Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-07

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in the contracts but which Hamon denied.
Hamon had asserted that before the con-
ference at washington, ,Creager had called
him up on the telephone and made the APP
pontment
Creager in a long clrcumstantial narra-
tive of riding on street cars, meetings at
restaurant and going to the Occidental
hotel, emphatically declared that Hamon
called him up and that the meeting was at
lannon's solicitation.
Mcclure not Approached.
Congressman Mcclure denied he ever
was interested" in the contracts OF had
sought their approval by congress. He
said he knew McMurray and Hamon.
Hamon had sometimes stopped at his
su o at the hotel In Washington. Me-
Murray had asked him IL ..e had opposed
the contracts, and on his answering he
had not he agreed with McMurray to
tell President Taft that the entire Okla
homa delegation was not opposed to the
contracts. He asserted he never had
been improperly approached in regard to
the contracts and he never was interested
in them ito the extest of one penny"
r. l.. Murray of the Chicasaw tribe
said Governor job nson of that tribe had
repeatedly urged him to induce as many
Indians as possible to send kilograms
to washington TO have the contracts ap-
proved, which he had refused to do.
ID. @ McCurtain, who described HIM
self as a delegation to washingtos for
the Choctaws. preceded his father on the
stand He testified that before the dis
approval of the old tribal contracts by
President Roosevelt an 1908, and while
they were. still pending. he was APP
preached by McArurray in the lobby of
the Raleigh hotel at Washington Nc
Murray had bees talking with Cectl51yon
national republican committeeman of
Texas, but Lyon went away before tile
subject of the $4,000 was discussed
Sees AIcAiurray several Times.
McCurtain continued: II was then Choc-
taw delegate to Washington and 1t was
known that had persistently opposed the
sale of Indian lands by contract with pri-
vate individuals. McMurray saw me a
number Of times In regard to his money
offer"
Just where did this offer of bribery take
placer" asked Congressman Campbell.
1T took place in the lobby OF the motel at
about noon"
was Cecil Lyons present when the offer
was nader
mo; had been introduced to him and
he walked away"
''Ar. McAiurray made the offer to you
personality" fs
yea"
1t was explained that the tribal contracts
discussed at washington at that time were
later disapproved of entirely
The McMurTay contracts now pending
are new and were obtained individually
after the disapproval by President Roose-
welt OF the old ones
Mccurtaln's charges of attempted brib-
cry supplement those OF Senator T. p
Gore. McCurtain. who is about 40 years
old, Is a dark-skinned Indian with je
black hair. While he testified in dis.
tinct loud voice his father. Governor Me.
Curtain. veteran Indian presiding officer
OF many council meetings OF pioneer days
sat beside him.
Curtis IL First witness.
MeCurtain's testimony came as a climsl
following the appearance on the stand o.
Senator Charles Curtis OF Kansas, wh0 re
futed previous testimony by Senator Core
that Vice President Sherman was Inter
ested9 in the land deal now pending. Sen
ator Curtis asserted that both he and Yic'
President Sherman were on record as 9sinl
unfavorable toward the McMurray con
tracts. whereby ss.oOO.OOO or 10 per cent o
the proceeds from the deal was to be di
verted from the Indians In tho shape o
attorneys fees" Senator Curtis testified
that Senator Gore once had remarked tha
he tcurtis) was "meddling too much ii
Oklahoma affairs by fair means ana b!
foul"
IL was Senator Gore who in preytOu
testimony had declared that Jake L. Ha
mon had offered him 4 bride OF SIS 900 o
$4,000 20 help put the deal through con
gress. Senator Gore also had testified tina
someone had said Senator Curtis was in
terested" in the deal. Hamoa subsequently
denied all OF Senator Cores testimony.
TeIIs OF Talk with Taft.
Taking the stand before the eommitte
Senator Curtis related the details Of a con
versation which took place at the Whit
House between President Taft and Vic
President sherman last year. The senate
explained that he was a member of tn