Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1910-06-29
ATTEMPT TO BRIbE SENATOR.
Charge involves Members in Both Branches
OF Congress and Fo!mar Senator'S,

Senate to-day what he interpreted
as an eff rt to brobe him in con.
nectlon with Legislation affecting
the fortune in attorneys fees claim.
ed byJ f. McMurray of Oklaho.
ma for services rendered to the
Choctaw and Chlckasaw nations
In land and town site cases.
The charge created q sensation
In the Senate which later extend
ed to the House The latter bodv
IN consequence sent back to con-
terence the general deficiency bill
which carried an item relating to
contracts between the Indians and
their attorneys.
As a result of the de1ouament.
Senator Gore finally involved a
member Of the Senate committee
on Indian affairs, q member Of
the House committee Oh Indian
affairs, two former Senators, one
from Nebraska aDd the other from
Kansas, but whose names were not
made public i'll debate.
It is not improbabis that an in
vestigation will be ordered, Mr..
Gore vas compelled to address the
Senate three times before that
body was fully aroused to the Sc.
riousness of the charges which he
made. His first effort was in con.
neotion with the adoption of the
conference report On the deficiency
bill, which had been presented by
Senator Hale. AS passed by the
Senate, that measure contained an
amendment which would render
null aud void contracts made by
the Choctaw and Chichasaw ma
tions and by Individual members
of these tribes With their attor-
neys, unless the contracts We're
approved by Congress.
This provision was in accordance
with resolution introduced by
Mr.. Gore on May 4 last. 1t was
designed to prevent Mr.. MoMur-
ray from obtaining fees which, it
is said, would aggregate SO, 900, 900
and which Mr.. Gore complained
had not been earned by the at
tornsy.
The conference report had been
adpted by the Senate when Mr..
Gore entered the chamber. He
announced that he had been IN
formed that the Senate had re-
coded from the amendment requir.
ing the approval by Congress Of
tribal agreements, but Mr.. Hale
assured him that the matter had
been properly safeguarded. He
added that as agreed upon in coz
ference these agreements would
require approval by the president
and the secretary of the Interior
before becoming effective,
Mr.. Gore accepted the explana-
tion but said if the contracts were
to be recognized Mr., McMurray
would receive 100000. 1t was
in this connection that he fret
announced that improper infu-
ences had been exerted bv a rep.
resentative of Mr.. McMurray in
an effort to defeat the provision
requiring Congressional action
upon the contracts.
Characterizing the McMurray
claims as having been conceived
IN corruption and brought forth
in corruption," Mr.. Gore said
that he had been approached by
an outsider who desired to interest
him in the McMurray claims.
"This is one of the biggest
steals ever attempted to be put
through Congress-" said Mr..
Murphy.
After naming Mr.. McMurry as
the man who had been trying to
put this scheme through he said
McMurray had been ably assisted
by Cecil Lyon, "cha irman of the
great Republican committee of
Texas and national Republican
committeeman from that State"
"These gentlemen" continued
Mr.. Murphy, ''have travelled over
the Indian Territory and have
procured contracts from the indi-
vldual Indians. You are giving to
these men who are holding these
contracts from 100000 80 $Ie,-
10000 and presumably more and
they have done nothing that is
worth single dollar for it,
Mr.. Murphy, who was once an
attorney for the Creek Indians,
tonight figured the ultimate
amount that would accrue to Nc.
Murray and those associated with
him under the 10 per cent. con
tract at 500. $4,000. This, sale
Mr.. Murphy, is under the geologi
cal survey estimate and is exclu
slve of the percentage they woule
get from the pine lands which ar