Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05
HAMON, NAMED BY
|. CORE AS TEMPTER,
DENIES CHARGES
Declares Senator Agreed Not to
Bid Against Him at In
dian Land Sale
TELLS OF REQUEST FOR LOAN
Accuser, Witness Says, Owed
Senator Owen $4,000 and
Asked Financial Aid
TELLS OF REQUEST FOR LOAN
ASSOCIATED Press)

ASSOCIATED Press)
MUSKOGEE, OKLA. Aug. 5--With
Senator Thomas 2. Gore reasserting
his charge that he had been offered a
bribe of $4,000 or $4,000 to influence
his action in congress, and with Jake
L. Hamon, accused by the senator of
having offered the brbe, denying he
had ever done any such thing, the in
vestigation of the Oklahoma Indian
lands by q committee of the house of
representatives today sinmered down
to a mass Of denials.
For four hours Hamon, former chair
man of the Oklahoma Republican state
committee, entered a continuous series
of denials as to his alleged relation
with what are known as the McMurray
contracts. According to Senator Gore
SO, 100000, or ten per cent of $30,000000
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 attorneys fees"
Hamon answered Congressman Gre
ager with a denial. Replying to the
congressman's charge that Hamon had
suggested that an interest in the
contracts might be available to the
congressman if the latter helped to re-
move opposition to congressional ap-
proval, Hamon testified:
HAMON's TESTIMONY
''It was just this way: I was down
here in Oklahoma attending to my bus
mess when a friend told me Creager
said I had approached him improperly
in regard to the McMurray contracts.
So 1 hoped on a train and went to
Washington. 1 got hold of Creager
and said: Look here, you know I
never said any such thing
"Then Creager said: Now, Jake,
that certainly was the impression I
got-that you suggested I might get
an interest in the contracts
81 replied: You certainly are mis-
| taken'
"Then Creager said: We'll, if you
! say I shouldn't, [ won't go before
| that investigating committee at Musllo-
gee and testify that you approached
me-"
Among lannon's denials were the
following:
HAMON'S DENIALs
That he had ever been closeted with
Senator Gore in the senator's private
office at Washington to urge the ap-
proval of the contracts.
That he had ever mentioned Vice
President Sherman. Senator Charles
Curtis of Kansas or Congressman B.
| S. Mcclure of Oklahoma as being ''in-
terested" in the contracts, as charged
by Senator Gore.
That he had ever spoken of a bribe :
to anybody about any legislation. or
that he ever was interested in the Nc
Murray contracts.
That at the time the contracts were
being discussed he had called up Con-
gressman Creager on the telephone at
Washington asking for an appoint
ment, but said Creager had called him
up: Mr.. Creager had testified pre-
viously that Hamon asked for the ap-
pointment at which the interest" in
the contracts was spoken of.
"That he had 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 Harmon had
refused the alleged bribe.
That he had ever said, at want to
make a lot of money and don't care
how 1 make it," in the presence of
J. Leroy Thompson, Senator Cores
stenographer; Thompson had testified
that Hamon had made the remark.
Interrogating the witness Congress-
man Saunders, member of the COM
mittee, said:
SAUNDERS QUESTION
"Now, Mr.. Hamon, you have denied
the testimony of all the witnesses who
have preceded you You have branded
the assertions of the senator, his broth
er his clerk and the congressman as
absolutely false. 1t would appear from
your denials that a conspiracy had
been entered into grossly to mlsrepre-
sent you. How do you account for
that?"
'"Thats beyond my power to conjec-
ture." replied Hamon. 81 never had
one penny's worth of interest in the
McMurray contracts and never offered
a bribe to any one. 4
ar is hareIyy nossibI4 that did see
Senator Gore on May s. st, when he
says the offer OF bribe '. S made.
saw him frequently, but at this time
believe he took me up into the library
of the senate and closed the door. He
wanted to talk over with me his COM
ing campaign and see how could help
him out financially. Although I am a
Republican and he is a Democrat, [
was in the habit of helping him out"
"You and Senator Gore HAD been
good friends, had you not?" asked
Chairman Burke.
Eyes; had known him as friend
for about nine years, and had business
dealings with him."
BUYING AGREEMENT
Asked to explain some OF his business
dealings, Hamon said several years ago
at Lawton, OKLA, when the government
decided to sell at public auction some
lands belonging to the Indians, he,
Senator Gore and others entered into a
combination not to bid against each
other, so that the property might be
obtained cheaply. All of them secured
some of the land, he said.
Chairman Burke: Don't you know
that there is federal statute against
combination to prevent competition in
bidding?
Hamon: I did not know of the law
then, but have since thought of it. 1t
was just desire on the part OF all of
us to get the land as cheaply as possi-
BILE. 1t was understood between us not
to bid against each other.
Congressman Miller: You knew that
the proceeds from that sale were to go