Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-08-20
Congressional Committee Hears
About Contracts Made by
Lawyers with Indians
GOVERNMENT NOT CONSULTED
InquisitorS Intend to Ascertain
How Much Money Was OBJ
tained of Redskins
ASSOCIATED Press)

SULPHUR, Okla, Aug. 19.-It was
brought out in the testimony of j. F..
McMurray before the congressional
committee investigating Indian land
affairs today that he held as many as
half a dozen contracts with the In
dams for legal services, all covering
the same period of time.
McMurray testified under questioning
that for general service he had two
contracts with the Chickasaws, about
$4,000 year each, two with the Choc-
taws at $4,000 year each, another con-
tract for special services at fee of
$15,500, only $4,000 of which was paid;
a yearly expense allowance of $27OO
under one contract and other general
expenses amounting to $4,000.
All this money was in addition TO the
$750,000 allowed his law firm as con-
tingent fee in what are known as the
citizenship cases, apd in addition, also
to the contracts by which he now seeks
to obtain 10 per cent, or $S,0O0,O00, as a
contingent fee on the sale of $30,OOO,O0O
worth of asphalt and coal lands.
TOOK FEES AND SALARIES
"How is it that while having so
dians generally on regular salaries you
got a special contract on a contingent
fee basis every time any special case
bobbed up?" asked Representative e..
w. Saunders of Virginia, member Of
the committee.
isn't it strange that the Indians had
to sign so many contracts in order to
get their affairs Strengthened out when
the government was supposed to look
after a great part of that work?"
McMurray answered that he had
been Identified with the Indians for so
many years they had come to look to
him % take care of their legal affairs.
He said hardly an act had been passed
by their tribal councils without the
sanction of his legal firm.
Many of the expense allowances, the
witness said, had been collected by
him without the knowledge OF the de-
partment of the interior. Also, he said,
many acts passed by the tribal legis-
lature were not submitted to the presi-
dent, as 1t was asserted, was required.
LAWYERS RETAINED BY YEAR
Asked by Representative Miller of
Minnesota whether his work had not
tended to lead the Indians away from
a close relationship with the govern
ment, McMurray said he always had
done his utmost to bring the Indians
and the government together. 1t was
also shown that the Indians had en-
ployed other attorneys besides Nc
Murray, each tribe paying $4,000 year
and one of the tribes $4,000 year
for special counsel.
McMurray was asked concerning the
$75O,0OO paid him by the government
in 1905 as his fee in what were known
as the citizenship cases.
"It has been said," explained Rep
resentative c. H. Burke, that you
drew the money from the treasury de-
partment in Washington in the form
of s75O,O00 in thousand-dollar, bills and
that you carried in valise to a hotel,
where it was divided between certain
persons.
"Is this the truth?"
"It Is not" said McMurray.
"a warrant for $750,000 was handed
me. My two law partners and myself
then went to the Riggs National bank
and on surrendering the warrant we
each received one individual check for
$250,0OO That is all there is to all
these stories as to what was done with
the money after it was paid over to u.s."