New-York tribune., 1910-08-13
INDIANS PAID HEAVILY
ChoctaW Says They Gave Law
yers S750,000.
POSSIBLE FEES, $5,000,0 900
Witness Who Testified Was an
Agent in the Employ of
J. F. McMurray.

SULPHUR. Okla, Aug 12.-Lawyers' expense
accounts running high as 100000, a
single fee already paid amounting to $780,
oaO and contingent fees still pending that
would aggregate about s5.o09,0oo figured in
the investigation of the Indian land affairs
by the special committee appointed by Con-
gress to-day
1t was pointed out that the Indians never
had secured large amounts of money due
them without having to pay heavily In the
shape of fees, and although they employed
regular lawyers on yearly salaries extra
fees were constantly PAID LOT the employ
ment of special counsel
The special counsel fee of s75o,ooo was paid
several wears ago TO j. F. McMurray and
his law partners, after they had prose-
cuted what is known as the citizenship
case" which, it was stated. kept off the
rolls thirty-two thousand persons who
wanted to participate in the claims against
the government
Indians Still Fighting.
Bv the winning OF this suit, it was ex
pIained that the value of the property to
the Indians who remained on the rolls
was enhanced s16,000,0o0 on a basis Of 5000
for each of the $1,000 claimants who were
kept Off The sale of the property and the
division Of the proceeds are still peinS
fought for by the Indians
This testimony developed in the exami-
nation of George F. Scott, Choctaw.
Scott was active in securing signatures
for the McMurray contracts, to promote
the approval of which by Congress Senator
Gore charges that on May last he was
| offered a bribe of $4,000 or s50,ooo-
| McMurray's contracts, Scott testified, II
dis
nose of about s5O,oooooo worth of property.
which on a 10 per cent attorneys fee
basis. would result in a net profit to Nc
Murray and his associates of almost s5,-
COO 900.
This fee, according to Senator Gore ana
members of the committee who interrogated
the witnesses, would be paid for services
that the government had already promised
to give the Indians without cost. Scott
also showed In his testimony that the cost
of EMPLOYING McMurray would be in addi-
ton to $4,000 now paid annually to regular
attorneys.
Scotts contention was that the attorneys
on the regular salaries were not so active
as contingent fee attorneys Scott appeared
after his name frequently had been men,
toned by previous witnesses.
oSOlt tFOfNCU loi fHStha'i A}'
Scott had testified previously that he had
sent dispatches to Washington, urging the
approval of the contracts He had been
working for McMurray without any writ
ten or verbal agreement, he SAID. as 10
sharing In the fee, and had induced many
Indians to sign. He worked in this respect
among the Indians despite the opposition OF
Green McCurtain. chief of eighteen thou
sand Choctaws.
In one telegram to Richard Adams, an at
torney at Washington, he referred to Vice
President Sherman and Senator Charles
Curtis cs Kansas, as understanding bet
ter than any one else what the Indians
wanted
Both Mr. Sherman and Mr.. Curtis.
said Scott. long were identified with Ind
ian affairs, and once we believed they knew
more about us than did our congressman
WAS that the only reason for your re-
ferring to Mr.. Sherman and Mr.. Curtis!
YES. we had absolute confidence In their
ability to deal with Indian affairs.
Scott denied he ever had received any
| financial aid from McMurray. He insisted
his interest in the contracts was based only
on his anxiety to get the lands sold
He told of inducing the Indians to send
| teIegrams to Washington urging the
prompt sale of the land in May last ~.
Mr. McMurray was IN Washington uTg-
| ing the approval Of his contracts, and on
| May s. three days before Senator Gore
says the bribe was offered, McMurray teie-
graphed TO Scott, in Oklahoma: Looks
| better here We will win, I know.
Now, what did you take that to mean?'
Scott was asked. Did you think McMur-
ray was going to get his contracts approved
soon?"
We'll. it appeared he felt encouraged
| over the situation at Washington
"One reason why the Indians were will
ing to nay big fee Scott said, was that
they were afraid the government would re-
open the rolls and take in ten thousand
more indians now excluded from sharing in
the proceeds Scott said he believed the
Indians would give 25 per cent attorneys
| fees if they could sell at once.
AS treasurer of the Choctaw Nation. Scott
| said. he had charge of payment of war
rants He said it was customary first to
pay the warrants of his friends and then
hold ND those who were not his friends
Scott admitted his management OF the
financial affairs OF the Indians was the sub
iect of complaint at Washington, and the
Secretary Of the Interior finally took the
payment of warrants out Of his hands.