Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-03-02
Report Made on Cores Charge
-Hamon Acted without
McMurray's knowledge.
LOBBY WORKED FOR CONTRACT
Mental Condition of Two Tribes
of Indians Affected by Nc
Murray's Desire to Bring
about Business Relations


House committee which since Last June
has been Investigating the charges rnads
by Senator Gore that bribery and fraud
had been attempted In the effort 10 ob<nin
the approval OF what are known - the
"hloMurray contracts with tho fvs
civilized tribes, presented a report yes
terday that is somewhat In tho nature
OF Scotch verdict to the House.
The four signers Of the majority rerort
hnd that no member Of the House or
Senate had a pecuniary interest in the
McMurray contracts 1t Is declared that
while lobby was maintained In Wash
ington at the last session In the interest
OF the contract, no evidence OF corrup.
practices could be found, except Jake
l.. lannon's overtures to Senator Gore
and Representative Creager of Oklahoma
ana the COMMITTEES says that no evidence
mas been found to show that Hamon
acted with the consent Of McMurray, who
would have benefited largely by the ap-
| proval of his Indian contracts
| senator Cores charges to the effect
that agents of ]. F. McMurrny had ap-
| preached members OF the Senate and
| House with offers Of bribery were re-
sponsible for the investiga ton. The
! special committee files q voluminous re-
! port or the evidence taken. Representative
stephens OF Texas, It Is understood. will
| hle a minority report. differing In certain
! particulars from his four colleagues on
! the committee and upholding the Gore
charges more specifically.
Tho majority finds that Hanon actually
| did. about May c. 1910, make an improper
proposal 10 Senator Gore respecting tn.
1 NJ Murray contracts. and that about Juna
/ Is. 1910. he approached Representative
| Creager with an improper proposal on
the same subject. The committee exoner.
ates McMurray Of any connection with
an attempt Improperly TO influence mem.
bers OF the House or Senate. II does find
ho Terer. that he used more than undue
1 II f'u"nce' to secure the support OF Chief
Grcer McCurtain and his son. D. C Nc
! curtain, in getting these contracts, by
| transferring a contingent interest OF S2,-
/ 'V in the contracts to d G. McCurtain
The committee" says the report fur
ther believes that the mental condition
existing among members of tn, Choctaw
and Chicasaw tribes in respect to the
good faith of the United States govern
| ment in dealing with them has been large
! y brought about through an effort by
( McMurraY and members of the tribes
, financially interested or synpath etically
| cooperating with him TO create a sentt-
ment which was designed to aid Nc
Murray In obtaining lucrative contracts
with the Indians which otherwise would
have been impossible"
The !ntimaton that Representative Bird
! s Mcclure of Oklahoma had some inter
cst In the contracts is found TO be with
out fact. and TO have arisen from the
friendly relations existing between Mr.
Mcclure and Mr. McNrurray.
The connection OF ex-senator Ches-
ter l. Long of kansas and ex-senator
John NJ. Thurston of Nebraska with
the McMurray contracts is held to
have been proper, being simply the
Interests Of attorneys
! with reference 20 the findings in
relation to the employment of ex-
senator Thurston and x-Senator
Long" says the report the commit
tee is OF the opinion that while they
were lawfully employed to represent
Mr McMurray IN the matter OF his
contracts, McMurrsy undoubtedly was
3ctuatcd in engaging their services
by the fact that they had served In
tie Senate, and therefore occupied an
advantageous position IN the matter
Of assisting him 10 secure the ap-
prova} OF his contracts or procuring
such legislation as might be necessary
to insure their approval"
The committee also fncs that q
lobby existed in Washington at the
last session in the interest OF the Nc
Murray contracts, but hnds no evt-
dence that II resorted 10 corrupt prac-
tices or that improper overtures were
made to members OF Congress, except
in the case of Hamon
The committee found that fees had
been paid to attorneys amounting to
nearly s4,000,0oo, and Some OF them
were cNorbitant, unconscionable and
in contravention of public policy, not
withstandiHg the fact that they had
the direct or indirect approval OF
Congress"