Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-06


United States Senator Thomas P. Gore
re-asserting his charge that he was
offered bride of $25, 900 or $4,000 tt
influence his action in Congress anC
with Jacob l.. Hamon, accused by the
senator of having offered the bride
denying he ever did such a thing, the
investigation of the Oklahoma Indian
land deals by committee of the ma :
tional House of Representatives sim
cred down today to a mass of denials
For four hours, Hamon, former
chairman of the Oklahoma Republican
state committee, entered a series OF
denialSt relative to his alleged rela =
ton with what are known as the Nc
Murray contracts, by which, accord
ing to Senator Gore, $3,O00,0O0, or &c
per cent. of $30,000,000 to be realized
from the sale of Indian lands to a New
York syndicate, was to be diverted
from the Indians in the shape of AT :
torneys fees"
Hamon also answered Congressman
G. f. Creager with a denial.
Answering the congressman's charge
that Hamon suggested that an Inter
est in the contracts might be available
for the congressman if the latter help
ed remove opposition to Congress APP
prevail Hamon testified:
1t was just this way. | was down
here in Oklahoma attending to my
business when a friend told me Creag-
er said | had approached him improp
erly in relation to the McMurray con-
tracts. So, | hoped on a train and
IN a &c n OFT hn1 of
Creager and said:
look here you know ! never said
any such thing
Then Creager said: Now, Jake,
that certainly was the impression |
got-that you suggested l might get an
interest in the contracts
Il replied: You certainly are mis-
taken Then Creager said:
We'll if you say l shouldn't go.
won't go before that investigating
committee down at Muskogee and tes-
tify that you approached me-"
Among lannon's denials were the
following:
That he was at any time closeted
with Senator Gore in the senator's Of
flee at Washington to urge the APP
prevail of the contracts.
That he ever mentioned Vice Presi-
dent Sherman. Senator Charles Curtis
of Kansas or Congressman IS. S. Me
CURE of Oklahoma as being Interest
ed" in the contracts, as charged by
Senator Gore. That he ever spoke of
bride to anybody about any legisla
ton or that he was ever interested in
the McMurray contracts.
That all the time the contracts were
being discussed he called up Congress-
man Creager on the telephone at
Washington asking for an appoint
ment, but that Creager called him up
Creager had testified that Hamon ask
ed an appointment at which the In
terest" in the contracts was spoken of
Hamon denied he ever said: Dick
the senator is becoming mighty hard
on his friends in the presence of D.
f. Gore, brother of Senator Gore. D.
f. Gore had testified that HamOn made
the remark just after the senator re-
fused the alleged bride.
He denied that he ever said:
II want to make lot of money and
don't care much how l make it, in the
presence of J. Leroy Thompson, Sen
ator Cores stenographer. Thompson
had testified Hamon made that re-
mark.
Interrogating the witness. Congress
man E. w. Saunders, member of the
committee said:
Now, Mr.. Hamon, you have denied
the testimony of all of the witnesses
who have preceded you. You have
branded the assertions of the senator
his brother, his clerk and the con-
gressmen as being absolutely false. II
would appear from your denials that q
conspiracy had been entered into
grossly to misrepresent you. How dc
you account for that?"
That's beyond my power of con,
lecture" replied Hamon. Il never hat
one penny's interest in the McMurray
contracts and never offered bride t.
anyone.
1T is barely possible that l did see
Senator Gore on May 6 last when he
says the offer of bride was made.
saw him frequently, but at this time
l believe. he took me up into the
library of the Senate and closed the
doors. He wanted to talk over with
me his coming campaign, and see how
I could help him out financially. AL
though l am a Republican and he 6
Democrat, was in the habit Of help
ing him out"
s'You and Senator Gore had been goot
friends, had you not?" asked Chairman
Burke.
Yes, 1 had known him as FRIEND
for about nine years. and had bushes
dealings with him.