Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-08-07
FEE D|SAPPROyfD
 SAYS CURTIS Did Not Think Indians Needed Any Attorney
 In Land Sale. CALL AT WHITE HOUSE Vice President Sherman. Who Had Been Chairman, Also Disap-
 proved Fee.
CALL AT WHITE HOUSE

Muskosee, Aug 6.-"Not onIy Sen ator Curtis of Kansas, but also Vice President Sherman, disapprovcI the contracts whereby attorneys fees of S3,o00,000 were to be alloWeI in the sale of $3o,000,oo0 worth of Indian lands in Oklahoma
 This assertion formed the substance of testimony given by Senator cHrtis today before the committee appointed by the House of Representatives to investigate what is known as the Me Murray contracts.
 Taking the stand before the eoiP- mlttee Senator Curtis related the de tails of a conversation which took place at the White House between President Taft, Vice President Sner- man and himself last April. Tic senator explained that he Was T n1em- Der of the senate committee on [n- dian affairs and that previously as member of the house he hal been for fourteen years a member of the II 1use committee on Indian affairs. He also related that Mr. Sherman had been chairman of the house comn,ittan previous to his election to the vice presidency. That, said the senator accounted for their having been call ed to the White House to disc,,ss tbe McMurray contracts.
 Called to the White House.
 Sometime last April was called up over the telephone and asked to go to the White House." testified Senator Curtis. "The President. MT. Sherman and myself then began talk ing about Indian affairs. The presi- dent suggested the possibility of re- opening the question of Indian enroll ment It seems that there are about l4,o0o claimants who assert they are Indians and who were left off the rolls, and consequently not enjoying the privilege accorded to Indians. told the president it would be seri ous mistake to reopen that question.
 The president then asked about McMurray. I told him I had known McMurray for years as counsel for the Indians and that he never lost case.
 The president then wanted to know what we thought about the con tracts allowing 10 per cent attorneys fees. The reply of both myself and MT. Sherman was in this instance that we did not believe the Indians needed an attorney on a 10 per cent cent or other basis.
 No Counsel Was Needed.
 We called attention to the fact that the treaty between the Indians and the government called for a sale of the land by the government and no counsel was needed It was point ed out that to give attorneys fees in this instance would be simply to deprive the Indians of that much pro- fit guaranteed to them by the gov ernment.
 That formed the substance of our talk We further suggested to the president that he should never take any action on any contract until he referred the matter to the officials who had thoroughly investigated the subject"
 Congressman McGuire was schedul- ed to go on the stand.
 More charges of attempted bribery in Oklahoma and Indian land deals were made before the congressional investigation committee today
 D. c. McCurtain, Choctaw Indian, son of the governor of the Choctaw nation and an attorney for that tribe, testified that J. F. McMurray had offered him s25,00O to approve the land deal
 The contracts were those which were disapproved by President Roose- velu in 1908.
 McCurtain's Testimony.
 "I was called to the hotel by Nc
 (Contiued on Paga 4l