The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-06
CURTIS ON STAND
Kansas Senator Before Com
mittee at MuskOgee.
Tells How He Helped Stop the
Graft.
HAMON TELLS STORY.
He Has No Explanation to Offsr
He Declares.
Regarding the Accusations by
Various Witnesses.
HAMON TELLS STORY.

Muskogee. Okla, Aug. 6.-Not only
United States Senator Charles CurtN
of Kansas, but also Vice president
Sherman disapproved of the contracts
whereby an attorneys fee" of $3,OOO'-
600 was to be allowed in the sale OF
S3O.OOO,OOO worth of Indian lands IN
Oklahoma
This assertion formed the substance
of testimony given by Senator Curtis
TODAY before the committee appointed
by the house of representatives to in
vestigate what are known as the Nc
Murray contracts.
Senator Curtis came here to TESTIFY,
following testimony given by Senator
T. p. Gore. who declared he had been
informed that Mr.. Sherman and Sen
ator Curtis each was interested in
the contracts, the approval of which
by congress and President Taft was
sought by ]. F. McMurray. Senator
Gore charged that a New York syn
dictate stood ready to purchase the
land for sSO,OOO,OO0 and the con-
tracts held by McMurray called for
10 per cent attorneys fee. whereas the
Indian treaties with the government
provided for the disposal of the land
without any expense to the Indians.
On the floor of the senate and in his
testimony here Senator Gore charged
the proposed sale was an attempt to
rob and plunder" the Indians.
Taking the stand before the COM
mittee, Senator Curtis related the de-
tails of a conversation which took
place at the White House among
President Taft. Vice President Sher-
4 Ii,
ator explained that he was member
of the senate committee on Indian af-
fairs and that previously as a men,
ber of the house he had been for IA
years a member of the house commit
tee on Indian affairs. He also re-
lated that Vice President Sherman
had been chairman of the house com
mittee previous to his election to the
vice presidency. That, said the sena-
tor, accounted for their having been
called to the White House to discuss
the McMurray contracts.
Called to White House.
Some time last April I was called
up on the telephone and asked to go
TO the White House. testified Senator
Curtis. The president. Mr.. Sherman
and myself then began to talk about
Indian affairs. The president sug-
Sested the possibility of reopening the
question of the Indian enrolment. 1t
seems there are about $4,000 claim
ants who assert they are Indians ana
who were left off the rolls and con-
sequently are not enjoying the priv
ileges accorded to Indians
II told the president it would be a
serious mistake to reopen that ulIes-
ton. The president then asked about
McMurray. I told him 1 had known
McMurray for years and as counsel
for the Indians he had never lost
case The president then wanted to
know what we thought about the con-
tracts allowing 10 per cent attorneys
ices. The reply of both myself and
Mr. sherman was that in this instance
we did not believe the Indians need
ed any attorney on 10 per cent basis
or any other basis. We called atten-
tlon to the fact that the treaties be-
tween the Indians and the government
called for a sale of the land bv the
government and no counsel was need
ed. 1t was pointed out that to give
attorneys fees in this instance would
be simply to deprive the Indians of
that much profit guaranteed to them
by the government That formed the
substance of our talk
we 1urther suggested to the presi-
dent that he should never take anv
action on any Indian contracts until
he had referred the matter to Off
the subject" . ''eO
"A few days after our conference ar
the White House." said Mr.. Cnrtis
senator Gore asked me about the in
terview and 1 told him he need not
worry as 1 believed the president
Would not approve of the contracts
Was that the impression Won got
that the president would not annroVe
of the McMurray contracts ?" asked
Chairman Burke.
Yes, that was my impression in a
way. l heard statement by Senator
Gore in committee that he knew tIa
man in Washington who was working
for the approval of these contracts
and VINO also was to get a commission
from a New York syndicate. That is
the man was to get fee from both
ends, from McMurray and from the
syndicate. Mr. Gore said the man was
ington." e9
Mr.. Gore said the man was Richard
Adans, an attorney of Washington.
Mr. Curtis testified that he did NOT
know Jake L. Hamon. who was charged
Dy senator Gore with having offered
RIM, Gore, $4,000 or $50.000 bribe to
put through the land deal"
chairman Burke: Did Senator Gore
ever tell you that someone had men
toned you as being interested in the
McMurray contracts ?"
Mr.. Curtis: HE did not. The first
] heard of it was the day after Mr.,
Gore made the charges in the senate
and some one asked me if knew who
Senator Gore referred to when he said
senator was interested. 1t was then
pointed out that he referred to me-
Asked if any animcsity existed be-
tween himself and Mr.. Gore, Mr. Cur
tbs said:
Never, until, a certain Indian mat
ter came up and Mr.. Gore declared 1
was meddling too much in Oklahoma
affairs by fair means and by foul"
What interest has former Senator
Long in the McMurray contracts %
II don't know. except that Mr.. Long
came to me after he was out of the