The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-08-04
ATTORNEYS FEES
!. INVESTIGATION
STARTED TODAY
Famous Bribery Charge Made
by Senator Gore to be
Aired
ATTEMPT TO DEFRAUO INDIANS
OUT OF A COLO 100000
Attorneys Made Contracts With Ten
Thousand individuals to Get Com.
mission on Coal and Asphalt Deal
Defense Says Indians Capable.

President Sherman was named by
Senator T. P. Gore in connection with
what are known as the McNIurray
Indian land contracts. an investiga-
! ton Of which was begun here today
by a special committee OF the house
of representatives.
Senator Gore after declaring that
he had been approached by Jacob
Harmon with an offer Of a bribe of
$25,0OO to remove all congressional
opposition to the contracts, asserted
that Harmon had said a man "higher
up" in the government was Inter-
ested" in the contracts. Senator Gore
at first said he was reluctant to name
the man mentioned as "higher up
gressman Burke, chairman of the
committee. declared Harmon had
used the name of Vice President
Sherman.
: when I scoffed at the Offer of a
, bribe. even IL 1t were raised to $780,
600. as Hammon suggested it might
be-" testified Gore, my visitor (Ham-
! mon) in my office at Washington went
on to say that other members of con-
gress were interested in the con-
tracts. He said Senator Curtiss was
interested and Congressman Mcguire
!! Of Oklahoma was interested and then
he mentioned the name of the man
'higher up" in the government. I
was appalled, when l heard that
! name"
! On cross-examination by c. B.
Ames, counsel for Mr.. McAIurray,
Senator Gore testified as to the re-
lations existing between himself and
Harmon. Gore was still on the
stand when the noon adjournment was
| taken.
Senator Gore said Congressman c.
! E. Creager, representative of the
/! Third Oklahoma district. also had
| been approached in connection with
/; the bribery offer. "Mr. Creager told
ME so." said Gore. He also told me
to go ahead and make these charges
and he would stand by me, giving his
I, testimony"
When the special committee con-
vened this morning, Senator Gore
announced that he was prepared to
give additional details to the charge
OF attempted bribery which he made
IN the United States senate on June
"a. Senator Gore said he was ready
to name the individual who, he said,
offered him and a member of the
house of representatives each $25.0O0
to withdraw all opposition to the
scheme whereby S3,00OOOO would be
paid for attorney fees" This latter
sum. he had previously declared. rep
resented ten per cent of an amount
which New York syndicate was pre-
pared to pay for the coal and asphalt
lands now belonging to Indians. Ten
per cent, or $3,OOO.OOO. was to be
paid in conformity with the contract
made individually with ten thousand
Indians, provided the contracts would
receive the approval of congress.
1t was for the purpose of having
the contracts approved and thus di-
verting the ten per cent into the
hands of certain attorneys. Senator
Gore declared, that the bribe was Of
fered him to have withdrawn any leg
islation which would inyalidate the
contracts.
One of the stipulations in the
charges is that If the contracts had
been approved the Indians would have
Eeen deprived of ten per cent of the
profits guaranteed them by the gov
ernment and the money would have
gone to pay attorneys fees" for
which no material service had been
rendered. Senator Gore also charged
that an ex-senator from Nebraska and
an ex-senator from Kansas were in
terested in the contracts"
In my charges before the senate,
did not give any names concern
ing the offers of bribery" said Sena-
tor Gore. THAT and other informa-
tion | am now ready to impart before
the investigating committee. When
the government made It's treaties with
, the Indians it agreed to sell tho
lands and hand over the full profit to
those Indians.
at would be absurd for the gov
ernment to sanction a reduction Of
ten per cent to be handed out in the
shape of attorneys fees. 1t is espe-
cially absurd since no attorneys SER
vices are needed"
1t is the purpose Of the committee,
according to Representative Charles
H. Burke of South Dakota chairman,
to visit various parts of Oklahoma to
secure evidence bearing on Senator
Cores charges.
Beside Mr.. Burke, other members
of the investigating committee are
Congressman Phillip p Campbell of
Kansas, Clarence B. Miller Of Minne-
sofa, John H. Stephens of Texas and
E. w. Saunders of Virginia.
lines this week.