The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-08-06
Murray contracts. and never offered
bribe to any one"


a bribe to any one"
ut is barely possible that ] did see
Senator Gore on May 6. last, when
he says the offer Of bribe was made.
] saw him frequently but at this time,
believe he took me up into the Ii
Senator Curtis came here today to
testify, following the testimony given
by Senator Gore who declared he had
been informed that Vice President
Sherman and Senator Crutis each
We're interested" in the contracts.
the approval of which by congress
and President Taft was sought by j.
F. McNlurray.
Senator Gore charged that a New
York syndicate stood ready to pur-
chase the land for $30.O0O.00O and the
contracts held by McMurray called
for ten per cent attorneys fees"
whereas the Indian treaties with the
government provided for the disposal
of the land without any expense to the
Indians. On the floor of the senate
and in his testimony here Senator
Gore charged that the proposed sale
was an attempt to rob and plunder"
the Indians.
brary of the senate. and closed the
doors. He wanted to talk over with
me his coming campaign. and see how
could help him out financially. AL
though am Republican and he a
Democrat. was in, the habit of help
ing him out"
"You and Senator Gore had been
good friends. had you not?" asked
Chairman Burke
"Yes, had known him as friend
e fnfs q I'M. In md hnI h,rSi Si,,o so
dealings with him.
Asked to explain some of his busi-
ness dealings. Hamon said several
ernment decided to sell at public auc-
tion. some lands belonging to the
Indians he. Senator Gore. and others
entered into combination not to bid
against each other SO that the prop
erty might be obtained cheaply.
All of them secured some of the
land, he said.
Chairman Burke-Don't you know
that there is federal statute against
combination to prevent competitive
bidding?
Hanlon-1 did not know of that law
then, but l have since thought of it.
1t was just desire on the part of
all of us to get the land as cheap as
possible. 1t was understood among
us that we would not bid against each
other.
Congressman Miller-You know that
the proceeds from that sale were to
go to the Indians; do you think that
was honorable toward the Indians?
Hamon-We did not look at it that
way. In fact We don't do things out
west just in the same way you do in
the east.
In some of his business transactions
with Senator Gore, Hamon testified,
money loans were involved.
Just before congress adjourned,
said Hamon, the senator came to me
and said he h.d to pay $4,000 which
he owed to Senator Owen. He had
81 900 of the cash, and he wanted me
to raise the other $4,000 for hun from
a client of mine.
Explaining what he was doing I'm
Washington at the time when Senator
Gore said he was Offering bribes,
Hamon said he was there in the inter
est Of Gov. c. n. Haskell Of Oklahoma
who was under federal indictment in
the Muskogee town lot cases. Senator
Gore had introduced a resolution ask
ing that the senate committee that
had been appointed to investigate the
third degree methods practiced in
various parts Of the country be also
empowered to Investigate the circunl-
stances leading up to the indictment
/ of Gov. Haskell.