The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1910-08-18
.LAWYERY PREYED
on THE INDIANS.
IMMENSE FEES DEMANDED AND
PAID, SAYS REDSkIN
WITNESS.
MORE REVELATIONS IN PROBE
Declares McMurray and Partners Got
$750,000 at One Time.-Inside
Facts in Oklahoma Land Cases
Brought Out.
MORE REVELATIONS IN PROBE

Sulphur, Okla, Aug. 13.-Lawyers'
expense accounts running as high as
100000, a single fee already paid
amounting to $75O.O00, and contingent
fees that would aggregate about
$5,OOoOO0, figured in the Indian land
investigation. 1t was pointed out that
the Indians never had secured large
amounts of money due them without
having to come across" in the shape
of fees, and, although they employed
regular lawyers on yearly salaries, ex-
ira fees were constantly paid for the
employment of special counsel. The
special fee Of $750,0O0 was paid sever
al years ago to ]. F. McMurray and
his law partners, after they had prose-
cuted what are known as the Citizen
ship cases." which, it was stated kept
off the rolls $4,000 persons who want
ed to participate in the claims against
the government.
BY the winning of this suit it was
explained that the value of the prop
erty to the Indians who remained Oh
the rolls was enhanced $16,0O0,000 OF
a basis of $500 for each of the $4,000
claimants who were kept off. The
sale of the property and the division
of the proceeds is still being fought
for by the Indians.
This testimony developed in the ex-
animation of George F. Scott, Choc-
taw. Scott was active in securing sig
natures for the McMurray contracts to
promote the approval of which by con-
gress Senator Gore charges that he
was offered bribe of $25,000 or $780,
900.
McMuray's contracts, Scott testified.
would dispose of about $50.000,000
worth of property, which, on a 10 per
cent attorneys fee" basis, would re-
suit in a net profit to McMurray and
his associates of almost $4,000, 900.
This fee, according to Senator Gore
and members of the committee, who
interrogated the witnesses, would be
paid for services that the government
had already promised to give the In
dians without cost. Scott also showed
In his testimony that the cost of en-
ploying McMurray would be in addi-
ton to $4,000 now paid annually to
regular attorneys.
Reference to Sherman.
It was he who testified he had sent
kilograms to Washington, urging the
approval of the contracts. In one tele-
gram to Richard Adams, an attorney
at Washington, he referred to Vice
President Sherman and Senator Chas.
Curtis, Of Kansas, as understanding
better than anyone else what the In
dams wanted"
Questioned as to what he meant by
that Scott said he understood Mr..
Sherman and Senator Curtis had long
been familiar with Indian affairs and
he thought they were the ones to be
appealed to, notwithstanding it had
been shown that both Mr.. Sherman
and Mr.. Curtis had protested against
the 10 per cent fee. They held it to
be too high and unnecessary.
On cross-examination the witness
said the department of the interior
sometimes had complained concerning
his method of cashing warrants for
money due against the nation. He
said he sometimes had favored friends
in making payments when his authori.
ty for SO doing was in dispute.
In the 5000 tax cases which formed
a suit to prevent the government from
collecting taxes on allotted lands,
Scott said McMurray was to get $40
for winning each case. or $4,000 for
winning the cases collectively.