Warren sheaf., 1910-08-11
AAMON ACCUSES
CONG. CREA|GER
ALLEGED BRIBER SAYS SOLON
SOUGHT VARIOUS SUMS
FROM McMURRAY,
CREAGER EXPLAINS THE DEAL
indians Testify as to Why They Pu,
Names to Contracts-Tired
swv,, Waiting on the Gov.
ernment,

V--' II +'&'< J. Is. D.
McAlester, Okla, Aug. "a charge
that Congressman c. E. Creager OF
the Third Oklahoma district, had so.
hc1ted Sums" of money from J. F..
HcMurray, holder of the Indian land
contracts that are being subjected to
q congressional investigation was
made by Jake L. Hamon before the
special committee appointed by the
house Of representatives.
Senator Gore said Hamon had Of.
fered the bribe In McMurray's be-
half and Congressman Creager also
had testified that Hamon had "sug-
1ested" that he (Creager) might Sc
cure in an interest" in the contracts
II he helped to remove all opposition
to their approval by congress and
President Taft.
Appearing before the committee.
Hamon made tho counter charge
against Creager. He said the con-
gresham had solicited money from
NcMurray during the pendency in
congress of a bill which had been
drawn up by McMurray and which
Creager introduced. This bill provid.
cd for the sale Of the surface lands
to private individuals and for the sale
of the mineral wealth to tho govern.
ment
Wants Creager Recalled.
Although the McMurray 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 pass
Cd.
1t was Indian day" at the hearing.
Many Indians testified that they had
signed the McMurray contracts allow
Ing 10 per cent attorneys fees be-
cause they had been impatient at the
government. AS the governments
wards, they said, they bad concluded
to employ attorneys to fight the gov
ernment in order to secure what mon.
ey had been promised.
Large Per Cent Signed.
1t was pointed out that IS per cent
of the ChoctaWs and Chickasaws had
signed the ten per cent agreement
This represented a large portion Of
the 10000 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 telegrams
to President Taft urging him to ap-
prove the sale of the land on a 10
per cent ''attorney's fee" basis was
the burden OF most of the Indians
testimony.
do you mean to say that to sell
your lend vcn are willing to give Nc
Murray $3,000,00O, 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 25 per cent if that, would cause
quick sale. We need the money to
develop the lands on which we live"
Sought Cash While Living.
1t was estimated by C. G. Choate,
another Choctaw, that if his land was
sold through the McMurray contracts,
his share would be $4,000 with a re-
duCtion Of $500 in fees. "Now," he
said, II would rather have $4,000
while I am living than wait until the
government acts and get $4,000 when
I'm dead."
Creager Explains Deal.
Muskogee, Aug. 9.-In reply to
charges made by Jake L. Hamon at
McAlester, that Congressman G. D..
Creager had attempted under the
guise of loans to obtain $4,000 from
the following statement:
Before leaving Muskogee in No.
vember | tried to trade certain prop
erty for "a acres of farm land worth
$4,000, agreeing to pay the difference,
which amounted to $4,000. I found
ments Of the transaction, so 1 made
application to the state for loan from
the school fund. In December, after
my arrival at Washington, 1 received
a letter from Guthrie denying my re-.
quest.
"A few days later McMurray told
me that he had the necessary money
and could make the loan, but Ques.
toned the propriety of our entering
into deal of this kind. This was
the first time that the matter was
brought to my attention in that light,
and it was dropped then and there.
Mr.. McMurray never loaned me the
money"