The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-20
CLAIMED MRS. GRAY CONCEALED RECORDS Arrested in Connection With
 Indian Investigation DENIES ALL CHARGES Mrs. Gray Says Her Arrest Was Caused by Enemies - Senator
 Clapp Furnishes $500 Bond
 for the Woman
DENIES ALL CHARGES

Washington. September 1s--Mrs. Helen Pierce Cray, who as investigator or NroW Indian affairs for the Graham committee of the House. was the center of stormy scenes at the last session of Congress, was arrested here today upon complaint of the Indian office and charged with conceailng public records. She was released on her own recognlzance for s50o upon assurance from Senator Clapp of Minnesota that she would appear, and her trial before Il
 United States commissioner was set Tor Tuesday.
 Specifically, Mrs Gray was charged With ooncealing the allotment roll of the crow
 tribe, covering Indian lands in Montana Upon her arraignment today she deciafea
 she had taken the roll from the Indian
 office with the consent of former Indian Commissioner Robert c. Valentine ana
 Judge M. C. Burch of the Attorney eeh-
 erals office and turned it over to the de- partment of justice that 1t might be saved from destruction and used as evidence In
 a proposed investigation before the Sem ate committee on Indian affairs:
 Mrs Gray declared her action had the approval of Attorney General Wickersham and that her arrest had been brought about by her enemies during the Attorney Generals absence from the city
 At the department of justice today very little was known of the affair. Most or ficials there are out of town. At the in- terior department, however, it was said Mrs. Grays arrest had been asked by As- slstant Secretary Adams, upon the report of the Indian office that she had three times declined to return the Crow records. Acting Commissioner Abbott pronounced
 Mrs Grays charges that the papers were about to be destroyed foolish.
 Mrs. Gray last winter had desk in the Indian office as representative or the
 Graham committee, Investigating Crow affairs. At one time she claimed she was being paid by the democratic national committee. Ina heated passage upon the floor of the House between Republican Leader Mann and Chairman Graham, MT. Mann declared her employment by the committee was with the purpose of black
 ening the characters of men in public life. The incident passed over and an invest-
 gation was provided in a resolution by Senator Townsend of Michigan. For this.
 and with the consent of former Commis- sioner Valentine, Mrs Gray says she took records from the Indian office, giving re- ceipts, and delivered them to persons in the department of justice charged with
 making an inquiry.
 Since she began Investigating Indian af- fairs eight ves.1qs aro, 4 the resicst of former President Roosevelt, Mrs. Gray
 declares she had been arrested eight times by persons who wish to impede her work. Mrs Gray when arrested was at first in- clined to go to the district Jail rather
 than give q bond Her ball was first fixed at 5000, but later reduced to $5Oo,
 and furnished by Senator ciapp.
 Later in the day representatives of the Indian bureau went through the files at
 the department of justice and discovered
 the missing papers. They were returned
 tc the bureau.