Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-05

1t as an offer to influence my attitude to-
ward the contracts. 1t was even suggested
that l call together all the officials u
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?"
Mcclure in Suits.
Mr. Creager-Oh, three or four front
rooms. Representative Mcguire of Okla
homa occupied part of the Hamon and
McMurray suite. 1 met Hamon later at
different times When he heard l was
coming to testify before this committee
he urged me not to. He expressed the
hope that / would make no statement be-
fore this committee.
Recalled to the stand Senator Gore was
asked to mention the name of the en-
ploye of the Department Of Justice who
had told him that another employe or an
official in that department was inter-
ested in the contracts.
THAT 1 could not do" replied Senator
Gore. THE matter was impaired to me
in confidence, and / regret that 1T was
mentioned at AL"
Now, SENATOR" interposed Congress
man Campbell, don you think it IN
fair to go as far before this committee
ana yet not tell all GU know? You
know we are here to learn the truth, and
we would like to have all of it made
known"
mo, 1 would rather not. 1t is well
known that heretofore employees of that
department have lost their positions for
giving information, and 1 would rather
that this feature of the investigation be
, dropped"
e. p. Hill, an attorney for the Choctaw
tribe of Indians then asked the senator
what he knew of President Taft's atti-
tude toward the Mcurray contracts.
Taft Turns Them Down.
1T think some people interested in the
contracts went to see the president on April
2S," said the witness. 1.-The president stated
that former Senator Long already had sub
mitted the matter to him and that Mr..
Longs clients, meaning the McCurray in
terests, might have their day in court I
think the president and everybody might
have his day in court, but that 1t would
take a good deal of argument to convince
him that the amount of fees asked for In
the contracts (SS,OOOOOO) was just. In fact,
l think the president made 1t plain he was
opposed to the contracts"
Senator Gore testified he and Hamon long
had been friends and had been interested
IN business lTdnSdCllOHS at LdWlOH tOkt.s
in which money loans were involved. Mr..
Hamon is an attorney of Lawton, which is
also Senator Cores home town. Hamon is
81 years old and married. Aside from re-
publican chairmanships he has been city
attorney of Layton and has prauced law
in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
References to invitations to "frogleg''
banquet and to alleged assertions by Hamon
that Senator Gore was going back on his
friends" were made in thee testimony Of
d. f. Gore, private secretary and brother
to Senator Goree.
, d. F. Gore state dthat he was In his
brothers private office at noon on May {
!, when Hamon appeared.
HamOn Inalstent.
Il stepped into an adjoining office and
} left the senator and Hamon alone, except
that once in a while l went in and out
When the quit talking in about thirty OF
forty minutes. Hamon came out into my
room
well he said, Dick, the senator is get,
D ting awfully hard on his friends. l want
to make a lot of money, Dick, and don't
[ care how make it,.
Il did not know then what they had beer
talking about, but when Hamon left the
e senator said he had been talking abou1
e the McMurray contracts and Hamon had
offered him $4,000 .eHs "
4 THE senator said .Hamon offered to in
r crease the amount. That was all said tc
8 me about the matter at that time. Latel
e McMurray came to me and said that ht
was sure the senator did not understand
n those contracts and he wished he knew O
O some way of making him understand. II,
1 invited me to the hotel to talk 1t over, S,
l could tell the senator. He also wanted
i to know IL would attend a frog-leg ban
i quet which he was arranging. decline,
all OF these invitations"
- j. Leroy Thompson. stenographer to Sen
ator Gore, testified he also was in and GU
e of the senator's room when Hamon wa
a present. He, too, was invited TO the frog
I" leg" banquet, he said, but declined.
n Congressman Campbell: How long wer
the senator and Hamon at conference to
4 gether?"
r Long Talk Together.
I Thompson: 'About thirty or forty min
20 utes. When Hamon came out / overhear
,e him say he wanted to make lot of none
aud he did not care much how he made 1t.
Did you hear anything that was said a
the conference7'
:, No, l did not. Usually when Hnmo
called, heard everything that was sal,
~ They never before had been any effo
40 to conceal it, But this time it was di
a, ferent"
- I'm what way was II different? Did II;
= mon act differently"
a., 'Hes,he appeared not to want to 50
10 anything when l was in the room whiC
he was quite opposite from his usu
a. manner"
n. That the Choctaw Indians who had pr
n, tested against giving 10 per cent attorney
fees TO McMurray had been asked to r
m scind their action, formed the substance
testimony Offered by w. A. DuTant,
go Choctaw Indian and a member OF Il
~, Oklahoma state legislature
m Durant asserted that at a ChOctaw cou
sci meeting resolution had been pass
10 against McMurray contracts. Later
- sal da number of persons had gone o.