The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-08-11
By Associated Presa.

| by Associated Press.
McAlester, Okla, Aug, 1l.-Only a
brief session Of the congressional com
mittee was held today. the committee
leaving at noon for Sulphur.
1t was brought out today that baby
Indians as well as adults had signed"
the McMurray contracts. providing for
the sale of thirty million dollars worth
of land on ten per cent attorneys
fee basis. The names of the papooses
were signed by parents Or guardian,
the witnesses testified.
| J. M. Perkins, a Choctaw, said his
nine children had signed the con-
tracts. I'VE were led to believe the
contracts were good thing said
Perkins. I'VE considered that Nc
Murray knew better than our congress-
men and senators how to go about sell
| ing the land. We believed that by
signing the contracts we would realize
quicker on our claims against the gov
eminent. That is why ! and the chill
dren signed up
"Lo. the poor Indian" learned a few
more things about the proposed sales
of $30,000.O00 worth of his lands in
the hearing before the congressional
committee Wednesday.
John f. Shepherd, formerly a special
assistant in the department Of the
interior, testified that Senator Curtis
Of Kansas and Vice President Sher-
man We're also opposed to the amount
of the fee.
Congressman Mcclure has previous
lly figured in the investigations. Sem
ator Gore had mentioned him as s.in-
terested" in the contracts On the
stand Mcclure denied there were any
grounds for the charges.
Congressman G. b. Carter of the
Fourth Oklahoma district, testified
that in an interview at the home OF
Richard G. Adams, an attorney at
| Washington, that Adams said he had
an arrangement by which to secure
per cent of the profits" to be lie.
rived from the McMurray contracts.
HE also told me- testified Carter,
that Congressman Mcclure was in
on the deal and would get his share
He also told me that Or. Wright, a
delegate for the Choctaw Indians at
Washington. with a salary of $4,000,
was in on the deal He also said,
We've got some others, but he didn't
mention any other names
did Adams say he was going to
get 5 per cent Of all the money which
McMurray was to realize on the deal?''
asked Chairman Burke.
s'Yes, he said he was going to make
sure of it, as McMurray had double
crossed him at other times. but this
time he was going to fix It SO he
wouldn't lose out, and when McMur-
ray got his 10 per cent Of the $780,
100000. or whatever it amounted to.
he (Adams) was going to get per
cent of the proceeds.
! 7 also met Jake L. Hamon at Wash
| ington. He told me to go to that
man Gore" and get him to withdraw
that fool blll' of his against the Nc
| Murray contracts"
| Carter. who is part Chickasaw IN
dian. and who for two years was a
member of the house committee on
Indian affairs. was then asked
do you think majority Of the In
dians are in favor of these contracts,
giving 10 per cent to McMurray?'
There is no doubt that there are. "
he replied But there is also no
doubt that In signing the contracts
many were influenced to do BY persons
/ who had an interest In them
Adams was Described as Delaware
Indian. who frequently has been mem
toned as having called on President
Taft in matters pertaining to Indian
| affairs. It was Adams whom the In
i dians III this state asked TO address
kilograms urging President Taft to
approve the sale Of the lands. Nc
Murray. holder OF the contracts by
which, according to Senator Gore, TO
per cent of ss0.o00,000 in attorneys