The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-21
Finding of Committee Probing
Cores Charges Fully Ex-
Onerates Sherman.
SENATOR CURTIS ALSO
HELD TO BE GUILTLESS
Senator Gore, in Statement,
Implies That HamOn Lied in
Approaching Him.
BY Associated Press.


select committee appointed by the house
of representatives to investigate In
dian land affairs and the so-callcd Nc
Murray contracts and which also has
been investigating the Gore bribery
charges tonight issued the following
statement:
"The committee has heard and care
fully considered all Of the testimony
submitted and is unanimous in the
opinion that there is and was no war
rant for any person to use the names
of VicePresident Sherman and SEN
ator Charles Curtis in connection with
any improper relation with any In
dian contract whatever.'
This is the opinion of the commit
tee after hearing scores of witnesses
who appeared following the testimony
of Senator T. p. Gore. Senator Gore
declared he had been approached by
Jake l.. Hamon and that Hamon, act
ing in the interest of j. f. McMurray,
had offered him (Senator Gore) $685.
900 or $4,000 as a bribe to promote
in congress the contracts by which Nc
Murray was to receive 10 per cent at
torney's fees on the sale of S30,O00,-
600 worth Of Indian lands.
Question OF Verac1ty.
The senator testified Hamon men
toned Senator Curtis and Vice -Presi-
dent Sherman as being "interested !"
IN the deal, Mr.. Sherman being named
as the man "higher up"
Hamop, on the stand, denied he had
ever said anything about the contracts
to Gore.
The committees report was sigsod
hu RanraSnni n Charlie Rnrka
South Dakota; c. B. Miller, Minnesota !;
e. w. Saunders, Virginia; j. II.
Stephens, Texas; and Philip H. Camp
bell, Kansas.
In giving its decision today the COM
mittee announced il had received from
Senator Gore a statement relative to
Yice-President Sherman and Senator
Curtis and that the committee "com~
mended Senator Cores statement, ~
This statement from Senator Gore,
which was read and inserted inSfhe
official record of the ivestigationH$ol-
lows:
Cores Statement.
"To the investigating committees:
EI feel in duty and In honor bound
to make the following statement; also,
in consideration of common justice to-
ward the parties concerned. Neither
the name of Vice-President Sherman,
nor Senator Curtis was mentioned by
me on the floor Of the United States
Senate. That the name Of either of
these parties was alluded to by Mr..
Uamon was steadfastly withheld from
the public until this investigation be-
gan.
"No public mention of their names
was ever made either directly or indi-
rectly by me until ] was required and
obliged to do so testifying as Il witness
under oath and detailing the conversa-
tion which occurred between Mr.. Ha-
mon and myself. ! then made formal
protest against introducing their names
but the committee in the proper pursuit
of its duties required me to make a full
answer without reservation.
Told Only the Truth.
"Their names were disclosed not
with any view to inculpating them, nor
with any view Of suggesting guilt, but
whole truth, might be related with
reference to the details to the conver-
sation in question. The public must
realize that the name of any man
could be used or misused in the same
connection either as an argument or
otherwise, and no public official can
have immunity and protection against
such an injury and injustice.
"In my last remarks in the senate
I said that the integrity of no man
can be, impenched upon the testimony
of ar interested or untrustworthy wit
ness; that was my conviction then.
That is my conviction now. l am sure
that in the court of public opinion, no
Judgment, OF verdict has been returned
either against the vice-president or
Senator Curtis on account of the mis-
use of their names.
Significance Of Evidence.
"The investigation is now practical
ly concluded. Many witnesses have
been examined, n volume of evidence
has been adduced and there is no testi
mony tending to establish any improper
connection on the part of either official
with the approval of the so.called Nc
Murray contracts. While the public
has had no reason to suspect any such
improper connection. yet l would ven
ture to suggest. and if I may be par
doned, would request, that the commit
tee at the earliest practicable moment
make an authoritative finding and
statement to the effect that no evidence
hns been presented tending TO estab-
lish any improper conduct on the part
of either Vice~President Sherman or
Senator Curtis, respecting the subject
of this investigation"
McMurray Still Testifying.
The committee announced that the
investigation had not been concluded.
McMurray will continue his testimony
on Monday. Much of McMurray's tes-
timony today related TO Richard c.
Adams. an attorney of Washington.
be made public letter in which he ex'
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