The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-16
INDIANS DEFRAUDED
BY LAND GRADERS
Investigation Reveals World OF
Swindling Schemes
CHILDREN ARE LOSERS
In One Case Guardian Charged So
Much for All His Various Services
That There Was Absolutely
Nothing Left
CHILDREN ARE LOSERS

Sulphur, Okla, August "details of
scheme by which land grabbers or
ganized systemati cally to enrich them
selves at the expense of minor Indians
were related at the congressional in
vestigation into land affairs today. In
one instance the cost of disposing of
the property of a young Indian was
$4,000 more than the property brought
Hearing that the scheme prevailed
Representative Philip P. Campbell OF
Kansas. member of the investigating
committee had put on the stand James
Yarbrough, a Chickasaw Indian by in
termarriage.
do you call this sort of thing graft
ing or just plain stealing" asked Mr..
Campbell after the witness had re-
lated the circumstances.
We'll. the people down our way think
1t is a scandal that the laws permit
such a thing and we think it is time
that congress took notice of IT.
The probate court at Durant allowed
the guardian to sell for $500 tract
of 140 acres of what is known as allot-
The guardian then put in claim on
the proceeds. The claim included $685.
for acting as guardian. s1o65 for i'm
proving the land. $500 for a barn, sec
for posts, $3.50 for fences; $6S for wit
ness fees and more money for other
purposes. 1t was found when the deal
was closed that the child owed his
former guardian s2075 and now the
guardian is threatening to have the
property of the child sold in order tc
get the $2076.
II know of another case in which
325 acres were sold for an Indian chile
and when all the claims were paid the
child got $3.50. In another instances
$500 was obtained for 200 acres but
the child got only 1920 In other words
the children of deceased Indians II
this state. one third of the Indians o.
the United States. were systematicall,
robbed of their estates. The propert,
is sold at prices dictated by the lant
robber The children are robbed a
both ends. At one end by their guard
ians and at the other end by the pur
chasers."
do you mean to say that such thing'
are countenanced by the probate courts?'
Yves; they go on with full knowledg'
of the judges. Thousands Of acres o
property are thus taken from the indiana
ana thrown into the hands of white peo
pie, the Indians getting poorer and thu
landgrabbers Richer"
| Most of today's testimony was given b.
witnesses for the defense. ]. F. McMur
ray. whose 10000 contracts allowing hin
10 Der cent attorneys foe for the sal
of the Sso,0oo.OOO of Indian land causet
present investigating. sought to shov
that a large percentage of the signer
were still in favor of his terms. A dozel
Chickasaw Indians testified they wer
willing to increase the fee II 1t would re
suit in the prompt sale OF allotted land
held in trust by the government
Thomas B. Crews, an attorney OF 81
Louis, testified he had contracts with
freed men or negroes who claim india
blood, or claim to be descendants Q
former slaves or Indians. These freeo
man assert they we're wrongfuily KEEP
off the citizenship rolls. On the basis Q
his contracts Mr.. Crews said he would
allowed q IS per cent attorneys fee.
citizenship right Is estimated to
worth 5000 The 700 claimants, II sue
cessful In litigations, 1t was SAID woul
acquire . claim on the government
about Ss,5ooooo. The attcrneyS 10 u