The Washington herald., 1912-04-24
DRINKING CHARGE
FOCUS OF PROBE
Commissioner Of Indian AT
fairs Valentine Gives
Testimony.
INVESTIGATION PRESSED
Admits He Took whisky to Rsssr-
vation and Profsrs Ezplans-
ton for Conduct.
INVESTIGATION PRESSED

In a hearing before the House Com
mittee on Expenditures In the Interior
Department yesterday Commissioner Of
Indian Affairs Valentine admitted having
drunk whisky on the Usage Indian
Reservation in Oklahoma in the latter
part OF November. 1909 and also having
presented a bottle of whisky TO the su-
perintendent Of that reservation in the
latter's oficiaI residence on the reserya-
ton.
In defense OF his action in introducing
and using whisky upon the reservation,
Mr.. Valentine produced a permit granted
him by the Secretary OF War in 1907 to
Introduce into the Indian country such
intoxicating liquors as might be neces-
sary for his own personal use for medic
inai PURPOSES. and when asked whether
he regarded this permit as authorizing
him to Introduce and dispose Of liquor
TO the superintendent as he had admitted
doing, he said that this question had
never occurred to HING
Facts az to whisky.
He did not remember where he had
gotten the whisky which he gave, to the
superintendent, but remembered clearly
that when about to leave he had asked
the superintendent 10 accept the whisky
and had either handed him the bottle or
NOlu hnere ne WOulQ NuQ IL.
As 70 his visit to tie hunting cap. at
which II was testified a week ago by Su-
periutendent Kalsey that he and the
commissioner had drunk whisky. Mr..
Valentine stated that prior TO going TO
the camp he had not known that there
was a bar there. and that, therefore, on
his arrival, he found himself In an en-
barrassing position. but that as 1t was
then late in the evening he had no al
Tentative but to remain.
When questioned as to the bearing
upon this camp of the law for the sup
preston Of the liquor trafic in the In
dian country, Mr.. Valentine stated that
he had not realized at the time that this
camp was in the Indian country. and
also, that he had not seen there and evi-
dences Of liquor, or any evidences Of q
bar except that he had seen a lemon
squeezer. He was then. however, some
what at loss to explain the cause Of
the embarrassment to which he had pre-
viously referred and admitted that he
had not tried to find lodging elsewhere.
He also intimated that some Of his
friends had suggested TO him that his
permit from the War Department might
not hold good as to this camp.
As to Alleged Interview.
In regard to this Usage matter" as
he termed II. he read a typewritten
memorandum which he said he had
prepared on February IS, 1912. after
reading an article in The washington
Herald of that date, as containing his
best recollection at that time, but he
remarked upon various inaccuracies in
this memorandum which, he said, had
been called to his attention by Mr.
Kelsey and others.
After eliminating the admitted inaccu-
Tacies little remained of this memorsn-
dunn beyond general denial of culpa-
bility on Mr.. Valentines part on account
Of this Usage Smatter.'
Why this admittedly inaccurate memo
randum was read by Mr.. Valentine was
not entirely clear, as he stated that he
had not previously used II, and that he
had in fact prepared IL merely for his
own amusement, being prompted thereto
by finding loose in his house" the pre-
vieus evening when he returned from
the theater a reporter of The Washing
ton Herald, who had come to interview
him about this matter, but to whom he
had declined to have anything to say
upon the subject.
The washington Herald has been un-
able to discover among its reporters any
one who was loose in Mr.. Valentines
house when Mr.. Valentine returned from
the theater on the night of FEBRUARY .
view from him on that occasion. as
stated by him: and the calendar reveals
the fact that February 3, 1919, was Sun
day.
At the beginning OF the hearing docs-
ments were read bearing upon the
charges concerning which testimony was
heard at former hearing that Supt
Hamilton. of the Standing Rock Agency,
had been retained in the service and pro-
NOTED after public and scandalous drunk
enness and immortality.
The papers showed that sworn charges
had been filed with the department last
July, and investigated a little later; and
that other but similar charges had been
investigated In January of this year.
Chairman Graham stated that on April
IS the department had recalled the re-
ports of the two investigations. and he
read a letter from Secretary Fisher ask
ing that these reports be not made pub
lie for the reason that Commissioner
Valentine had recommended Hamilton's