Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-08-08
INDIAN CONTRACT
PROBERs TO QUIZ
MEN HIGHER Up
j. F. McMurray, Holder of Con-
tracts, Expected to
Take Stand.
PROMOTERS SOUGHT
TO BRIBE CTiOCTAW CHIEF
Offered One Tribal Leader $751;
600 for His Assent to
Proposed Deal.

MACALESTER, Okla. Aug. s-Ready
to go deeper into Senator Thomas P.
Cores charges that he had been offered
$4,000 or s50.OoO bribe to promote in
Congress the ssO.O0o,0eO Indian land
deal. the special congressional investi-
eating committee convened here today.
having shifted the scene of its action
from Muskogee.
1t was expected that d. C. McCurtain,
leader of the Choctaw Indians. would
be recalled to the stand. McCurtain,
who is son of the chief of the tribo.
had testified to having been rendered n
$4,000 bribe in connection with old
tribal contracts which were subse-
quently disapproved by President
Roosevelt in 1908 The offer, he assert
ed, was made by j. F. McMurray. hold
er of the new contracts, which provide
on a 10 per cent basis for 5000. 900
attorney fees. 1t was in connection
with the new contracts that Senator
Gore charged the bribe was offered him.
McMurray himself probably will soon
be called to the stand to tell of his
relations with congressman and SEN
ators at Washington. He viii be asked
to throw more light on the previous
testimony of Congressman C. e.
Creager and B. S. MCGUIRE, Of Okla
homa.
Will Quiz Mr.. McMurrny.
He will be questioned also about his
relations with Jake l. Hamon. who,
according TO Senator Gore, was the
man who offered the bribe In McMur-
rays behalf. Mr.. Mcclure has testified
that although Hamon occasionally oc-
cupied a part of McGuire's suite of
rooms at hotel in Washington, there
was never any talk of a bribe.
AS indicated by Green McCurtain,
chief of $4,000 Choctaws, the Indians
have taken the position that they
signed the contracts because they had
become discouraged with what they
call the tardiness of the government in
| Opposing of the land and giving them
tfle proceeds. so that they might pur-
chase farm implements and improve the
allotments on which they live.
The 100000 acres of coal, asphalt and
timber land which it Is proposed to
sell for them is owned by them, in ad-
dition to the land on which they live
The mineral wealth of the extra land
was estimated by the United States
geographical survey at $3.50. 1000 900, and
Senator Gore said a New York syndi-
cate stood ready to purchase If through
McMurray for $4,000. 1000. One old In
dian who favored the 10 per cent Nc
Murray contracts said:
Are you going to let us starve just
because we have agreed TO give white
man a bite of our pie?"
Cecil Lyon. national Republican COM
mitteeman, of Texas. has sent word he
will appear before the committee. Ac-
cording to McMurray he was financial
~ interested in the old contracts
Jake L. Hamon again figured mo-
mentarily in the testimony He had
been charged by Senator Gore with
having offered a $4,000 bribe in Nc
Murrays behalf, but in his own testi-
mony said he went to Washington con-
cerning Governor Haskelrs Indictment
in the Muskogee town lot eases and
had nothing to do with McMurray G,
b. Stewart today testified he was at
torney for Governor Haskell and he
had not heard of Hamon's being so en-
ployed.