The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-20
Mrs. Gray Arrested on
Complaint Of In
dian Office.
WILL NOT RETURN
PUBLIC RECORDS
She Declares Allotment Role OF
Crow Tribe Has Been Turned
Over to Department of JUS
tice to Prevent Its De-
northumberland on
Own Recognizance.

Washington, September l9.-MrS.
Helen Pierce Gray, of ST. Paul, Mimi.
who as an Investigator Of Indian at.
fairs for the Indian Affairs Committee
OF the House, was the centre Of stormy
scenes at the last session OF Congress.
was arrested here to-day upon COM
plant Of the Indian ONCE and charged
with the removal OF public records.
She was released on her own recogni-
zance for $500 upon assurance from
Senator Clapp. of Minnesota. that she
would appear, and her trial before
District commissioner was set for
TUESDAY
Specifically. Mrs. Gray was charged
with conceal!ng the allotment roll Of
the Crow tribe covering Indian lands
in Montana. Upon her arraignment to-
day she declared she had taken the
roll from the Indian ONCE with the
consent Of former Indian Commissioner
Robert G. Valentine and Judge NJ. c.
Burch an attorney of the Attorney
Generals Office attached to the United
States marshals Office in Detroit, and
turned them over to the Department Of
Justice, that 1t might be saved from
destruction and used as evidence in a
proposed investigation before the Sen
ate Committee on Indian Affairs. Such
an investigation was provided at the
last session in a resolution by Senator
Townsend, of Michigan
Mrs. Gray declared her action had
the approval of Attorney-General
Wickersham, and that her arrest had
been brought about by her enemies in
the Attorney-GeneraEs absence from
the city. Destruction Of the Crow
records, she said, involved lands valued
at probably 100000, geo.
At the Department Of Justice to-day
very little was known Of the affairs
Most ofacials there are out Of town.
Report 10 "Foolish.1
AT the Interior Department. however,
It was said Mrs. Gray's arrest had been
asked by Assistant Secretary Adams
upon the report OF the Indian ONCE
that she had three times declined to
return the Grow records. Acting Com
missioner Abbot pronounced Mrs.
Gray's charge that the papers were
about to be destroyed foolish"
Mrs. Gray last winter had q desk
in the Indian ONCE as a reporter OF
the Graham committee Investigating
Crow affairs. At one time she claimed
that she was being paid by the Dem
ocratic National Committee. In 4
heated passage upon the floor OF the
House between Republican Leader
Mann and Chairman Graham. Mr.. Mann
declared her employment by the COM
mittee was with the purpose Of black
entng the characters OF men in public
life. The incident passed over and an
investigation was provided in tho
Townsend resolution. For this and
with the consent of former Commits
sioner Valentine, Mrs Gray says she
took records from the Indian ONCE,
giving receipts. and delivered to per-
sons in the Department OF Justice
charged with making an inquiry.
Since she began investigating In
dian affairs. eight years ago. at the
request OF former President Roose-
welt. Mrs. Gray declares she has
been arrested eight times by persons
who wish to impede her work Mrs.
Gray when arrested was At nrst in
clined to 90 to the district Jail rath-
or than give . bond. Her bail was
first fxed At $1,000, but later placed
At $500. and furnished by Senatir
Clapp. Later In the day representa-
tives OF the Indian bureau went
through the files Of the Department
OF Justice and discovered the missing
papers They were returned to the
bureau