The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-20
INVOLVES INDIAN
LANDS TO EXTENT
OF s8O0,000,000
Controversy Between Tnde-
pent and Oil Trust Is
Big Affair
SETTLE 1T BEFORE
WILSON COMES IN
Stock Holder in Unc'e Sam
Company Issues State
ment of Dealings
With Fl h.r

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19-More de-
tailed charges were made today
against Secretary of the Interior
Fisher, and other officials of the
Etanuard OH company, and dAscriin-
mated against the independents, in
tho matter OF leases OF oil lands be-
longing to the Usage Indians in OKLA
homa. IL liz estimated thar SsU0.vuU,-
coo worth of oil and gas lands are
involved.
In the meantime Attorney General
W.ckersham has come to the aid OF
Secretary Fisher and other ornciais
implicated in the case, and he has
sent re; PORTS and other documents 10
the United States attorney at Guthrie
Oklahoma These reports ahege tnat
TIE independents brought undue IN
fuence on the members of the Trl~,
bal council recently deposed by Sc
cretary Fisher and they will be laid
before the grand jury, III the InVesII"
CATION by the United States attorney
general warrants.
DetaiIs the Charges.
Tho detailed charges are made by
William C.. Plumb, a stockhoider and
repi sentative CT the Uncle Sam Oil
company. the independent concern
which has carried the fight TO Con
gress. Pm documents which he has
submitted 10 the international News
Service correspondent. SIR. Punt
charges;
That 80 per cent OF the bids last
November which Secretary Fisher
wants the Indians to accept, were
from oil com oanies. or oil producers
connected with the oil trust
THAT the oil trust Ia now trying
t6seieci Tribal council which vii,
DC the bidding OF the secretary or
assistant secretary. of the Interior
That commissioner OF Indian af-
fairs Abbott took the representative
OF Standard oil newspaper into an
executive session al ths Tribal eoun-
Gil CT the IndianE and ordered the
granting Of a lease to the Independent
company.
That a General Goodwin, Of shH
postoffce department used post or
6ce insr ectois and p.,stmasteis I"
frame up" case against the Uncle
Sam OIL company.
Act Before wilson Gets In.
That a conspiracy Is on foot by
which the OF, trust hopes To grab
the immensely valuable oil iano* OF
the Indians before the WILSON, ad-
min stration can interfere TO prevent
1t.
That rules and regulations under
which the independent company
might make leases with the Indians.
wer. reque sted of the interior de-
rnrtment, but that department with
held them untn after the lsa~"s ."
question had teen made by authority
Of the Indian council
That the regulations requested the
independent company TO beg m drill
Ing 2.4ss wells In ninety days, to
finish them within year and to
complete. u like number the second
year,
That The government reports show
ed the standard Oil company had
drilled only 1885 wells In fourteen
years,
That such provisions would re-
louire the independent company 10
Hpera $3.50. 900 In ninety aavs f''
machinery, or total OF *i7,TT2,ooo
tor the first year.
That the Independents would be
required to furnish bonds. in the ag-
gregate OF s7,4ss.o 900 for leases cover
Ing about soc zoe acres whereas the
bond of tho oil trust lease on $780,
e0s acres is only $4,000.
Fisher Gives Reasons.
The order removing the members
OF the Tribal council. dated January
g. 1913, to which Secretary Fishers
name is appended, appears the fol-
lowing paragraph;
IT Is not necessary tnat shouiu
assign the reasons Tor tnls action
but In order that these reasons may
be @Eaewsf Nv sss spa 5ssse1np e.s os .nH
ri. tlsaga. tribe ana aiistelners interested
state as the reason Tor my actioh
that the Usage trihal councE as con
stituted prior to this order mas SHOWN
by the things 1t has done, ana the
things II has failed to do that IL mas
been controlled by influences hostiie
20 the best interest q the tribe, and
said council and each member there
for has proven recreant to the duty
owed to the tribe by the said council
end its members II has permitted out
sjders (some Of whom have financial
interests in the matters involved). to
influence Its policy, and Its action con-
trary to the interests Of the tribe and