Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-11
The indians Were Anxious
To Dispose Of Land.
And We're willing for Lawyer
To Have Big Fee.
f3H. n ,tri M ,
Further Light On the Oklahoma
Land investigation.

McAlester, Okla, Aug. 10.-"Lo the
poor Indian learned a few more things
about the proposed sale of his land in
the hearing before the Congressional
investigating committee today,
Congressman c. D. Cartereo the 4th
oklahoma district testified that at an
interview at the home Of Richard c..
Adams, an attorney at Washington.
Adams said he had an arrangement
by which he was to have per cent. of
the profits to be derived from the
McMurray contracts. s.
He also told me-" testified Mr.. Carr
ter that Congressman B. S. MCGUIRE
was in on the deal and would get his
share He also told me that Dr.. Wright.
a delegate for the Choctaw Indians at
Was hington. with a salary Of $1,000
was in on the deal. He also said:
We've got some others, but he didn't
mention other names" r
Did Adams say he was going to get
per cent. of all the money J. F. Nc
Murray was to realize on the deal?"
asked Chairman Charles B. Burke.
Yes, he said he was going to make
sure of it, as McMurray had double
crossed him at other times. that this
time. he was going to AK Is SO he
wouldn't lose out, and when McMurray
got his 10 per cent, or $3,000,OOO or
whatever it amounted to. he (Adams)
was going to get per cent. of the pro-
ceeds. f.
II also met Jake l.. Hamon OF WASH
ington. He told. me to go. to that old
man Gore and get him to Withdraw
that fool bill of his against the NC
Murray contracts A6A
Congressman Carter. who Is part
Cherokee Indian and was for two
years a member of the House COM
mittee on Indian affairs, was then ask
ed f}E .9@
DO you think majority of the In
dams are in favor of these contracts
giving 10 per cent. to McMurray2
There is no doubt thot there are" he
replied. But there is also no doubt that
in signing the contracts many more were
influenced to do so by persons who had
an interest in them"
Adams was described as a Delaware In
dian who has frequently been mentioned
as having called on President Tart on
matters pertaining to Indian affairs. 1t
was to Adams that the Indians IN this
state were asked to address kilograms
urging President Taft to approve the sale
Of the land. McMurray is'the holder OF
contracts by which. according to Senator
Gore, 10 per cent. on 100000 "attor-
ney's fees would be allowed.
Before Carter left the stand McMur-
rays attorneys obtained from him testi-
mony tending to show that in previous
Indian matters Mcclure supported meas
ures in Congress opposed to the interest
of McMurray. -
Carter's appearance on the stand fol-.
lowed another day of lively testimony.
E. B. Latham. an attorney, Of Meal
ester, related meeting with McMurray
two years ago when McMurray. he said.
offered him a present Of $4,000 IL the old
tribal contracts would go through
These contracts were afterward disap-
proved by President Roosevelt. What
the present" was fpr Latham said he
could never make odt, for, he was not
asked to support the contracts. w
At another time, Latham testified, he
was offered share OF $750Oo0 ''attorneys
fees which McMurray subsequently OBJ
tanned in an Indian land deal after the
amount of the fee had caused much dis
cussion in Congress-. The last offer. the
witness said, was made contingent upon
his aiding McMurray, who was they try
ing to become delegate to the Repub-
lican convention at Chicago. McMurray
did not go as delegate and Latham said
he never received anything. %fs
Incidentally the Indians. many of whom
were in the committee room. learned OF
Robbers Roost. town in the southern
part of the state. From Robbers Roost
there emerged one day an emissary rep
resenting McMurray. who went to a war
council of Indians to get them to sign
the contracts.
About 600 Of the Indians signed at that
time, testified J. H. Godfrey They also.
he said. signed tax case contracts. by
CONTINUED on Page. TEMP.