The Washington herald., 1912-04-18
VALENTINE DRINKS
ON INDIAN RESERVE
Commissioner Mixes Liquor and Oil
on Usage Reservation.


At the hearing OF the Hovse Commit
tee on Expenditures IN the Interior De-
partmsnt yesterday. It developed that
Robert @. Valentine. Commissioner OF
Indian Affairs, while on the Usage reser-
walton. in Oklahoma, IN November. 1903.
drank whisky At camp maintained by
the Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing
Club, at which he was the guest OF GER
tain oil men. members OF the club.
At this camp, which was located some
twelve miles within the Usage reserva-
tion, upon a restricted Indian allotment.
whisky and other Intoxicating liquors
were kept and displayed in abundance,
and apparently an open bar maintained
for the benefit Of the club and its guests.
Seven witnesses from Oklahoma, who
were present at the time Commissioner
Valentine made his visit to the camp.
were called TO the stand and examined
Ly Mr.. James S. Easby-Smith. attorney
for the committee, and cross-examined
by Mr.. z. B. Merritt. attorney of the
Indian Once. and by members Of the
committee. They included Hugh Pitzer.
Of Pawhuska, Okla. superintendent Of
the Usage Reservation: Dana II. Kelsey,
of Mulzogee, Okla. superintendent Of the
Union Agency; william s. Mowris, and
George S. Davis. OIL men, Of Tulsa,
Okla; BENJAMIN 8. Mossman. an sttor-
ney, also OF Tulsa, and Wiley HaineA
chief of police Of the Usage Reserva-
tion.
These witnesses described the camp as
being composed OF a number OF sleeping
tents, a large mess tent. other tents
where poker games were in progress and
a tent near the mess tent. which one
OF the witnesses described as the booze
tent"
Tt .,.o.-, .hat rSo,,u,i..fonar yraIAn
tine visited the camp for the purpose of
conferring with various oil men con-
cerning the terms of certain Indian oil
and gas leases. He had already had .
conference with a party OF forty or
fifty oil men at Tulsa. Okla. and on a
Sunday afternoon in the latter part of
November, 1909. he drove from Tulsa
to the camp. where he had supper and
drank whisky with members OF the
club and their guests prior to entering
into a conference with them.
The next morning he went from the
camp to Bartlesville. Okla, where more
whisky was produced and drunk by
one member OF the party In Commis-
sioner Valentines presence.
Subsequently, according TO the tesu-
mony, Commissioner Valentine was the
guest OF the superintendent OF the Usage
Agency, and, following his departure,
foot was found in the room occupied by
him. II, as must be inferred from the
evidence, this unfinished bottle was in
troduced into the Indian country by Mr..
Valentine. he violated a statute OF the
United States, under which to-day he Is
prosecuting numbers of his less for
tunate brethren.
At the opening OF yesterdays session.
Chairman Graham announced that the
delay since the first session. which was
held on the Sth instant, was due TO the
failure of the Interior Department 10
furnish official documents which had
been called for several times He placed
in the record the various calls made
upon the Secretary OF the Interior by
the committee and the responses there
to, and It appeared that several import
ant documents relating to the Hamil-
ton and Reynolds matter. which was the
subject Of testimony at the first session,
had not been sent TO the committee, al
though specifically called for on April
and on several subsequent occasions
Pending the receipt Of these docu-
mentss the committee yesterday adjourn
ed subject to. call.