Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-07
HAMON TESTIMONY IS ATTACKED
STORY OF MEETING AND RIDES
SenntOr Gore TELLS of Proposition to
Put Through sale of Thousands
of Acres of Indinn
Lands.


| MUSKOCEE Olil., Aug. 6-Not only Jack
L. Hamon, but j. f. McMurray was named
as "A would-be briber In the investigation OF
the SSOOOOOOO Oklahoma Indian land deal be-
! fore the special congressional committee
/ today
| McMurray IS the holder OF the contracts
with the Choctaw and Chicasaw Indians, to
promote which in congress, Senator Thomas
J p. Gore charged he was offered a bribc
! d. c. McCurtain, Choctaw Indian and
a delegate to Washington for his tribe,
| charged that McMurray in 1906 affored him
a brbe of $4,000 to withdraw opposition to
the old tribal McMurray contracts which
were subsequently dsapproved by Presl-
! dent Roosevelt
/ Green McCurtain, chief of $1,000 Choctawu.
an Indian OF 62 years, with gray hair and
| brown plump cheeks, told the committee
! that George w. Scott whom he believed
acted in the interest Of McMulray offered
! him one-fourth of the profits" provided
| he induced the tribe to withdraw all oppo-
siton to the deal This offer referred to
new contracts held by McMurray. which
are the cause Of the present investigation.
ON the Per Cent Basis.
The amount of the bribe mentioned by
ID. c. McCurtain, who is son of the chief.
Is the same as that which Senator Gore
I
Jake Hamon to put through the pending
contracts, which, according to senator
Gore, would result in the selling Of 10000
OF acres of coal, asphalt and timber lands
owned by the Indians to a New York syn
| dlcate on basis that would give McMurray
ana his associates an attorneys fee" OF
| 10 per cent. or $S,O00OOO
The presentation of the charges against
| McMurray followed another doy of sensa-
uonal testimony during which Senator
Charles Curtis Of Kansas and Congressman
o. S' Mcclure of Oklahoma, appeared on
the stand to refute statements that the,
were interested" IN the deal
The name of Vice President Sherman was
again mentioned and conferences held by
President Taft over the McMurray CON
tracts were referred to-
| Both President Taft and Vice President
sherman, according to Senator Curtis, had
declared that 10 per cent attorneys fee
asked for was excessive The opinion was
unanimous at the presidents conference
he said, that in the sale of the land no
attorneys assistance was needed, and the
government by treaty already had stipu-
lated to sell the land on its own respons-
bility.
Indian gives Testimony.
something of a spray of an Indian war
council was presented when Chief McCur-
taln' known as the governor sauatted
himselt in chair before the committee
and brushing the flies off his head with
large handkerchief, gave his testimony.
"A long time ago." he said "many of the
Choctaws protested against the big fees
that would be allowed under the McMurrav
contracts. l. myself, sent a protest TO the
secretary of the interior-just before the
adjournment of the last congress-. George
w. Scott came to my home and asked me
to sign letter. l refused to do so.
Then he came again and told me he
, wanted me to write a letter to the secre-
! tary of the interior, withdrawing my pro-
I test against the McMurray contracts
When | said l would not do that, he said
he was authorized to agree to give me
one-fourth of the profits II did. Yes
he said We are going TO get and 10 per
cent fee out Of IT and YOU will get one
% fourth of the tenth. Now you sign the
letter and 1t will be a great bargain I
absolutely refused to do 1t and he went
away
Promises Not Kept.
"A good many of your tribe did sign the
contracts with McMurray. didn't they?"
asked Congressman c. b. Miller
YES they did II because they are losing
all faith in the government. They have
lost all faith in the government officials
and in their tribal officials too. It's be-
cause they have been given so many prom.
ises and the promises have not been kept
The government promised It would sell the
and and distribute the profits In 1906. II
hasn't done yet. The Indians are be-
coming disheartened over the governments
promises, and that's why they signed the
contracts They thought It would be bet
I ~ To 90 he tkav
Of It."
'Are they in a hurry to get money!"
''Yes, they certainly are. They need III
ttcy are poor, for they have been living
on promises so long"
"hy do you Indians have so many law
yers7"
Because we want to get the money"
"Can you estimate how much your tribe
has paid out in attorneys fees in the last
ten years."
"our tribe in that time has paid out
4bout 100000
Curtis Denies an Interest.
Senator Curtis told of having been sum-
moned by telephone to the White House TO
discuss there with President Taft and Vice
President Sherman the merits OF the Nc
Murray contracts. President Taft had ex-
pressed the belief that the 10 per cent fee
was too high and his visitor agreed with
him. This, the senator thought, sufficiently
J refuted the imputatlon that he was inter
ested" In the land deal. The senator knew
McMurray for years and had never known
Of his attempting to Influence" legisla-
tion.
Senator Curtis also testified that he alst
knew Of animaslty existing between
himself and Senator Gore. except that Mr..
Gore had remarked that Curtis was med
ding too much in Oklahoma affairs by fair
means and by foul"
Is Congressman c, +, Creager OF Oklahoma
d attacked the testimony previously given by
r Hamon, whom he accused of having sug-