The Washington herald., 1912-09-20
MRS. HELEN GRAY
RBYBALS HIDING
PLACE OF PAPERS
Continued from Pas. One.

The room was searched. In fact. II was
| almost turned upside down. Then a
heavy bookcase was dragged away from
| wall. and In a cloud Of dust the docu-
| ments and three large volumes fell TO the
| floor.
In an instant these were recognized as
the missing documents from the Indian
F., ONCE. Red-faced and triumphant, the
detectives gathered the rapers and books
and hurried to the Interior Department.
Mrs. Gray refused time and again Il
accede to the requests, and, later, the
demands Of the Indian Office that sh,
| return the papers. Mrs. Gray said she
needed the papers. So did the Indian
Office. and as the records could not be
duplicated the Indian Office intended tc
get the papers. When diplomacy and
| tact had failed. the Indian Office seized
| the heavy cudgel of the law.
The facts in the case were laid before
Acting District Attorney Proctor He
consulted with Commissioner Taylor, who
Issued a warrant for the arrest Of Mrs.
Gray. Deputy Marshal Cusick was given
the warrant to serve. Mrs. Gray nearly
dropped when told she was under arrest.
She retained her composure until ar
raigned before Commissioner Taylor. and
then she became hysterical- She de-
nounced the Indian Office In particular
ot1 kAO 3hhciiOi NCpdi tIIlcHI III BSucHoi
She asserted she had been arrested no
less than eight times while defending
and protecting the Crow Indians
Then. In the midst of her statement
she dropped the few words which put
the detectives on the trail Whether the
Interior Department will request the
District Attorney to push the charge
against Mrs. Gray is conjectural. OFF,
cials Of the Interior Department allege
hot
escape II the case is not dropped.
Schedules of Land.
The records which were loaned to Mrs.
Gray. as a courtesy, consist chiefly of
schedules OF allotments OF land to in
dividual Crow Indians. The loss Of the
documents would put the Indian Office
in an embarrassing position. Mrs. Gray's
charges that the records were being
burned. mutilated and otherwise injured
in various subtle ways were last night
pronounced ridiculous and absurdly Iu-
dicrous" by officials OF the Interior De-
partment.
Mrs. Gray became we'll known in
Washington at the last session Of Con-
gress as a result OF her activities in con-
nection with Indian land legislation. She
was the hub around which revolved a
heated controversy between Minority
Leader Mann and Representative Gra-
ham. Mr.. Mann charged that Mrs Gray
was in the employ OF the Indian Affairs
Committee for the sole purpose of black
ening the characters of the men then in
Office.
Mrs. Gray last night said her arrest
was evidently an act Of maIiciousness on
the part OF the head OF more than one
executive department OF the government.
These records which I am accused
of stealing" said Mrs. Gray. ARE now
safely locked un 81 the Department OF
Justice. They involve more than 800
10000 worth OF property, of which the
Crow Indians. whom I represent, are the
legitimate owners. At the request of
Valentine these records, a
great many of which had been destroyed
at the Indian Bureau. were placed In my
custody as a representative OF the Crow
Indians. a representative of the Depart
ment OF Justice, and a representative Of
Mr.. Valentine. They were removed to
the Department OF Justice building
Obtained from Valentine.
Mrs Gray obtained the public records
which she is accused OF stealing from
former Commissioner Valentine last Jan
usry." said F. H. Abbott. First Assistant
Of Indian Affairs. last
night. she lent not only papers con-
cerning allotments OF land in Montana
to the Crow Indians, but a large number
of other important documents. All of
these records were Of vast Importance.
The receipt signed by Mrs. Gray when
she took the records bears the date Of
January 5. The clerk who attended TO
the receipt at the time says he impressed
upon Mrs. Gray the fact that the docu- |
ments were needed constantly by the
office for reference. and that they should |
be returned Immediately. Among the |
which she took was a big tract |
book, which under no circumstances |
should ever have left the office.
After some time had elapsed and the |
had not been returned. Commits |
Sioner Valentine and Second Assistant
Commissioner Charles F. Hauke ad- |
dressed letters to her. requesting that
the records be sent back to the office