The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-04-22


GUARDIAN. WILLIAM SIMMS.
BIZ NEA Service
VINTON. Okla, April 22.-Sor-
row of a million years looks from
the eyes of Maud Lee Mudd
She is one of Oklahoma's poor
rich Indians.
Neither gold nor the youth of her
sixeeen years seem sufficient to as
suage the grief in this little girls
, heart.
Almost with a sense Of loathing
has she come to look upon the
50 5000 fortune inherited from her
Usage and Quawpaw ancestors. Oil
found on tribal lands brought her
wealth.
In Maud's child-Iike way Of rea-
soning. this bullying bank balance
of white mans wampum is directly
responsible for all the mischief
done her since she became an heir
ess.
Wishes She Was Poor
Rich she is, and enviously so.
But" says Maud. money does
no good for Indians, mister. Really,
I wish I were poor-just poor
enough so that I could play and
not have people fighting over me
all the time"
Maud's case and plight are
synonymous with thousands of her
race in Oklahoma who have been
made rich by oil
State court-appointed guardians
have these Indians under super
vision.
Maud has had three of thase pro-
tectors since she became an heiress.
William Simms. her present guar
dian. was suspended from the In
dian probate service pending inves-
tigation Of charges that he paid a
former Congressman and lawyer
1880 as a retainer fee to repre-
sent Maud in court.
Simms has done a lot of good for
Maud. He has had her eyes treat
cd for trachoma and saved the lit
tie girl from approaching blindness.
He was officially reproved, how
ever, for accepting a guardianship
over her.
The Indian service maintained his
act was a violation of the probate
service and that he should have
served gratis as Maud's protector in
his official Government capacity.
Why She Hates Wealth
rrt,o.D 49, ,,.a~xr ,-oo~o,,. ,r-t,,~
Maud is tired of wealth.
She has witnessed bitter quarrels
over control of her person and prop
erty.
She has been the chief contention
in numerous legal battles and has
seen her own relatives bristle with
fight when foiled in an alleged at
tempt 20 spirit her from the State.
Sixteen years ago Congress enact
ed legislation transferring all juris-
diction over Indian probate matters
from the Federal Government to the
local county probate courts.
In theory, the law as drawn was
intended to make the State tA'ibu-
nails an interested corps Of Govern
ment agents. who, because they
were on the ground. would be in bet
ter position to look after the needs
of the Indians.
Thousands of Indians have been
declared incompetent and guar
dian named under this law.
Guardians in Oklahoma having
Indian wards number almost five
thousand. Any guardian may have
as many as five Indians under his
custody. Not so long ago there was
no restriction as to the number.
Graft Charged
Repeated Investigations, charges
of graft and open hostility between
the Federal Indian Department and
State government have grown out Of
the guardian system.
All Of this Maud, with her sad
heart and still sadder eyes-eyes just
rescued from the dread trachoma
epidemic among her people-knows,
but cannot frame into words be-
cause she is just little Indian girl.
But in these words, symbolic to
her of all the dread and curse that
money has brought to q once mighty
people-she tells the world that
promise has been broken, that sad
ness and heartaches grip the red
man.
And those words you have heard,
mister, wish 1 were poor. Just
poor enough so that I could play,
because money does no good for In
dams"