The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-08-18
CECIL LYON MADE
TO REVEAL SHARE
IN BIG FEE CRAFT
His Friendship With Roosevelt
Vainly Thought to Be Worth
a Money Considera-
ton.

Sulphur, Okla, Aug. 16.-What part
Cecil A. Lyon, republican national COM
mitteeman for Texas. took in the &C.
tivity at Washington for the approval
Of the old tribal McMurray contracts
for the sale of Indian lands was des-
cribed by Mr.. Lyon in the hearing
before the congressional investigating
committee today. These contracts were
disapproved by President Roosevelt in
1908. The contracts, which are the
cause Of the present investigation, Mr..
Lyon said he had no interest In.
Asked II he thought he was asked to
join in the old contracts because of
his political influence and acquaintance
with President Roosevelt, Mr.. Lyon
said:
1T was entirely possible"
In 1905 Mr.. Lyon said he Joined with
j. F, McMurray's law firm in the o n
tracts by which a 10 per cent attor-
neys' fee was to be obtained for the
sale of the land. Mr.. Lyon went to
Washington, and in company with
Francis Leupp, commissioner OF Indian
President Roosevelt. There was some
discussion concerning making the In
dams stockholders In the land, but this
plan was not gone into.
"Was 1t possible that your connec-
ton with the president and your po-
litical influence induced McMurray to
get you to Join him?" asked Chair
man Burke.
ut is possible, but I fiatter myself
that 1t was partly my business abil-
ity."
'But it was known that you were a
welcome visitor at the White House? p,
Yes. I believe So"
1T was known then, that you were
a good friend Of the president and that
publicly known. wasn't itf"
Yes. I suppose So"
ID you think this prompted McMur-
ray to ask you to join him, that Is, be-
cause Of you political influence and
your friendship with the PRESIDENT"
"As I said, 1t may have been partly
this, but I iatter myself 1t was be
cause Of my business experience"
Told Garfield Of II.
Mr.. Lyon continued: II told Secre-
tary Garfield that my employment in
the matter was to be open and above
board, INC If there was anything not
exactly proper with the contracts I
would have nothing to do with them"
Mr.. Lyon testified he made efforts to
have investigated certain indictments
against the McMurray law firm. The
y iIl0lCt<iCHtS udu pttfl ICtuTuco III III
nection with the Indian affairs. 1t was
represented to Mr.. Lyon, he said. that
the indictments were unjust.
The attorney general later recon-
mended to the president that the in
dictment be dismissed. The indictments
subsequently were dismissed.
What was your idea in bringing the
matter to the attention Of the auth0ri-
ties at Washington"
well. we had a president then, as
We have now, who believes in a q
deal, and IL these Indictments were
net fair they should have been inves-
tigated."
Hired Out Afterward.
"Dtd you enter into the Indian land
contract deal with McMurray prior to
or after the indictments were dis
missed?"
IT think afterward. I took up the
McMurray contracts purely as a busi-
ness deal. After they were disapproved
I had nothing further to do with them
there. 1 had absolutely nothing to do
with the present contracts McMurray
has.
ION the floor of the House. during
the last session, Representative MUIR
ply, of Missouri, u%njustly attacked me
! by saying that McMurray, in lobbying
for the present contracts, was ably as
sisted by myself. That statement by
Mr.. Murphy was made either in ignor-
ance or a desire to misrepresent. / have
done nothing with the contracts now
under investigation"
McAllester, Okla, Aug. 16.--It was
brought out in the congressional in
v~estigation OF the Gore bribery charges
today that baby Indians, as well as
adult ones, had signed the McMurray
contracts providing for the sale of $780,
100000 worth of land on a 10 per cent
attorney fee" basis.
The names of the little "papooses"
were signed by the parents or guar
dams, witnesses testified. 1t was Incl
dentally developed that race suicide is
far from threatening among the In
dams, as families Of six to nine chill
dren are common.
Nine in One Family Sign.
J.. NJ. Perkins, a Choctaw, testified he
had nine children, all Of whom had
signed" the contract.
w were led to believe that the on
tracts were a good thing" said Per-
kins. 1--WE considered that McMurray
knew better than our congressman and
senator's how to go about selling the
land. We believed that by signing the
contracts we would realize quicker on
That's why l and the children signed
up"
Dr.. J. Fl. Miller, a Choctaw by inter-
! marriage. testified that he and his
eight children had signed the con-
tracts.
The present great wealth of the
Oklahoma Indians was brought out in
testimony. Although the Choctaw and
Chickasaw tribes OF Indians are fight
ing for their individual shares of the
land now held for them by the govern
ment they are at present accounted
among the richest people in the world.
Indian witnesses took the stand and
told Of measuring their land by the
thousand acres. Another testified that
his family owned 1900 acres of which
, 1000 acres were under cultivation,
with cotton, corn and potatoes. The
Ian. is rented out, he said, giving him
one-duarter of the cotton crop and
One-third the corn, without labor to
, him..
Before Carter left the stand McMur-
rays attorneys gained from him testi-
mony tending to show that Mcclure,
in Indian matters, had supported meas
I ures in congress opposed to the interest
Of McMurray.
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