Evening star., 1924-04-10
BURNS HAD AGENTS
: TRAILING WHEELER,
HE SAYS, ON STAND


Continued from First Page.)
the MILLER Brothers land fraud care
in Oklahoma. placing on the stand
received and still hold a large grant
of Indian lands once q part OF the
10l Ranch,~
Has Prepared Statement.
After he had waived absolutely
any immunity no might have claimed
as defendant in the cases Miller
began reading long. prepared state,
Moses objected to any "long-winded"
You plead guilty to the charge of
defrauding the Indians of these
lands?' demanded Senator Wheeler:
Yes sir. but with an understand :
ing that there would be a fine," said
Miller denied that his understands
ing was with "the Attorney Cen
erals off1ce" and said that when he
employed John Todd as his lawyer
he did not know that Todd was a
former law partner of Harry Nj.
Daugherty. He said John McCaskey
of Pittsburgh advised him to hire
Todd" and arranged" matters with
Todd, paying the latter $4,000 which
ldLcE iCpdiu W xnHSoohSs
McCaskey told him, he said. that Todd
could get certain reports In the land
cases before the authorities.
Sought Asquare Deal.-
Hammering the witness with aues-
tions. Senator Wheeler asked II he
had not been willing to "pay any
price" to get the papers to the atten-
ton of Daugherty.
IT was willing to pay any price for
a square DEAL" Miller shouted.
He then denied that he had ever
paid ]. ]. MoGraw any money for the
.I am a democrat" he said.
"Yes, we know the kind of a demo-
crat you are" replied Senator
Wheeler.
the land cases before the Attorney
General, and Todd was employed Tor
that reason, Miller said. Going into
the transaction in detail. he told the
committee he had paid Indians "a
consideration OF ss0.235" for 3'o2l
acres OF land; He declared ne nad ex- X
pected $500 fine when he agreed to
plead guilty on advice of his attor-
neys, "but 1t was $500.
The witness was allowed to go
ahead with part or MS prepareu
statement, in which he declared that
charging fraud by him against the
Indians in acquiring land was ma :
licious, misleading and untrue. he
had read only a few lines When SEN
ator Wheeler broke in to question
him. Todd had written him that he
could not further represent him, Mil
Ter said, but the letter could not De
found.
Claims Files Robbed.
MY files are continually being rob-
bed" he said.
isn't it a fact you made the state
ment TO people in oklahoma that you
hired Todd to influence Daugherty|
Senator Wheeler asked.
"I don't remember making any such
statement, and I don't believe l did,
said Miller.
Senator wheeler asked the witness
to produce every letter that passed
between you and Todd" but Miller
would only agree to do that after he
had looked EN- over.
Miller said he felt that the infiu-
ence working against" him in Wash
irgton was Senator Harreld.
"And you wanted somebody to offset
that influence, and McCaskey said
Todd had that infiuence? said Sena-
tor Wheeler.
'I cannot say he told me that"
1t developed that Cox and Rankin"
were two Indian agents who reported
on Miner's land deals. His regular
Attorneys had not been able to get
the Cox and Rankin report" before
Mr. Daugherty. He agreed that he
had told McCaskey he wanted some
body with influence with the Attor-
ney General to see that he got a
square deal"
The witness declared that if the
the land case he would bring suit
himself Ito quiet title"
Made Worst Mistake.
Didn't you have McGraw telephone
to Senator Harreld, asking If 1t
wasn't all right with him that you
plead guilty and only pay fine of
$40, DOOR" asked wheeler.
Whatever McGraw did, he did on
his own account" Miller responded.
Former United States Attorney H
M Peck. who prosecuted the case
against him, Miller said. sis my bit
terest enemy and used evidence that
was mot right" He had sought to
Scott Ferris, a former Representative
in Oklahoma, Miller said, adding lit
was the worst mistake l ever made"
Employment of Gore.
Miller said he was absolutely
sure" Ferris was going to be sena-
tor" Asked about his subsequent
of former Senator Gore
of Oklahoma, the witness said:
II employed them all.'
Peck and Gore were close, friends,
he said, and he retained Gore after
he knew Peck would be prosecu-
tor in the Miller cases.
The witness charged that Peck had
the Cox and Rankin re-
port, which showed there was no
ground for an Indictment
Miller insisted Attorney General
Palmer had told Peck that the cases
should be dropped, and that Peck re-
fused to drop them. His plea of
guilty to the criminal indictment, he
said, was Ito settle the case and avoid