The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-08-16
By Associated Press.


Sulphur, Okla, Aug. 16.--Attempts
to show that the government was jus
Titled delaying the sale of thirty mil
lion dollars worth of Indian land in
Oklahoma, occupied the congressional
committees Gore investigation today
From the testimony given it would
have been impossible for the govern
Iment to sell out the land and distri
butte the money among the Indians as
speedily as ]. f. McMurray had prom
Used on ten per cent attorney fees
basis. Representative C. D. Carter, Of
Oklahoma was recalled and was asked
What is your opinion of Vice Presi
Ident Sherman in matters pertaining to
Indian affairs?"
HE has always shown a deep in.
|terest in the Indians" Carter replied
what was his (Sherman's' attitude
toward the large fees?"
He opposed them. 1t has been as.
serted in previous testimony that Sher-
man expressed emphatically his dis
approval Of the ten per cent fee"
Representative G. H. Burke, chair
man Of the investigating committee,
pointed out to the witnesses that much
|of the governments alleged delay III
selling the land was due to the failure
LOT the Indians to take their shares Of
the allotted land
Douglas H. Johnson, chief of the
Chickasaw nation testified that he sign.
ed the McMurray contracts. He said
he had urged the others to sign, but
he never had been induced to do so
by McMurray.
Details of a scheme by which "land
|grabbers' organized systematically to
|enrich themselves at the expense of
minor Indians were related at the CON
gressional investigation into Indian
land affairs Monday. In one instance,
it was asserted, the cost of disposing
of the property of an 1S-year-old Indian
was $2,075 more than the property
brought and the condition which per-
mitted this and similar deals was de
clared to be disgrace to Oklahoma.
Hearing that the scheme prevailed
generally, Representative Phillip P
Campbell of Kansas. member of the
investigating committee, had put upon
the stand James Marlborough, a Chick
asaw Indian by intermarriage.
do you call this sort of thing
grating or just plain stealing?" asked
Mr. Campbell. after the witness had re
lated the circumstances.
well, the people down our way
think it is a scandal that the laws per
nit such a thing and we think it is
time that congress take notice of it.
The probate court of Durant allowed
the guardian to sell for $500 one
hundred and forty acres of what is
known as allotted land owned by an
1S-year-old child. The guardian then
put in claim on the proceeds. The
claim included $3.50 for acting as
guardian, $1,650 for improving the
land, $500 for a barn, $50 for posts,
$3.50 for fences, $6S for witness fees,
and more money for other purposes. tt
was found when the deed was closed
that the child owed his former guar
dian $2,O75 and now the guardian il
Threatening to have the property Of
the child sold in order to get the
$2,o76.
Y know Of another case in which
s25 acres were sold for an Indian
child and when ali the claims were
paid the child got $3.50. In another
instance $1,000 was obtained for 200
acres, but the child got only $120. IN
other words the children of deceased
Indians Of this state, where are locat-
ed one-third of all the Indians in the
United States. are systematically being
robbed Of their estates allotted them
by the government The property is
sold at prices dictated by the land rob
Ibers. The children are robbed at both
ends-at one end by their guardians
and at the other end by the purchas