The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-06
'athing Is Yet Proven in the Investigation Originated
 By Senator Gore
gAAMON DENIES EVERY
 ALLEGATION SUBMITTED
sueressman Creager's Side of the gase Is Also Denied By HammOn In His Testimony Before
 the Committee

Aaskogee, Okla, August 5.-With 1nitgd States Senator Thomas P. Gore f1ass erting his charge that he had been affeT ed a bribe of s25,0O0 or $5ooOO to in- aueHce his action in Congress, and with 3 Y,. Hammon, accused by the senator ar llving offered the bribe, denying that he lad ever done any such thing, the snvestigation of the Oklahoma Indian deais by committee of the House of Representatives today simmered down to mass of denials.
 Tcr four hours Hammon, former chair mar of the Oklahoma republican state con mittee, entered a continuous series of ienfals relative to his alleged rela- tlo Us with what are known as the Mo- Murray contracts by which, according to Senator Gore, $3,000,000 or 10 per cent of S30,O0000O to be realized from the sale of Indian lands to a New York syndicate. was to be diverted from the Indians in the shape of attorneys fees
 Hammon also answered Congressman C. F. Creager with a denial.
 Replying to the congressmans charge that Hammon had suggested that an in- terest in the contracts might be avail able to the congressman if the latter helped to remove congressional opposi- ton, MT. Hammon testified
 Visit to Washington
 M "Creager had said I had approached him improperly in regard to the Mo Murray contracts I hopped on a train and went to Washington I got hold of Creager and said: Look here. you know l never said this Then Creager said: Now, Jake, that certainly was the im- pression I got. You suggested that l might get an interest in the contracts. l replied You are certainly mistaken
 
 I should not go I won't be fit to go be- fore the <investigatfon committed sss s'srs ! Mir Hammon denied that he had at any time been cioseted with Senator Gore in the senator's office at Washington to urge the approval of the contracts. He denied that he had ever mentioned Vice President sherman. Senator Curtis of Kansas or Congressman Bird s. Me- Guire of Oklahoma as being interested in the contracts as charged by Senator Gore
 MT. Hammon denied that be had ever spoken of a bribe to anybody or that he was ever interested in the McMurray contracts He denied that at the time the contracts were being discussed he had called up Congressman Creager on the telephone at Washington, asking for an appointment, but said MT. Creager had called him up. MT. Creager previously had testified that Hammon asked an ap- DOintment, al WnlCn tilt lutti cct III thS contracts was spoken Of as published oy the Associated Press.
 He denied having said: "Dick. the sen- ntor is going back on his friends,' in the presence of Judge Gore, brother of the senator, he declared.
 Alter Refusal of Bribe
 Judge Gore testified that Hammon made the remark after the senator had refused the alleged bribe He denied that he had ever said: ''I want to make a lot of money and don't care much how make it," in the presence of J. Leroy Thompson, the stenographer of Senator Gore.
 Thompson previously testified that Hammon had made the remark.
 Interrogation of the witness by Con- gressman Sanders, a member of the committee, followed. He asked:
 You have denied the testimony of al. ef the witnesses who have preceded you. You have branded the assertions of the senator, his brother, his clerk and the congressman as being absolutely false 1t would appear from your denials that a conspiracy had been entered into to grossly misrepresent you. How do you hccount for that?"
 "That's beyond my power of con lecture" replied MT. Hammon. T never had one penny's interest in the Me Murray contracts and never offered a hribe to any one. It is barely possible that did see Senator Gore on May G. last, when he says the offer of bribe was made. I saw him frequently, but at this time I believe he took me up into fhe library cf the senate and closed the doors. He vaated to talk over with me his cor5ls mpaign and see how I ronld asil .sIal out of the city. AL thongi I a-n, republican and he a dem-
 kt1 Ao1@ 1f -iyoa, rnG senator Gore had been good g~enas taB gg1 not?" asked Chairman Burke
 exEau0 sDr Nineteen Years
 isYee IaneV him as a friend for l9 Nfare and had business dealings with tanH
 Aekea fn explnin some of his business Heaiinga Aif mmon said several years .ee at LasTt1fl Okla, when the govern snsai deciaea lo sell at public auction sonls lands nelo1ging to the Indians as Yeported ky tho Associated Press. he, Eeartor Gore q others entered into a 1t9a,inst.on not to bid againnt each other 50 the pro perty might be obtained tseanly All l hem secured some land. le said.
 (yrairalaa l5urk,: Don't you know that fnere Is redefs.i statute against com bnatsop 10 prevent competitive bidding?" Ttan &si I lil not know of the law fisanl hi7 nave since thought of it. It | Urs flr a dafirsi- on the part of all of t ie art t,e and as cheaply as possible. li Was na stood among us. that we l Wopidr ,lid against each other" [nrHrea man Miller: You know that the pr3cfeds rom the sale were to go to tAr tdi rf fo ,u not? Do you think | .hlt vrs 9nnorape toward the Indians ?' H4rz i ne lid not look at 1t that ray fact. Fc tont do things out west iust r fe same way as you do in the tasif
 lf sonet of his business transactions ~i.h Snieff Gore, Mir. Hammon testified tse-sy hans ~tre involved. Srre V nted . Loan Jae Cor yress adjourned" said l rir Al St ihe senator came to mo anif sN&sM 'of pay $8O0Q which he owed .o Vt ewen. He had 5000 of