The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-08-09

to put through congress the $30,000,-
900 McMurray Indian land deal was
explained by the senator.
ut merely shows the activity Of Nc
Murray interests at Washington"
said he. by Offering this evidence
do not wish to reflect either on Vice
President Sherman or Senator Cur
tis," said the senator. Another tele-
gram from McMurray at Washington
was read. 1t ordered that McMur-
rays agents among Indians send fifty
kilograms urging congress to approve
the contracts allowing $3.000,000 at
torneys' fees.
Senator Gore said Hamon had Of
fered the bribe in McMurray's behalf
and Congressman Creager also had
testified that Hamon had suggested"
interest" in the contracts if he
helped to remove all opposition to
their approval by congress and Presi-
dent Taft.
Appearing before the committee to-
day HamOn made the counter charge
against Creager. He said the con-
gressman had solicited money from
McAIurray during the pendency in
congress of bill which had been
drawn up by McMurray and which
Creager introduced. This bill pro-
vided for the sale Of the surface lands
to private individuals and for the sale
of the mineral wealth to the govern
ment.
Although the McNIurray contracts
were not referred to in it, the bill,
Hamon said, was so termed that Nc
Murray might have been enabled to
put in claim for the attorneys fees.
The measure, however, was not
passed.
Il want Mr. Creager recalled to the
stand to answer these charges" said
Hamon. 81 want him to explain why
after he introduced that bill he went
to McMurray and under the guise of
loans demanded from McMurray large
sums of money. l think it will throw
considerable light on the Indian land
situation at Washington if Creager
was recalled and asked about his re-
peated demands Of money from Nc
Murray"
On being informed by Congressman
Charles H. Burke. chairman Of the
committee. that it was doubtful if
Creager would be recalled, Hamon
asked to be allowed to introduce wit
nesses to testify as to his charges.
His request was taken under advise
ment-
1t was Indian day" at the hearing.
Many Indians testified that they had
signed the NIcMurray contracts al
lowing ten per cent attorneys fees
because they had been impatient at
the government. As the government s
wards. they said. they had concluded
to employ attorneys to fight the gov
eminent in order to secure what
money had been promised.
| 1t was pointed out that eighty-fve
per cent of the Choctaws and Chick
asaws had signed the ten per cent
agreement. This represented a large
portion of the 100000 Indians in this
state, which contains more than one
third of all the Indians in the United
States. That McMurray's agents had
gone among the Indians and asked
them to sign the contracts and to
send kilograms to President Taft urg-
ing him to approve the sale of the
land ON a ten per cent "attorneys fee
basis was the burden Of most of the
Indians testimony.
I'VE have become used to the ten
per cent idea" declared Parks Ander-
son. a Choctaw, most of the Indians
! in this state have to pay ten per cent
on all debts and borrowed money. We
have become so dependent on attor-
neys that they have hand in almost
everything We do"
"Do you mean to say that to sell
your lands you are willing to give
McMurray $3,OO0,O00 or enough to hire
all the lawyers in Oklahoma?' asked
Congressman G. B. Miller.
Eyes. we have waited so long for
the government to act that We would
give twenty-five per cent If that would
cause a quick sale. We need the
money to develop the lands on which
We live"
"Now." he said. "I would rather
have $4,000 while am living than
| wait until the government acts and
get $4,000 when I'm dead
"Why is it that while you have at
torneys paid on a regular salary and
approved of by the government, that
you employ special attorneys?"
Because our regular attorneys get
paid whether they work or not, while
the special attorneys on contingent
fee work because they expect to be
paid"
A singular appearance was pre-
sented by Charles LAHORE, Choctaw
who as a captain Of police had figured
in many a battle Of the plains. He
had only one eye, three Of his fingers
were shot off. and his body was COW
cred with bullet wounds. Asked about
the activity of McMurray's agents. he
related he had been approached by
George w. Scott. acting for McMur-
ray. and had been induced to sign a
telegram the wording Of which he
himself had not dictated, this being
a telegram addressed to Richard C..
Adams of Washington, an attorney
and a chief Delaware Indian. The
substance of that telegram was that
the Indians approved of the contracts
and asked Adams to call on President
Taft and urge him to sell the land
without delay.
"Who do you think Adams was?"
"Why, l thought he was somebody
with powerful influence who could go
to the president and congress and tell
them what we wanted. We were not