The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-08
INQUIRY WILL
HELP INDIANS
Gore Investigation Will Have
Wholesome Effect for Red
Mans Benefit.
STORY OF CH0CTAW CHIEF
CREATED DEEP IMPRESSION
Narrator Pointed Out Wherein
Tribesmen Had Been Pillaged
by Lawyers.

McALESTER. Okla, Aug. THAT
new era of wholesome legislation by
congress has dawned for the Indians
as result of the congressional inyes-
tlgation into the McMurray contracts
is the belief general among senators.
congressman and other government Off
Gals assembled here.
The committee appointed bv the
mousse of representatives and headed nv
Congressman Charles Fl. Burke of
south Dakota, to inquire into fhe
charges of Senator Thomas P. Gore.
that he had been rendered a $4,000
or, S5o,ooo bribe to help put the Nc
Murray deal through congress. arrived
here today from Muskogee and tomor.
row viii continue it's hearings here.
McAlester Is the home town of J. F..
NcMnrray, the attorney who, with
Others, holds the contracts.
1t Is expected that more LIGHT will
be thrown on Senator Gore Is dcclara-
tlons. Also more evidence. Il 10 be.
lleved, will be forthcoming concerning
jake L. Ramon, who is charged by
Senator Gore with having offered the
prlne TO secure the approval of the
contracts by congress.
The testimony given by Congress.
man c. f. Creager of Oklahoma. that
hamon called him TO hotel in Wash
lngton and there suegested,' be
! might obtain an "interest'' in the
contracts If opposition were removed.
together with the Gore charoes, is not
beloved to be the end of the disclos.
ures' Mr. Creager's testimony was re.
garded as supplementary to that of
senator Gore. Hamon, who entered "a
general denial of all the eharges made
py MI, Creager, Senator Gore, d. Il.
T, TTpre, the senator's brother, and j. l..
thompson, the senator's secretary. has
been an interested SPECTATOR at ali tbe
sessions.
Sherman 'Let Down Easy
Congressman B. s. Mcclure of Okla
homa. and Senator Charles Curtis of
Kansas, both of whom were named by
MI Gore as having been mentioned bv
Hamon as interested in the land
deal, have left Senator Curtis strongly
uenled having any relation with Ha-
mon. Mr., Mcclure. who testified con-
eernlng meeting Hamon in Washing
ton and who In response to direct ques-
tons denied that he had ever been
improperly approached in relation
TO the McMurray contracts, told the
committee he was ready TO re-appear
at any time,
The name Of Vice President sher.
man, who, according to Senator Gore.
was mentioned by Hamon as the man
higher ur'' has been eliminated from
the investigation SO far as Senator
Gore IS concerned. The senator said
/ hoI NO oh,
Sherman's name, other than to relate
all that Hamon had said to him.
Since McMurray also has been
| charged on the stand with having ten
dered $4,000 bribe to a Choctaw
delegate to Washington to withdraw
opposition to old contracts that were
subsequently, disapproved by President
Roosevelt in 1908, it is believed Nc
Murray will be called to testify. What
are known as the present McMurray
contracts consist of about 10000 docu-
ments secured individually from the
Indians.
Indians Prey of Attorneys.
The story told on the stand by Green
McCurtain. chief of $4,000 Choctaw
pioneer days. made deep impression.
McCurtain related how his tribe year
after year had waited for the govern
ment TO sell their lands and how at
last the Indians, becoming discouraged,
had become the prey of attorneys,
whose promises were more glowing
than those of the government.
1t cost his tribe in the last ten
years, McCurtain said, 100000 in at.
torneys fees, besides a share in the
$750,000 fee paid to the McMurrav
firm several years ago in citizenship
cases involving the Choctaws and
Cbickasaws
Congressman j, III. Stephens of Tex
as, member of the investigating COM
mIttec, in q speech in congress- re-
ferrcd to the $750,00O fee as ga scan
dial, and declared the attorneys
should have been made to pay back
the money,
''It is evident that the whole Indian
situation needs to be gone over by
the government said an official to.
day. ''The Indians are wards of the
government. vet they have become the
prey of attorneys. For instance, one
attorney received $4,000 a year for
representing one tribe and he resides
in New York, Only In instances where
the interests of the government and
the Indians conflict, should attorneys
be employed. Where the sale of The
land is concerned, the government It.
self has agreed. by treaty. to dispose
of the land and give the proceeds to
the Indians. The evidence that has
developed certainly will enighten con.
gress on what ought to be done.'