheard him say he wanted TO
make a lot Of money, and he did not
care much how he made it"
Did YOU hear anything that was said
at the conference?'
NO, I did not Usually when Hamon
called l heard everything that was SAID
There never before had been any ef1ort
to conceal it But this time it was diff
ferent''
In what way was it different? Did
Hamon act differently"
Yes: he appeared not to want to say
ANYTHING when l was in the room, which
was quite opposite from his usual man
ner.'
That the Choctaw Indians who had
protested against giving 10 per cent at
torney's fees to McMurray had been
asked to rescind their action formed the
/ substance of testimony offered by w. A
Durant. a Choctaw Indian and a mem
Der of the Oklahoma Legislature.
Durant asserted that at a Choctaw
council meeting resolution against the
McMurray contracts had been passed.
Later. he said, number Of persons had
gone into the Choctaw nation, urging
the Indians TO sign a document declaring
themselves in favor of the contracts, but
most of his tribe maintained their oppo-
sition.
| McMurray's Activity.
In 19oS.' said Senator Gore, testify
ing at the morning session, president
| Roosevelt refused to give his approval
| to certain contracts which McMurray
| had procured from the Indians as tribes.
Under the law the contracts made with
| tribes of Indians were not valid until
approved by the President. In the same
year MeMurray procured contracts lndf-
vidually with about ten thousand of the
Indians, whereby the Indians were to
! give 10 per cent of the gross receipts
| from the sale of their lands.
''McMurray came to my Office at
Washington and wanted me to support
his contracts. I told him 1 would not
do So but, on the other hand. 1 thought
| it would be absurd for the Indians to
pay that vast sum Of money for services
which the government was in duty
bound to perform. The McMurray in
terests then went TO President Roose-
welt, and 1 sent a telegram to the Presi-
dent urging him not to approve of the
contracts.
1T was notable how active were the
McMurray interests. When 1 called on
| Secretary Ballinger to protest against
the contracts I was told not to talk so
loud, as ex-senator Long, of Kansas.
was present, and he was interested in
| the contracts.
/ Il had introduced in the Senate
resolution requiring that all contracts
made with Indians should be approved
by Congress before they became valid.
On May last the committee having it
under consideration instructed Senator
| Hughes, of Colorado to report It favor
| ably
The very next day Jake Hamon,
Of Lawton, Okla, came to my office md
said he had a telegram to visit me, and
he was interested in the McMurray con-
| tracts
Senator Gore Was Amazed.
Then he mentioned the name of an
official very high up in the government,
and when / expressed establishment
| Harmon said: Well, you know there is
a lot of money in this thing If you say
the word l will arrange for the $4,000.
There will be no checks in this deal and
no marked money. 1t will be all new,
clean money
| ''Hamon said: There's a lot of money
! tied up in this deal, and a big fee for
somebody.
He then explained that he wanted me
| to withdraw my bill, or at least have it
reported unfavorably. 1t seems he did
not know il had already been reported