Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19
PAPERS GO TO OKLAHOMA
Charge of Undue Influence" on In
dians May Go to Grand Jury.
HEARING HERE CONTINUED
Wilson Attacks Government Officials.
Leahy Defends Tribal Council
ousted by Secretary Fisher.

1t is estimated that SSOO,OO0O0O worth
Oh Oil and gas lands belonging to the
Usage tribe of Indians in Oklahoma. the
richest nation on earth. are involved in
the row which burst upon the House COM
mittee on Indian affairs the District Su
preme Court and the Department of Jus
tice yesterday. Briefly. the Indians claim
that Secretary Fisher and other govern
ment officials have been instrumental in
aiding the Standard Oil Company's inter-
ests in obtaining Usage Oil lands in Okla
homa by refusing To approve leases from
the Usage tribe to the Uncle Sam Oil
Company. an independent concern. Up
to date. most of the talking has been
done by the Indian side of the argument.
Attacks Departments.
Albert l.. Wilson. attorney for tho
Uncle Sam Oil Company. in a five-hour
session before the Indian affairs commit
tee yesterday attacked the Interior De-
partment. the courts and the Post Office
Department in their attitude toward his
company. He used the word 'persecu-
ton in his summing up. In a counter
statement. filed with the committee when
the hearing began. Secretary Fisher de-
clared that the leases negotiated by Of
0c1dlS OF the Uncle sam O1l company anu
the council for the Usage tribe were
such that they had been referred to the
Department of Justice.
Early yesterday some of the deposed
members of the Usage council secured
from the District court a mandamus
to show cause next Tuesday why they
should not be reinstated.
Papers Sent to Oklahoma.
The Department Of Justice late yester-
day, through Assistant Attorney General
Knaebel, transmitted to the United States
District Attorney at Guthrie. Okla. the
reports and documents from Secretary
Fisher, alleging that undue influence
had been used upon the deposed members
of the Usage tribe. in the negotiation or
the leases. If the investigation by the
district attorney warrants such action.
the case Will be laid before the grand
jury in Oklahoma.
Under examination by the committee
Mr.. Wilson said that Secretary Fisher
objected to the royalty on Oil onered by
the Uncle Sam lease. He said the lease
offered the Indians q royalty OF one
eighth Of the price received for Oil. while
the Secretary asserted the royalty should
be One-sfxth.
Mr. Wilson declared that the rulss and
regulations framed by Secretary Fisher to
formulated after the Uncle Sam leases
had been negotiated. and that under these
rules no company or individual could
take over a large acreage out of the SOU.-
QUO acres open for development, and be
assured of a reasonable return on the
investment. The committee desired 10
know just how Mr.. Wilson connected the
actions of Secretary Fisher with the
Standard Oil Company.
Makes Explanation.
Every attempt to keep the Uncle Sam
Oil Company from securing a supply OF
crude OIL he replied, ''aids and assists
the Standard Oil Company. IL We cannot
get good supply of oil for our refineries
they will be able to crush US"
Mr. Wilson was emphatic in his detailed
discussion Of the pitfalls that had beset
the path of the Uncle Sam company.
Among those criticised in lengthy brief
he filed with the committee for their at
John Pollock of the district court OF
Kansas, Judge John F. Phillips of the dis
trict court for Missouri, Samuel Adams,
assistant secretary of the interior; r. p.
Goodwin. assistant attorney general Tor
the Post Office Department; David w.
Mulvane of Kansas and various other
officials
Says False News Was Given.
Mr.. Wilson said when the company en-
deavored to secure petitions from citizens
all over the country asking President
Taft to order Secretary Fisher to ap-
prove the Uncle Sam leases, on July 4,
1872, that Secretary Fisher. on July 3.
gave the Associated Press the false in
formation that said leases had been ap-
proved
AS a result of the publication Of this
information, he said, I'VE received con-
ordinations instead Of petitions"
T. F.. Leahy Of the Usage tribe cor
roborated that portion of Mr.. Wilson's
testimony relating to the formation OF
the leases to the Uncle Sam Company
by the tribal council of the Usage tribe.
The members of that council, whom
he represented. were removed from office
by the Secretary Of the Interior, and a
new election has been called. Mr..
Leahy asserted that the Secretary'S Op-
position to the Uncle Sam leases was the
cause of his unauthorized and summary
removal of these chiefs.
The committee adjourned until tomor-
row, when representatives of the Interior
Department will be heard. The Uncle
a bill directing the Secretary Of the In
terror to approve the disputed leases.
Chief Bacon Rind Here.
The Indians who have come to WASH
ington to press the case against the De-
partment Of the Interior have brought
with them arguments and papers ad
libItum. Chief Bacon Rind, one OF the
grand old men of the Usage Indians,
elected to his present Office almost purely
upon the platform of standing by the
Uncle Sam Oil Company, is one of the
red men to appear before the committee
One of the papers brought here states:
Chief Bacon Rind and the Usage Coun-
Gil are progressive rulers. knowing that
the Usage gas rights are worth over q
billion dollars. They are already rich,
but they demand the lease contract Of
the Uncle Sam Company that gives the
Osages a square DEAL
Bitterly Scores Fisher.
Another Of the papers bears a state
ment from John F. Palmer. the "old man
eloquent Of the tribe Of Osages. This
statement says, in part:
1.-The reasons given by Secretary Fisher
for removing the Usage tribal council
from Office is certainly hot pot compila-
ton of sophistries. platitudes. misrepre-
sentations. insinuations. falsehoods and
SANDERS. 1t won't do for Secretary Fisher
in the future to say he was misled or mis-
informed: he holds an important ONCE
and grave responsibilities rest upon him.
If Secretary Fisher does not know, every
one in Oklahoma does know that Fishers
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