Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-25
PAGE STAR FALLS
INTO LEGAL TRAP
Frank Long Enmeshed in
CrosS-EXaminatiOn Pit
fall by German.
GRILLED A WHOLE DAY
Admits He Knew Atkins
Lease Was Shady When
He Secured 1t.
GR|LLED A WHOLE DAY
Special to The World.

Special to Tho World.
MUSKOGEE. Okla. May 24.-All
doubt that the acquisition of the
Tommy Atkins" allotment by Charles
Page and associates was not bona fide
was dispelled this afternoon by the
testimony of Frank Long, their own
witness. Long fell headlong into the
trap of oss-eXamination.
Long has been the brains" OF what
the government declares is one of the
most gigantic frauds ever perpetrated
upon the Indians. AS secretary of the
Gem Oil company the concern thru
which Page operates, Long has pro
cured the evidence intended to estab-
lish Tommy Atkins and thus Sc
cure control OF oil lands worth at
least $50 100000. Page supplied the
capital and approved what Long did.
German Cross Examines.
The ross-eXamination of Long was
conducted by w. =. Il. German special
assistant to the United States attor-
ney-gencral. Facing clever man
and everyone admits that Long is
clever-who knew every detail OF the
Tommy Atkins" case from the time
il was conceived in the Page Offices in
Tulsa and who was defending himself
perhaps from criminal prosecution to
follow German acquitted himself in
Il manner nothing short of masterly.
The climax came when Long was
put under rapid fire Of questions
relating to the time the Page inter-
ests decided to try and gain the prop
erty. He was asked about the pre-
liminary inspection of the Tommy
Atkins census card I'm the Indian Of
fices here before starting out on the
u q Ill 1 tl.sa.
OF Tommy. Long admitted that this
was his first move.
To Seattle First.
On the face Of the card Is written
an order suspending issuance of deeds
to this land because of question as to
the citizenship of Tommy Atkins
The order was placed there May .,
1905. by one of the Indian commits
sioners. It was on June 3, 1914, that
Long made this In jestiGation OF the
records. Despite the evidence practi-
cally multiplying any title to the Tom
my Atkins allotment, lie went to
Seattle to obtain lease from the wo-
man who had placed "Tommy's'
name on the roll
did you see this order on the CEN
sus card when you made your exam
nation" asked the cross-examlner.
Yes" Long replied.
"Then It didn't discourage you in
your efforts to gain control Of the
property"
1T did not" Long confessed.
An Unexpected Success.
The government hardly dared hope
for such a victory. They had had
reports that Long and Page would
claim that the census card shown them
did not bear the suspension order.
Long was far from composed when
this stage OF the cross-eXamination
was reached. His face was flushed and
his continuous twisting in the witness
chair indicated that he was Ill at ease.
His admissions today constitute an
other link In the strong chain of evil
dence accumulated by the govern
ment In the great conspiracy suit.
Hard Day for Long.
Long was on the stand the entire
day His direct examination lasted
until nearly o'clock In the afternoon
when Attorney German began the
cross examination. but It is believed
that this will be brief.
The witness told how he had
"bought off" detective in the en-
ploy of II. u. Bartlett of Sapulpa. who
was looking for Tommy Atkins" IN
the spring of 1914. This detective To-
Gated Minnie in Seattle and instead
CONTINUED on PAGE EIGHT