The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-08-06
STORY OF !. BlRIBk,
Gore Will Give Particulars Of Conspiracy
10 Rob Indians.
WILLIAMS is INVOLVED

WILLIAMS is INVOLVED
!:s,Tbe Senator States BE VIII Give
s ..Full Details OF a Scheme to Rof
Indians OF Three Million Dollars
s in substantiation OF Charges Made
: BY Him in United States Senate.
Investigation OF charges made II
!. the United States senate by LII
Gore that he and a member OF the the
house ,of representatives had been Of
ferred s,ed q bribe of $4,000 each te
foster a scheme whereby the In
dians Of Oklahoma were to be de-
priyed Of SIS ,00o, 900 profits due them them
through the sale ,of6asphalt lanos ~
that State, has begun.
81 will tell the full details OF tne
scheme hatched at Washlns.on Sto
mulct these Indians out of sS'eoo,,
ood through the sale Of their lanos'
said Senator Gore Il will give
names dates and other circumstan!-
ces relative to the bribe OF SS25'ooV
offered 20 me and to member OF the
house Of representatives to remove
our opposition to the scheme which On
would put that vast sum or none!
in Che hands of public attorneys
The committee was appointed by
the hc.use of representatives to In
vestigate what are known as the NC
Murray contracts with the Chicksaw
and Choctaw tribes Of Indians. 1t is
headed by Chairman Chas. Il. Burke
of South Dakota and convened on
Thursday. Senator Gore was the
first witness. - ~
TIE charges made by Senator Gore
in the senate June "a, which are the
basis, OF the present Investigation
are:
That J. F. McMurray. of McAles-
ter. Okla, and his associates had 90,
taiaed 10000 contracts with Chick
,asaw and. Choctaw Indians for the
sale OF 100000 acres Of lands, estl-
r,atad to be worth $3,00o,0o ito
$4,000. 0.ooo: .
That the profit Of McMurray and
his associates was tosbe 10 per eehs; q.
and sun ranging from s3, GOO, ,ode =,
to $4,000 900. 81. &! b: !: f;
gThaar:s sa New i York .syndi to- III i:
ready was prepared to take ever the
land AT S3, 900, 900. .,r -, -;
That when opposition to proving
the contracts arose in congress ne
(senator Gore) was approached and
told that s25,Oo0s or perhaps 500
coo would be available: to him ard I'd
that q like sum would be available
to a ii member ieinlb5sr Of the hodse Of repre-
sentatiyes, if all opposition was re-
moved. r~.,.aj.. -.
That If the contracts had been ap-
proved the Indians %oh1d have been been
deprived Of 10 per cent. Of the profits
guaranteed them by the government ! en-
and the money would have gone TO
pay attorneys fees for which no
material service had. been rendered.
Sea ator Gore also charged that 'ah
ex-senator from Nebraska and ex-
senator from Kansas were interest
ed ia the contracts. -5.,....
'In my charges before the senate,
1 did not give any names concerning
the offers of bribery" said Senator
Gore.
THAT and other information, am
ready to impart before the investiga-
ting committee. When. the govern
ment made its treaties with the In
dams it agreed to sell the land and
hand over the full profit to those
Indians. 1t would be absurd for the
Government to sanction "a reduction
of 10Iper cent. to be handed out in
the shape Of attorneys fees. It is
especially absurd since no attorneys
services are needed" 80. 4:
Besides MI. Burke, other members
of the Investigating committee are
Philip Campbell, of Kansas. Clar-
ence B.,rMiller, of Minnesota, John
H.; Stephens, of Texas and E. W.
Saunders of Virginia. Chairman
Burke said that the committee, after
taking evidence. would visit Meal
ester. Oklahoma City and other parts
of the State to obtain from the In
dia1s direct information as to how
the contracts were obtained from
them.
Dennis Flynn, counsel for J. F.
McMurray, said he would contend
that the contracts were valid since
the Indians were members of what
are known as the Five Civilized
Tribes" and as such had the right
of citizenship to make the contracts.
He said he would assert, however
that no offer of bribery had ever been
made.
Cecil Lyon, chairman Of the Re
publican State committee of Texas,
who was charged by Congressman A.
D. Murphy on the floor of the house
with having assisted Mr.. Murphy in
asking for the approval of the con-
tracts, is expected.