The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-01-20
M'MURRAY RAPIDLY LOSING
INFLUENCE At WASHINGTON

Washington, d. c., Jan. III. F.
McMurray of McAlester, Okla, a man
of mystery, lobbyist and successful
manipulation of JUICY fees wrung from
the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations
in the past few years, is rapidly losing
his influence with the administration
and its various departments through
whom he operated
President Taft dealt McMurray
body blow the other day when he an
announced the appointment of D. C.
McCurtain as governor of the Choc-
taw Nation to succeed his distinguish
ed father, Governor Green McCurtain,
deceased. D. C. McCurtain for years
has been waging bitter war against
McMurray and other fees grabbers
who have enriched themselves at the
expense of the Choctaws and Chicka-
saws and the selection of McCurtain
as governor, caused the cold shivers to
circulate up and down the spine of
McMurray, who is said to have been
backing the candidacy of former gov
ernor Duke of the Choctaw Nation.
The appointment of young McCur-
tain is taken as an indication that the
Taft administration is opposed to Nc
Murray and others who have devoted
their lives to procuring contracts from
the Indians rich in fees
AS further indication that McMur-
ray is losing his grip and that he is
non persona grata at the white house
and interior department, is the persis-
tent rumor that has been in circula-
tion that Governor Douglas H. John
son, principal chief of the Chickasaw
nation, who it is said, has been putty
in the hands of McMurray and his as
sociates, is slated for removal, owing
to disclosures made before the special
investigating committee that invaded
Oklahoma last summer to probe into
the Gore bribery charges.
That the government intends taking
a hand in the Indian game and wind up
the affairs of the Choctaw and Chick
asaw Nations at as early a date as
possible, now seems assured, although
it is now looked upon as extremely
doubtful if any legislation looking to-
wards the sale of the segregated land
and mineral of the two nations will be
secured at the short session of con-
gress, which has but sixty days of
life remaining The condition is said
to be accountable for, largely by the
position taken by the coal operators
who are opposing the proposed legisla-
tion unless provision is made relieving
them from damages occasioned by the
cave-ips after the surface of the land
had been disposed of to the settlers.
The Choctaw council refused to send
DR.. E. N. Wright of McAlester to
Washington this year as delegate
and Peter ]. Hudson of Tuskahoma,
who came here armed with a commits
sion from former Governor McCurtain
to act as delegate has not been rec
ognized by the interior department
and has returned to Oklahoma in ap-
parent disgust.
1t is beginning to look very much
as though the days of easy picking in
the Choctaw and Chickasaw countries
had about ended and there is a cor
gloom and wailing and
gnashing of teeth among the men who
have thrived, for 10 these many years,
upon rich contracts and other luxur-
les obtained at the expense of the two
Indian tribes.
The rapidity with which President !
Taft named d. c. McCurtain as the
chief knocked the wind out of the
sails of the fee grabbing brigade.