The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-09-01
CASE Of
CHAPMAN J.
AND OTHERS.
RANK PROSECUTIONS ON
PART or FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
HOW CASE STARTED;
FIGHT Of FACTIONS
Martin Bsnl|sy's Part In Tho
Nov Famous Land
Litigation

lJlitu Win lHlOImdtNU TtidtlFe W
the arrest, at the request OF the gov
ernment OF Mexico OF A. I. Brown,
W. l.. Chapman, X. c. Conne. John
Garrett and L. G. Grimes all we'll
known residents OF Shawnee, on the
char Of Justification and forgery OF
documents relative 70 the deciding or
several thousands acres Of what are
known as Rickapoo lands, all situate
near Shawnee. The men are 10 be
extradIted 10 Mexico and tried there
upon the charges unless extraditlon
I proceedings can be fought success
fully.
] Thus Is reopened case OF gov
crmental prosecution than which no
greater has ever been known In the
A history OF the dealings OF white men
with red for the cases in question
4 have already been passed upon at var
! i0us lines by the courts of this coun-
/ try and In each instance the men now
| accused OF crime have been acquitted
\ Nevertheless, the Washington govern
men. inspired in some strange nan
l ner, continues It's efforts t1 land these
men behind prison bars, and now ne
4 Mexican government has been brought
4 in as the accuser by representations
made By attorneys employed by this
4 goyenlent. Only last week the su-
perlUr court OF Pottawatomie county
handed down a decision in the case
favorable to the men accused, and the
/ judge In his decision stated that he
was amazed at the lack of evidence
presented
i The ease started in peculiar man
\ ner.
4 Martin ]. Bentley had for years
| been agent for the kickapoos and was
discharged for cause. He never sflc-
ceeding in regaining his job. but he
4 has always stood well with the tribe.
lie and his friends-sCme of whom
are said to be high in the councils
! of the nations ns--concocled scheme
10 get tho lands OF the Indians, which
are well located and quite desirable.
they had bill passed by congress
and signed by the president, provid-
ing that the lands OF allen Indians
7 might be sold Meanwhile Bentley
aud his friends used their influence 10
Induce these Kickanoos to remove TO
Mexico. Bentley knew just what In
disns had become alien in this man
ner, and knew Just what lands they
! possessed. II was calculated that this
/ knowledge would be mCn0polized by
the clique and that all the lands thus
i thrown into the market would come
i iuto their possession at low prices.
But in this they counted without
/ othrs In Shawnee who were wise" to
/ the game These others speut some
time, after becoming cosnizant of The
game, in getting the Information rel
/ alive 10 the Indians aud their lands.
These Others also had strong friends
high UP In the government who kept
them posted as TO the progress OF the
bill. The moment the preslcent sign
ed The bill "a message was flashed to
them from Washington and toe first
traio carried several OF them TO Mexi-
co. where the Indians were.
Then began struggle between the
two factions With the result that Bent
/ lev got about two thirds of the land.
Ordinarily this would have satisti-
ed most people, but not so with the
bentley crowd. They wanted II all,
I and to get Il all they were willing TO
/ figh, II TO the last ditch even II IL
cost them what they had SO Ney
/ filed all sorts OF charges against
! Brown. Chapman, ct al, aud through
their powerful friends al Washington
I brought about an Investigation by
committee of the United states SEN
ate. This committee consisted OF
Senators Teller aud Curtis. Although
Senator LaFollettee was also men,
Der he was sick at the time and did
not attend The verdict was as ex.
i pected. Chapman Brown, Grimes and
that crowd were declared guilty. Vn
The contrary. though Bentley was not
On trial al the time, the committee
brought IN a report saying that he was
little less than an angel
This report was taken into the
United States senate, and, rs expected
als5, nothing came of H. for the other
crowd bad lis friends in the senate
and the result MAS 20 hang things IN
statu quo. 80 - -
As a matter Of fact tue prices paid
the lnliauk bod ah$f iAd were the
best ever paid for ans lands ever
sold In Oklahoma OF Indian Territory.
There Is hardly rooin 10 doubt but
thai the money was honestly paid.
The accused men have the receipts
81 the Indians 10 show. Hut the pros
] eentprs brought in Indian after indian
whu Justified that they never received
the money This question. however.
was tested IN various ways and In The
trials thus far Ind in the courts In
this country the weight of evidence
has tended TO show that the Indians
who so testified we're lying.
Some tlme ago an attempt was
made 10 bring about the txtfadiiion OF