The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-08-12

" shadow of foundation" .
Muskogee, Okla.-What happened
in the private office of United States
Senator Thomas P. Gore at Wash
ington at noon last May 6, formed the
basis of sensational charges involving
the names of VicePresident Sher-
man, Senator Curtiss of Kansas, Con-
gresham B. s. Mcclure, of Oklahoma,
and others, in a hearing before a spe-
ciai congressional investigating COM
mittee here.
In the 80 or 40 minutes of a confer
ence held in that Office, Senator Gore
testified he had been approached by
Jake L. Hamon, former chairman Of
the Oklahoma territorial Republican
committee and former chairman of
the Oklahoma state Republican COM
mittee, and had been offered a bride
of 5000 or $4,000. to remove GER
tain legislation pending in congress
SO that So, 1000, 900 might be paid J..
F. McMurray, an attorney at McAles-
ter, Okla, and his associates. The
money was to represent attorneys
fees" of ten per cent of $50, 900, 900 to
be secured from a New York syndi-
cate for 10000 acres of coal and as
phalt lands now owned by the Choc-
taw and Chickasaw Indians in this
state.
Vice-President Sherman's name was
mentioned by Mr.. Hamon, Senator
Gore testified as being interested in
the land deal to the extent OF favor
ing the approval by congress of what
are known as the McMurray contracts
with the Indians.
creager Offered Interest"
What happened in another private
room in Washington and also where,
1t vas alleged, Harmon made more
"overtures" relative to the land deal,
was told by Congressman C. E. C-ea-
ger of the Third Oklahoma district.
Congressman Creager supplemented
the testimony of Senator Gore. He
said on June 16 last he had been in
vited by Hamon to meet him in a
private room at the Occidental hotel
in Washington
Having gone there, Mr.. Creager tes-
titled, he vas informed he could have
a substantial interest" in the LAND
deal. If he would withdraw his oppo-
sition to the approval of the McMur-
ray contracts by congress.
Hard Cash offered.
Senator Gore. in his testimony, as
serted that the offer of bribery went
SO far that Hamon said the So, 900 or
$4,000 would not be paid over in the
form of a check or marked money
but that cit would be all clean, hard
cash"
Congressman Creager's appearance
on the witness stand followed a Sc
ries of sensational statements. Among
Senator Cores assertions were the fol-
lowing:
Sherman's Name Comes In.
That Hamon told him a man thigh.
er up" in the government was inter
ested in the approval of the contracts
and, therefore, there was no reason
why Senator Gore should not be; that
when asked who was the man high
err up" Hamon had replied vice-Pres-
ident Sherman.
That Hamon told him Senator Cur
It's Of Kansas was Interested" in the
deal.
That Hamon told him CONGRESSMAN
Mcclure of Oklahoma also was "in-
terested."
That former Senator Long of Kan
sas, acting as counsel for McMurray.
had gone to President Taft on April
%, to urge the approval of the con-
tracts, but that the president has said
1T would take a good deal of argu-
ment to convince him that the amount
asked by McMurray was justified.
Senator Curtis sem a telegram to
the committee denying he was in any
way interested in the contracts and
offering to appear before the commit
tee. Chairman Burke said Senator
Curtis would be subpoenaed.
Explaining what led up to his op-
posing the approval of the contracts
with the Indians, Senator Gore in his
testimony asserted that as far back
as 1905 he wrote a letter to Senator