New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-16
HOW LAND GRADERS"
BECAME WEALTHY MEN
Witness Explains Systems by
Which He Says the indians
Were Robbed.
"A DISGRACE TO OKLAHOMA"
Says Cost of Selling Property of
18-Year Old Boy Was S2,075
More than Sum Received
in It's Disposal.

Sulphur, Okla, Aug. 15.-Details of an al
legged scheme by which land grabbersf or
gained Systematically to enrich themselves
at the expense of minor Indians were re-
lated at the Congressional investigation in
to Indian land affairs to-day
In one instance, 1t was asserted. the cost
of disposing of the property of an eighteen
year-old Indian was S2O75 more than the
propertys brought The condition which per-
mitted this and similar deals was declared
TO be "a disgrace to Oklahoma"
Hearing tina the scheme prevailed gem
orally. Representative Philip P. Campbell.
of Kansas, member OF the investigating
committee, put on the stand James Var
borough a Chickasaw Indian by inter
marriage.
DO you call this sort of thing grating
or just plain stealing? asked Mr.. Camp
bell after the witness had related the cir
cumstnceS-
We'll, the people down our way think 1t
is a scandal that the laws permit such
thing, and we think ii is time that Con-
gress take notice of it
The Probate Court at Durant allowed the
guardian to sell for s., 800 a tract of 40
acres Of allotted land, owned by an eigh-
teen-year-old Indian. The guardian then
put III q claim on the proceeds.
The claim included $3.50 for acting as
guardian, $3.50 for improving the land, $500
for a barn, $50 for posts, $3.50 for fences,
s6S for witness fees and more money for
other purposes.
Child Owed Its ex- Guardian.
It was found when the deed was closed
that the child owed his former guardian
SOS Now the guardian is threatening to
have the property of the child sold in order
to get the s2,075.
II know of another case in which 524
acres were sold for an Indian minor, and
when all the claims were paid the child
got only $780," said the witness. In an
other instance s1,5o0 was obtained for two
acres, but the child got only $40 In other
words, the children of deceased Indians in
this state, where are situated one-third of
all the Indians in the United States are
Systematically robbed of the estates al
lotted them by the government. The prop
erty is sold at prices dictated by the land
robbers. The children are robbed at one
end by their guardians and at the other
end by the purchasers
DO you mean to say that such things
are countenanced by the probate courts?'
Yes, they go on with full knowledge of
the judges. Thousands of acres of property
thus are taken from the Indians and
thrown into the hands Of white people, the
Indians getting poorer and the land grab
bers richer
Most Of to-day's testimony was given by
witnesses for the defence. J. F. McMurray
whose ten thousand contracts. allowing
him 10 per cent attorneys fee for the
sale Of sSO,OOo0o0 worth of Indian land,
caused the present investigation, sought to
show that a large percentage of the signers
were still In favor of his terms A dozen
Chickasaw Indians testified they were will
ing TO increase the fee, if It would result
in the prompt sale of allotted land held in
trust by the government.