The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-08-09
IICE-PKESIDENT INVOLVED.
Sherman'S Name Mentioned BY Sena-
tor Gore in Connection With Sen.
sational Charges.


happened in the private office of Unit
ed States Senator Thomas P. Gore at
Washington at noon last May 9Th
formed the basis of sensational charg-
es involving the names Of Vice Presi-
dent Sherman, Senator Charles Cur
It's, of Kansas; Congressman B. S.
Mcclure, of Oklahoma and others, III
a hearing before a special congress
sional investigation committee here
today.
During the 80 or 40 minutes of a
conference held in that office, Sen
ator Gore testified that he had been
approached by Jake L. Hamon, for
mer chairman of the Oklahoma terri
torial Republican committee and also
former chairman of the Oklahoma
State Republican committee and tha-
he had been offered bribe of $4,000
or $4,000 to remove certain legisla-
ton pending in congress so that 49,
100000 might be paid to J. F. McMur-
ray, an attorney at McAlester, Okla,
and his associates.
The money was to represent attor-
neys' fees for ten per cent. of $780,
100000 which was to be secured from
q New York syndicate for 100000
acres of coal and asphalt lands now
owned by the Choctaw and Chickasaw
Indians in this State.
Sherman'S Name Mentioned.
Vice President Sherman's name was
mentioned by Mr.. Hamon, Senator
Gore testified, as being interested in
the land deal 10 the extent of favoring
the approval by congress of what are
known as thes NcMurray contracts
with the Indians.
What happened in another private
room. in Washington and also where
it was alleged Hamon made more
<'overtures" relative to the land deal, /.
was told by Congressman C. E. Creag- :
ec, Of the third Oklahoma district .
Congressman Creager supplemented .
the testimony of Senator Core He
said On June Is last he had been in
vited by Harmon to meet him in pri-
vate room at the Occidental hotel in
Washington.
Having gone there Mr.. Creager tes- !;
titled, he was informed he could have
a substantial interest" in the land !
deal if he would Ethdraw his opposi- -,
tion of the approval Of the McMur1av
contracts by congress.
Asked the question: Were any
figures mentioned as to how much
you were to receiver" Mr.. Creager re-
piled: NO, did not let it go so far
as that. I made it plain l was not
open to being Influenced in that way.
81 had already gone on record as
being firmly opposed to the granting
of such an enormous fee for attor-
neys."
Congressman B. S. Mcclure, who
was charged by Senator Gore as "be-
ing interested" in the McMurray con-
tract was said by Mr.. Creager, in his
testimony, to have been at the time
Of his visit, an occupant of the same
suite of rooms with Hamon and Nc /
Murray at the hotel.
Details OF the Deal.
Explaining what ted up to his op-
posing the approval of the contracts
with the Indians, Senator Gore in his
testimony asserted that as far back !
as 1905 he wrote a letter to Senator
LaPTollette calling attention to the
great wealth of the coal and asphalt .
lands owned by the Indians.
He said the United States geologi-
cal survey had estimated the mineral .
deposits to be worth s160,000,OOO In
1905 be said McMurray had obtained
contracts with the tribes of Indians
for the sale of the lands on a 10 per
cent basis. In 1908 President Roose-
velt had registered his disapproval of
the contracts.
1n the same year McNurray obtain:
ed contracts individually with 10000
Indians, there being at that time no
law against the execution of contracts
with individual Indians. 1t was this
condition that aroused him to intro
duce resolution in congress declar-
ing that all Indian contracts must be
approved by congress before they be-
came valid.
:. "McMurray then Scame to my Of
fice;' said the senator. II told him
had 70 objection to just attorneys
fees, but that I thought ten per cent
NV hn 7o,,t r !