The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-08-06
: :SE MAN HIGHER UP
NS1
IN Bit % z@seAsE is v1cE-pREs-
n. SHERMAN.
Senator Gore Testifies That Several
Senators and Congressman Wer"
in the Deal.

WHAT happened in the private Off
90 OF United States Senator Thoma;
P. Gore, at WashiD gton at noon, last
May 6, formed the basis of sensa'
tional charges involving the names
of Vice President Sherman, Senator
Charles Curtis, of Kansas; Congress
man B. 8. MCGUIRE, Of Oklahoma, and
others, in a hearing before a special
| Congressional Investigating commit
tee at ,Muskogee, Oklahoma, Thurs,
|iday. =, 1s,2
During the thirty or, forty min
utes of a conference held. in that
Office, Senator Gore testified that he
had been approached by Jake L.
Hamon, ::ormer chairman of the Ok
lahona State Republican committee
and that he had been offered bribe
of $4,000 or $4,000 to remove
certain legislation pending in Con-
gress, so that s3,0O0.006 might be
paid to J. F. McMurray. an attor-
ney at McAlester, Okla, and his
assistants:
The money was to represent "at-
torneys' fees of ten per cent OF
100000, which was to be secured
from a New York syndicate. for 450,-
900 acres of coal and asphalt lands
now owned by the Chcctaw and
Chickasaw Indian tribes in Okla
homa.
Vice President Sherman's name
was mentioned by Mr.. Eamon, Sen
ator Gore testified, as being interest
ed in the deal to the extent Of ap-
proval by Congress OF what are
known as the McMurray contracts
with the indians. e..
What happened in another private
room in Washington, and aiso-where
it was alleged Hamon made more
"overtures" relative to the land deal,
was told by Congressman C. E.
Creager, Of the Sd Oklahoma dis
t,ict. Congressman Creger supple
,mented the testimony; OF Senator
Gore. He said on June 16, last, be
had been invited by Hamon to meet
him in private room at the Occi-
dental Hotel, in Washington.
HaEing gone there, Mr.: Creager
Sestfded, he was Informed he could
nave q substantial :'interest...,in the
land deal she would Withdraw his
Opposition to the. approval of Tie
sMcMurray contracts by Congress.
Senator Gore, in his testimony, as
serted that the offer Of bribery went
so far that Harmon said the SIS,
OR $50,O00 would not be paid over
lin the form of a check or marked
money, but that it would be all
clean. hard cash"
" The committee that heard the
charges was appointed by resolution
Of the House of Representatives to
Investigate the McMurray contracts,
which are declared to have been
made BY .McMurray individually with
10, 01O indians, each of whom agreed
to turn over 10 per cent. of his pro-
fits from the sale of land, provided
the contracts were approved by Con-
'gfess.
Senator Gore testified that Har.o,'
told him that man higher up
in thu Government was interested
in the approval of the contracts and,
therefore, there was no reason wnr
Senator Gore should not be. thar
when asked who was the man nigh
er up" Hamon had replied, "Vice
President Sherman.
That:Hamon told him Senator Cur
tbs of Kansas, was interested" in
the deal.
That Hamon told him Congress-
man Mcclure, of Oklahoma, was in
|terested in the deal.
That Hamon told him an employee
of the, department of justice at
washington was interested" in the
deal; that he, (Senator Gore,) knew
the name Of the employee, but would
not :diyulge his name or the nan:e
of his Informant, especially because
the latter would lose his position.
First New Cotton.
Georgia's S first bale of cotton was