The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-11-16
FRAUD CHARGES
MADE AGAINST
BUREAU HEADS
Reservation Clerk 'RailrOaded'
to North Dakota, Testi.
mony Indicates
PROBE COUNTRYWIDE
All Phases of Work Expected
to Come Under Probe of
Senate Committee

The United States Indian sub
committee, of which Senator Lynn
J. Frazier of North Dakota is chair
man, has stepped into action.
Charges Of irregularities in In
dian land leasing and that clerk
on one reservation was "railroaded"
to North Dakota when she reported
Irregularities in removing Indian
liquor law violators are being made
in Washington following the first
steps of the commission.
Indications are hearings will be
held in all of the western states.
Although members of the committee
have steadfastly refused to discuss
the investigation in any phase, it is
known to be directed to a survey of
administration Of Indian affairs, and
the probe is known to be country
wide.
Mason in Committee
Besides Senator Frazier, the COM
mittee is composed of Nelson A.
Mason, secretary to the senator who
automatically serves as secretary to
the committee; Senator w. B. Pine
of Oklahoma; Senator c. C.. Dill, and
w. l.. Jones, of Washington; and
Senators Burton K. Wheeler of Mon
tana, and Robert La Toilette Of
Wisconsin.
Scope Of the investigation is cx-
pected to cover two main detectives
welfare work for Indians and adj
ministrative methods of the Indian
bureau.
When in Bismarck recently, Sem
ator Frazier made it clear that he
was not seeking to embarrass any
of the heads of the Indian bureau.
He said he is particularly eager to
learn actual conditions among the
Indians and arrive at conclusions
that will be of constructive value
upon the Indian people and that
special effort will be made to get
the Indian viewpoint and to investi-
gate grievances voiced by the In
dams.
Officials Mentioned
The first explosion in the investi-
CATION came when charges were
made Of unlawful actions with re-
gard to leasing land on the Yakima
Indian reservation, often at the ex-
pense of the Indians or white men
interested in the leases. The ac-
tions have taken place with the
knowledge Of the superintendent,
Major Evan w. Estep and p. B. Six
and A. G.. Brown, former chief clerk
and field clerk respectively under
him. it is charged.
The charges made against the
Yakima Indian reservation officials
are that H. B. Miller, Toppenish,
Wash. banker, was allowed to use
a confidential agency record book of
Indian lands coming up for releas-
ing; that he selected choice lands
for his field Of operation and then
obtained leases at a low figure from
the Indians to whom the lands were
allotted, later reaping large profit
by subleasing the lands to white
ranchers. He is alleged to have
handled as much as 900 acres in this
manner either directly or indirectly
through agents, thus evading laws
which limit the amount Of land one
man can lease.
Clerk Charges Violations
Further assertions as to corrupt
practice in leasing the Indian lands
were made by Mrs. Dolly Woodhouse
Of Wiley City, Wash. During part
Of 1926-26 she served in the Yakima
Indian office as acting lease clerk.
She alleged that after she wrote a
letter to the commissioner of In.
dian affairs at Washington, D. c.,
for L. O. Shirley, then reservation
prohibition agent, in which COM
plants were made as to irregulari.
ties in removing the liquor act vic.
laters, Shirley was ordered trans
ferred to the Klamath reservation
in Oregon and Mrs. Woodhouse ia
North Dakota. She later resigned,