The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-08-08
ChOctaw Indians Testify Be-
fore Committee
ALSO MEMBERS CONGRESS
]. F. McMurray Is Mentioned as
Would-be Briber-Sensational
Testimony at Mukso-
gee.

/ hHrhoSett QNthv aug o.THNbt JIM
Jacob L. Hamon, but ]. +. McMurray
was mentioned as would-be briber in
the investigation OF the sSOOo0oo Okla.
homa Indian land deal before the special
congressional committee yesterday.
MeAluuay Is the holder Of the con-
tracts with the Choetaw and chickasaw
Indians, to promote which in Congress
Senator Thomas P. Gore charge he was
offered bride.
d. c. Mecurtain, a Choctaw Indian
and a delegate to Washington for his
tribe, charged that in 1906 McNuray
offered him bride Of $4,000 to with
draw opposition to the old tribal Me-
Murray contracts, which subsequently
were disappfoved BY President Roose-
welt.
Green McCurtain, chief Of $4,000
Cboetaws and a venerable Indian Of 81
years. with gray hair and brown plump
cheeks, then took the stand and told
the committee that one George w. Scott,
who he believed acted in the interest
Of McMurray, offered him one-fourth Of
the profits" to be realized from the
land deal, provided he induced the tribe
to withdraw all opposition to the deal
This offer referred TO new contracts held
by McMurray, which are the cause q
the present Investigation.
The amount OF the bride mentioned by
d. G. Mccurtain, who is a son Of the
chief, il the same as that which Senator
Gore alleges was offered him on May
last. by Hamon, TO put through the
pending costracts which, according to
Senator Gore, would result in the sale
OF $4,000 acres Of coal, asphalt and
timber lands, owned By the Indians, 70
New York syndicate on basis that
would give MeMurray and his associates
an attorneys fee" Of ten per cent,
or S300o,000.
The presentation Of the charges
against McMnrray followed another day
Of sensational testimony, during which
Senator Charles Curtis Of Kansas and
Congressman 2. c. Mcclure Of Okla
homa appeared on the stand to refute
statements that they were interested"
10 the deal.
The name Of Vice President Sherman
was again mentioned, and conferences
held by President Taft over the Me-
Murray contracts were referred to.
Both President Taft and Vice Presi-
dent Sherman, according to Senator Cur
this, said that the ten per cent. attor
news fee asked for was excessive. The
opinion was unanimous at the presi-
dents conference, he said, That in the
sale al the land no attorneys assistance
was needed, and the government BY
treaty agreed to sell the land on its
own responsibility
"a long time ago." Chief McCurtain
testified, many Of the Choctaws pro-
tested against the big fees that would
bc allowed under the McMurray con-
tracts. myself sent a protest to the
secretary Of the interior, just before the
adjournment Of the last Congress,
George w. Scott came to my nome and
asked me to sign a letter. I refused
to do 20.
4Then he came again and told me he
wanted me to write letter to the secre-
tary Of the interior, withdrawing my
protest against the MeAluray contracts.
When / said / would not do that, then
he said that he was authorized to agree
to give me one-fourth Of the profits If
II did. Yes, be said, we are going to
get ten per cent. fee out Of it, and
you win get one-fourth Of the tenth.
Now, you sign the letter and it win be
a great bargain | absolutely refused
to do it, and he went away
"a good many Of your tribe did sign
the contracts with MeMurray, didn't
they n asked Congressman q. B. Miller
eyes, they did that because they are
losing all faith in the government. They
have lost all faith in the government
officials and IN their tribal officials, too
It's because they have been given so
many promises, and the promises have
not been kept. The government prom
ised il would sell the land and distribute
the profits in 1906. It hasn't done so
and the Indians are becoming disheart
ened over the governments promises.
That is why they signed the contracts.
They thought it would be better to
Get some Of the money than none Of
it,"
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