Bisbee daily review., 1910-08-05
BORE BRINGS SHERMAN
 INTO INDIAN CASES
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 serted that as far back as 1905 he wrote a letter to Senator LaFoliette calling attention to the great wealth
 of the coal and asphalt lands owned by the Indians. He said the U. S. Geographical survey had estimated the mineral deposists worth S1OO.O .OOO.- 000 In 1905. he said. McMurray had iobtained contracts with the tribes of Indians for the sale of the lands on a 10 per cent basis.
 In 1909 President Roosevelt had registered his disapproval of the contracts. In the same year Me Murray obtained contracts individu- ally with 10000 Indians. there being at that time no law against the ex- ecution of contracts with the h. dian individually. It was this con. dition that aroused him to introduce the resolution in congress declaring that Indian contracts must be ap- proved by congress before they be- come valid
 "McMurray then came to my of flee" said the senator T told him I had no obection to just attorneys fees but thought 10 per cent on land valued by the government at s160,0G0,000 certainly too high. Also said that 10 per cent of s30. 900 .O0O was too high. as l was informed a New York sydicate was ready to pay the latter amount for the lands. I said I saw no reason why the h. dians should pay attorneys fees. since the government, by treaty. had already agreed to dispose of the lands and give the Indians the full profit I wrote letters to the presi- dent and various other officials de scribing what I called an attempt te plunder and rob these Indians"
 "A great many interests were at work promoting the contracts. The first ] knew of this was when for mer Senator Long. acting in behalf of NIT. McMurray, one day went into the office of Secretary Ballinger. began to protest against the contract, and was told not to talk so loud as Long was present, and ne was inter ested in the mud. On last May my bill holding up the Indian contracts was reported out of committee a ia vorable report being submitted by Senator Hughes, of Colorado. Next day McMurray came to me and asked me to have Hughes not press themeas- ure. told him would press it. have been pressing it ever since. He said: T have never approached any one in this matter except on it's me-- its. took the contracts in good faith. I believe they are legitimate and the compensation not too great. Praeti. eally all the Indians in the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations want their lands sold.
 T did not know anything about the incident Of which Senator Gore and Congressman Creager spoke. have gone to them many times but went to them in person and did not send an agent"
 Senator Curtis today sent a tele. gram to the committee denying he HI any AAAtItSltI III tut contracts and offering to appear be- fore the committee. Chairman Burke stated Senator Clark would be sub poenaed to testify.
 An excerpt of that part of Senator Cores testimony referring to Vice President Sherman as follows:
 Burke; In your conversation with Hamon, you stated that he named a very high official whom he said was interested in these contracts. You omitted his name
 Gore: l say agan that should very much prefer not to name him. I am however. subject to the will of the committee.
 Burke: The committee is here to get facts, and we must have all of this conversation.
 Gore: He suggested that Vice Pres ident Sherman was interested m the