The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-08-08
INDIANS HAD
been ROBBED
Had No Cofidence in
the Government
Cores Sensation

McAlester, Okla, Aug, Slow the
contracts wore procured by which, ac-
cording to Senator Thomas p Gore,
S3.0O0,0 900 In attorneys fees was to
be made out of the sale of land given
TO the Indians by the government, wag
related before the special congress
sional Investigating committee today
W. T. HOLMAN. a Choctaw Indian.
testified that he had been employed
by j f. McNIurray. holder of the con
tracts, to go out among the Oklahoma
Indians and indIhce them TO sign the
documents. At the same time. Holl-
man related. he was paid "a dollar a
head" for securing contracts appoint
ing McMurray to act in tax cases. In
this way Mchnlrray procured 10000
contracts 10 sell land.
Tho terms We're 10 per cent attor-
neys' fees. or 100000 profit for Nc
Murray and his associates To pro-
mote this deal in congress, Senator
Gore contends, he was offered a $25,,
600 or $50. 900 bribe.
HOLMAN testified that he himself
had signed the 10 per cent contract
because be, In common with other In
dians, had become discouraged on the
governments promise TO sell the land.
Il would have given 25 per cent to
McMurray," said Holman. III he
could have gotten us the money quick
ly"
He said he believed some of the
Indians would be willing to have
given McMuTray "a per cent
In a statement TO the committee.
and without going on the stand, Nc
MoTray today declared that the con
tracts came to him originally against
his desire. He said the Indians at a
war council had demonstrated their
impatience at the governments al
legged slowness In selnng the land. and
had called upon him to take the job
at 10 per cent. which he did with re-
luctance.
McMurray VIII go on the stand
later
Questioned further, Holman testi-
fed 1t was the belief OF the Indians
that their property was worth from
$50 100000 TO $40.OOO.O0o, and the un-
derstanding was that McMurray was
to get 10 per cent of this.
rs IL the belief of the Indians that
McMurray has some power at Wash
ington by which he was able to get
money more quickly than il YOU left it
to the government" asked Congress
man f. A. Saunders OF Virginia
I'VE didn't know how he was going
10 do il. but thought he knew how
was the answer
Did YOU think LIcMurray was
maglcian?"
we thought he knew how to do it."
rs IL actually the belief among the
Indians that they have to pay some
body else to get what the government
has said Tlghtfully belongs to them?'
THAT has become the belief-that
they have to give up a good portion
of what they get in attorneys fees"
d c.. McCurtain. a Choctaw Indian
and an attorney for his tribe, went on
the stand and reiterated his charges
that McMurray, in 1906, In the lobby
Of the Raleigh hotel in Washington,
had offered him S25.000 bribe TO
withdraw tribal opposition to old con
tracts which were disapproyed by
President Roosevelt. He declared he
had once been employed by McMur-
ray while he was delegate to Wash
ington for his tribe. but he asserted the
work for McMurray was in behalf OF,
and with the consent of, the Indians.
When the bribe was offered. he was
not associated with McMurray. and
he did not share IN the $750,O00 at
torneys' fees granted McMurray in the
citizens cases several years ago.