Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-23
0kIahoman Was to Receive so
Per Cent of Land Recov-
cred for Indians
MCMURRAY TAKES THE STAND
Attorney for the ChoCtaW Nation
TeStifieS Before CongresSion-
al Inquiry Committee
associated Press>

SULPHUR, Okla, Aug. 22.-The
name of Senator Robert L. owen of
Oklahoma entered into the Indian land
investigation today
e. P. Hill, an attorney for the Choc-
taw nation, testified before the special
congressional committee investigating
the Gore bribery charges that Senator
owen is the principal in a suit in
which are involved contracts with the
Indians calling for a so per cent fee.
Mr.. Owen, however, testified Attor-
ney Hill, entered into the contracts
with the Indians some years before he
became senator, and is not now de-
manding so per cent, but has left it
to the federal court of claims to de-
termine how much he should be paid.
1t was also said that since his cleo
tion as senator, Mr.. owen had shown
no activity in the matter except to tes-
tify in behalf of his lain.
The value of the property, which it
was asserted in Mr.. owens suit was
restored to the Indians, is fixed by
the department of justice at from $12,-
100000 to S14,0OO,OO0. AS attorney for
the Choctaws, Mr.. Hill said, he was
resisting the suit.
"In 1S9S," said Hill, Mr.. Owen en-
tered into an agreement with Charles
e Winton to attempt to secure for
Choctaw Indians living east of the
Mississippi river citizenship in what
was then Indian Territory.
FIFTY PER CENT FEE
"Winton went to Mississippi and got
many individual contracts, the total
number ultimately being 1900. In
these contracts the claimants agreed to
give to Winton and Owen so per cent
Of all property which they would be-
come possessed Of if they were admit
ted to citizenship.
"Winton, after obtaining many con-
tracts, died and his rights reverted
to Mr.. Owen. After the Indians were
admitted TO citizenship congress re-
ferred Owens claim to the court of
claims, where it is now pending. Since
he became senator 1 do not believe
Mr. Owen has shown any activity in
his case except to testify as he was
REQUIRED"
Senator Owen based his claim, the
witness said, on legal service he al
legged he had rendered at Washington
and in oklahoma prior to his election
to the senate.
''Now." asked Representative Camp
bell of Kansas, suppose Senator
Owen should be allowed by the court
of claims all that his contracts call
for, how much would he get?"
He would receive so per cent of
s12, ,OOO, 900 or $14O00,000 according to
the value of the property"
"Is he secured in any way?" %
"Well, the omnibus Indian bill
passed by congress in 1908 provides
that the Owen fee shall be a lien on
the property of the Indians"
what would be the effect on the
Indians if the fee provided for in the
contracts were granted?"
"It would take all the property the
Indians have They would be penniless
if they had to pay the fee"
Mr.. Owen was elected senator in
1907 and lives at Muskogee, Okla.
McMURRAY ON STAND
Most of today's hearing was taken
up with the cross-examination of j.
r McNIurray, holder of the contracts
by which he seeks to obtain a 10 per
cent attorneys fee on the sale of some
$50. 900, 900 worth of Indian lands in this
state.
Mr.. McMurray said that if the In
dians got all their property was worth
they would receive $30000,OO0, and his
fee would be 10 per cent of that.
Questioned as to his plans to dis
pose of the 100000 acres of coal and
asphalt land. McMurray said the coal
deposits held by the Indians in this
state amounted practically to
monopoly in the territory west of the
Mississippi south of the Missouri and
east of the Rockies, and he believed
the Indians were entitled to the value
of the coal as a monopoly.
He thought the land would bring
higher price if sold to a corporation
rather than if it were split up and sold
to many individuals. But he said he
never had heard of a New York syn
dicate that stood ready to pay $780,
900 for the land, as Senator Gore
had charged.