Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-06
ID NOT MENTION SHERMAN
Claims He Was Not Interested in
McMurray Contracts.
NEVER HAD PENNY's INTEREST
He Says Positively Thcse Were Not
Mentioned During His COnversR-
tiOn with scnator-Crcager
Also TeStifies,

| MUsKoGEE, okl,, Aug, 5,-with United
States Senator Thomas p. Gore reaeserting
his charge that he had been offered a bribe
of $4,000 or $4,000 to influence his action In
congress, and with Jake L. Hamon, accused
by the senator of having offered the bribe,
denying he had ever done any such thing,
the investigation Of the Oklahoma Indian
| lands deal by committee of the house of
representatives today simmered down to a
mass of denlas.
| For four hours Hamon. former chairman
of the Oklahoma republican state commit
| tee, entered a continuous series Of denlals
relative to his alleged relation with what
are known as the McMurray contracts by
| which according to Senator Gore, S3,0OO,OOO,
| or 10 per cent of $S0OO0,00O to be realized
from the sale of Indian lands TO a New
/ York syndicate, wes to be diverted from
the Indians in the shape of attorney fees
Hamon also answered Congressman c. Il.
Creager with a denial. Replying to the
congressmans charge that Hamon had sug-
gested that an interest in the contracts
might be available to the congressman II
the latter helped remove opposition TO con-
gressional approval Hamon testlfed
Friend Tells of Charges Made.
1T was just this way-I was down here Ia
Oklahoma attending to my business, when
a friend told me Creager had said l had
approached him improperly in regard to the
McMurray contracts So 1 hoped
train and went to Washington. l got hold
of Creager and said, Look here. you know
l never said any such thing
Then Creager said: Now Jake, that GER
tainly was the impression 1 got-that you
suggested l might get an interest in the
contracts replied, You certainly are mis-
taken Then Creager said: Well, II you
said l shouldn't. l won't go before that
investigating committee down at Muskogee
and testify that you approached mo- lsL y.
Among Hamons denials were the follow
ling:
: He denied that he ever at any time had
been closeted with Senator Gore In the
senator's office at Washington to urge the
approval of the contracts. He denied he had
ever mentioned Vice President Sherman,
Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas or Con-
gresham b. s. Mcclure of Oklahoma as
being interested" in the contracts as
b charged by Senator Gore.
Denies Speaking of Bribe.
He denied he had ever spoken of a brlbe
to anybody about any legislation or that he
ever was interested in the MucMurray
, contracts.
He denied that at the time the contracts
, were being discussed he had called up
! Congressman Creager on the telephone at
I Washington, asking for an appointment
but said Mr.. Creager had called him up:
Mr.. Creager previously had testified that
? Hamon asked for the appointment, at
T which the Interest in the contracts was
: spoken OF.
He denied he had ever said "Dick, the
senator is becoming mighty hard on his
: friends" in the presence Of d. f. Gore,
e brother of Senator Gore d. f. Gore had
e testified that fiamon made the remark just
after the senator refused the bribe.
: He dehed he had ever said II want to
v make a lot of money and don't care much
l. how l make it," in the presence of j.
h Leroy-Thompson Senator Cores stenogra-
9 pher. Thompson previously had testified
n Hamon made the remark.
Interrogating the witness, Congressman
a E. w. Saunders a member of the commit
n tee said: NOW, Mr.. Hamon you have de-
e MED the estimony of all of the witnesses
a who have preceded you. You have branded
d the assertion of the senator. his brother
a his clerk and the congressman as being
absolutely false. 1t would appear from your
denials that conspiracy had been entere6
:. into grossly to misrepresent you. How &c
u you account for that?"
n That's beyond my power of conjecture "
"a replied Hamon. Il never had one penny's
worth of interest in the McMurray con-
tracts and never offered a bribe to any
one.
Says Gore wanted Help.
p 1T is barely possible that / did see Sen.
ator Gore ON May last when he says tn,
offer of a bribe was made. l saw him fire.
quently, but at this time l believe he tool
. me up into the library of the senate and
Ie closed the doors. He wanted TO talk ovel
y with me his coming campaign and see how
l. / could help him out financially. Although
)O l am a republican and he a democrat,
was in the habit of helping him out
- you and Senator Gore had been gooC
friends, had you not?" asked Chairman
Burke.
yes had known him as friend FOL
about nine years and had business deal
ngs with him"
= Asked 10 explain some of his business
dealings, Hamon said several years ag,
at Lawton Ckl.. when the government de
cided to sell at public auction some lands
r belonging to the Indians he, Senator Cor,
he and others entered into a combination no
ot to bid against each other, so that the prop
" erty might be obtained cheaply.
ie All Of them secured some Of the land. h,
said.
=, Chairman Burke-Dont you know tina
- there is a federal statute against a com
- bination TO prevent competitive bidding?
- Hamon-I did not know Of that law then
- but l have since thought OF It. 1t wal
oo just a desire on the part OF all OF us L
10 get the land as cheapy as possible. I
M was understood between us that we woulC
a not bid against each other
20 Congressman Mler-You know that tn,
O. proceeds from that sale were TO go TO tn,
al Indians; do you think that was hOnorabl,
ST toward the Indians?
IT Things Different in West.
Hamon-We did not look at It that way