The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-08-06
SENATOR CURTIS
REPUD|ATES
CORES STORY
Declares Both He and Vice
President Sherman Were
Opposed to Contracts
EVIDENCE SHOWS GORE WAS
ONCE IN INDIAN LANO DEAL
Entered Into a Combination With
Hanson and Others to Keep Down
Prices at Public Auction of Indian
Lands Few Years Ago.

Muskogee, Okla, Aug. 6.-More
charges of attempted bribery in the
Oklahoma Indian land deals were
; made before congressional investiga-
ton committee today. d. c. McCur-
tain. a Choctaw Indian, governor Of
the Choctaw nation and an attorney
for that tribe, testified that j. +. Nc
Murray had offered him $4,000 to ap-
prove the land deal. The contracts
were those which were disapproved
by President Roosevelt in 1908.
II was called to the hotel by Nc
Murray" testified McCurtain, "and
while there was introduced to Cecil
A. Lyon, national Republican commit
teeman from Texas. When Lyon left
McMurray he said, L have decided to
give you $4,000 if you will not op-
; pose these contracts. II the contracts
go through just as they are you get
the money. IL our profits are cut
down. then your money will be cut
in proportion
j. f. McMurray, in an interview to-
day, denied that he had ever offered
$25,O0O or any other amount to Nc
Curtain. McMurray declared that
Cecil Lyon was financially interested
with him in the old tribal contracts.
Not only United States Senator Cur
! It's OF Kansas, but also Vice President
Sherman disapproved of the contracts
whereby an attorneys fee of $3,0OO,-
600 was to be allowed in the sale Of
! $50 100000 worth of Indian lands in
Oklahoma.
i This assertion formed the substance
of the testimony given by Senator Cur
tbs today before the committee ap-
pointed by the house of representa-
tives to investigate what are known
as the McMurray contracts.
lannon's Story.
| Replying to the congressman 8
charge that Hamon had suggested that
an interest" in the contracts might
be available to the congressman if the
latter helped remove opposition to
congressional approval. Hamon tes-
/ titled:
| ut was just this way: l was down
here in Oklahoma attending to my
business. when friend told me Crea-
ger had said had approached him
improperly in regard to the McAIurray
contracts. So hoped on train and
went to Washington. l met Creager
and told him what had been said.
Then Creager said: Now, Lake,
that certainly was the impression /
got-that you suggested l might get
an interest in the contracts re-
piled: You certainly are mistaken.
Then Creager said: Well. if you say
shouldn't go, won't go before that
investigating committee down at
Muskogee and testify that you ap-
preached me-
Among lannon's denials were the
following:
He denied that he at any time had
been closeted with Senator Gore in
the senator's Office at Washington to
urge the approval of the contracts.
He denied he had ever mentioned
Vice President Sherman. Senator Cur
tis OF Kansas. or Congressman B. S.
Mcclure of Oklahoma as being "in-
terested" in the contracts, as charged
by Senator Gore.
He denied he had ever spoken of q
bribe to anybody about the legisla-
tion. or that he ever was interested
in the McMurray contracts.
He denied that at the time the con-
tracts were being discussed, he had
called up Congressman Creager on the
! telephone at Washington, asking for
an appointment, but said Mr.. Creager
had called him up; Mr.. Creager previ-
ously had testified that Hamon asked
an appointment, at which the Inter
est" in the contracts was spoken of.
He denied he had ever said: Dick
the senator is becoming mighty hard
on his friends" in the presence of D.
F. Gore, brother of Senator Gore; D.
f. Gore had testified that Hamon made
the remark just after the senator re-
fused the alleged bribe. He denied
that he had ever said: IL want tn
make H., OF money and don't ..re
much how l make ii" in the presence
of ]. Leroy Thompson. Senator Cores
stenographer; Thompson previously
had testified Hamon made the remark
Interrogating the witness, Congress
man f. w. Sunders, member of the
committee, said:
"Now, Mr.. Hamon, you have denied
/! the testimony OF all OF the witnesses
who have preceded you. You have
branded the assertion of the senator
his brother. his clerk and the con-
gresham as being absolutely false. II
would appear from your denials that
a conspiracy had been entered into
grossly to misrepresent you. How dc
you account for that?"
That's beyond my power OF con-
lecture" replied Hamon. Il never
had one penny's interest in the Nc