The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-08-10


Vice President Sherman"
That Harmon told him Senator
Curtis of Kansas was Interested" in
the deal.
That Hamon told him Congress
man MCGUIRE of Oklahoma was Gin
terested" in the deal.
That Hamon told him an employe
OF the department of justice at
Washington was Interested" in the
deal; that he (Senator Gore) knew
the name Of the employe, but would
not divulge his name or the name of
his informant, because the latter
would lose his position.
That former Senator Long Of Kan
sas. acting as counsel for McMurray
had gone to President Taft on April
2S to urge the approval Of the con-
tract, but tha, the president had said
that 1t would take a good deal of ar
gument to convince him that the
amount of fee sS,OOO,OOO asked by
McMurray was justified.
Curtis May Testify.
Senator Curtis today sent a tele-
gram to the committee denying that
he was in any way interested in the
contracts and offered to appear before
the committee.
Chairman Burke said Senator Cur
tbs would be subpoenaed to testify.
An account of that part of Sena-
tor Cores testimony referring to Vice
President Sherman follows:
Mr.. Burke-In your conversation
with Mr.. Hamon you stated he nam
cd very high official that he said
was interested In these contracts. You
omitted his name.
Mr.. Gore-I again say that I
should very much prefer not to name
1t. I am. however, subject to the
will Of the committee.
Mr.. Burke-The committee Is here
to get the facts and we must have
all this information.
Vice President Mention.
Mr.. Gore-He suggested that Vice
President Sherman was interested In
the contracts.
Thomas III. Owens, Counsel for Mr..
Gore-In that connection you spoke
of an article appearing in a Kansas
City newspaper that two gentlemen
had called upon the president. I
wish you would say who was men
toned In that article.
Mr.. Gore--In the newspaper of
April I, Vice President Sherman and
Senator Curtis were named as having
called to discuss the suggested coal
and asphalt lands. I think before
the senate met the next day the in
formation came to me.
Senator Gore explained that he be-
lieved Vice President Sherman was
favorable to the contracts. A short
time later he introduced resolutions
In the senate that required further ac-
tion OF congress before the contracts
could be approved.
Asked If he had ever met Hamon.
Congressman Creager replied: Eyes,
L met him by appointment at his
rooms at the Occidental hotel. He in
Nited me there, saving he wanted to
talk over little matter with me.
"At that time efforts were being
made to have the president approve
of the McMurray contracts. already
had gone on record as being opposed
to their approval. Well, when I got
to the hotel and was sitting in a room
with Hamon he began to urge me to
withdraw my opposition. He suggest
ed might have an interest in the
contracts"
Congressman Miller-Were any
figures mentioned. Did he say how
much interest you might have?
Mr.. Creager-No, did not let Il
go as far as that. I made my Ian
guage pretty emphatic that / was op-
posed TO the contracts and would not
be influenced
Congressman Stephens-You mean
to say that you regarded the offer Of
such a character as to arouse your
Indignation?
Rather Vexcd.
Mr.. Creager-Yes. that is It, re-
garded II as an offer to influence my
attitude toward the contracts. 1t was
even suggested that I call together all
the officials I could and defeat the
measure opposing the approval of the
bills.
congressman Miller-What kind
OF rooms did Mr.. Hamon and Mr.
McMurray have at the hotel?
Mr.. Creager-Oh, three or four