The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-08-04
INDIAN INQUIRY IN
MUSK0GEE
House Committee Begins In.
vestigation of Senator
Cores Charges.

| Muskogee, Okla, Aug. 4.-The
House committee to investigate SEN
ator Cores charges relating to the
McMurray Indian contracts met in
the United States court house here
today to begin the taking of testi-
mony. The committee consists of
Representative Charles H. Burke of
South Dakota, chairman; John H.
Stephens of Texas, Phillip P. Camp
bell of Kansas, Clarence B. Miller of
Minnesota and Edward W. Saunders
of Virginia
Senator Gore will probably be the
| first witness called to the stand.
Upon the nature OF his testimony will
depend the list of witnesses to be
summoned by the committee Among
these witnesses will probably be j.
F. .McMurray, Royn Hammond of
Lawton, Senator Curtiss of Kansas,
former Senators Thurston of Nebras-
ka, and Long of Kansas, Representa-
tives Creager and Mcclure of Okla
homa, Col, Cecil A. Lyon of Texas,
and various officials of the Indian
office and of the tribes affected by
the investigation.
The charges Of Senator Gore alleg-
ing fraud and attempted bribery in
the Oklahoma Indian land deals were
made on the floor of the senate in
the closing days of the last session
and created widespread sensation.
The Oklahoma senator declared that
an attempt at bribery had been made
by J. F. McMurray, an attorney at
McAlester, and well known at Wash
ingtOn. For many years McMurray
has been connected with the Choctaw
and Chickasaw Indian litigation and
legislation. Five years ago his law
firm came into prominence when
their fee of $750,0O0 for services
rendered the Indian tribes was
allowed and paid
The original contract between Me-
Murray and the Indians was made in
1905 and Col. Cecil Lyon, the Re-
publican leader in Texas, was said to
have been associated with McMurray
and others in the deal. Only re-
Gently it developed, it is said, through
documents issued from the Interior
Department, that former Senator
Long, of Kansas, was also associated
with McMurray as attorney. AS a
consequence of these revelations it is
expected that both Colonel Lyon and
former Senator Long will be sum-
moned TO testify before the investi-
ting committee as to their knOwl-
edge of the Indian land deals.
In some quarters the charge is
made that politics is behind Senator
Cores expose. 1t is limited that the
action of Senator Gore in bringing
the charges at this time is really
part of the Oklahoma Democrats
programme to defeat the sale of the
surface of the segregated coal and
asphalt lands.
The friends of Senator Gore, on
the other hand, assert that he is
perfectly sincere in his action and
that he will be able to make good
on his charges relative to the Nc
Murray contracts. They cite the
facts that the Indian Rights asso-
citation and the Catholic Indians
Mission organizations have both
openly fought the contracts, and they
cite further the fact that Senator
Gore last April secured passage of
his resolution calling upon President
Taft and Secretary Ballinger for all
correspondence between them and j.
F. McMurray; also the correspond
ence following the Presidents dis
approval of the contracts two years
ago. The action of Chief McCurtain
of the Choctaws last July IL opposing
the McMurray contracts because they
would not net the lawyer several
million dollars, is also given as proof
in Senator Cores favor, and the
statement of United States Senator
Owen of Oklahoma, that eff the coal
lands brought only $5,000,G0O, Nc
Murray could sit at home ard draw
his commission" 1t is shown also
that the entire Oklahoma delegation
in Congress has been consistent in its
fight AGAINST the McMurraY contracts.