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Show Sensational Charges Made by Senator Goro of Oklahoma Broaden. CHOCTAW INDIAN'TELLS OF OFFER OF $25,000 Senator Curtis and Congressman Congress-man McGuire Deny Being "Interested." By Associated Press. MUSKOGEE. Okla.. Aug. G. Not only JLka L. Hamon, but J. P. McMurray was named as a would-be briber In tho invoa-tlirntlon invoa-tlirntlon of the ?30,000,000 Oklahoma Indian In-dian land deal before the special congressional con-gressional committee today. McMurrav is the holder of tho contracts with the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians to promote which in congress Senator Thomas P. Gore charged he was offered a bribe. D. C. McCurtain, a Choctaw Indian and a delegate to Washington for his tribe, charged that McMurray. in 100G. offered him a bribe of $25,000 to withdraw opposition to tno old trlbnl McMurray contracts which wero subsequently disapproved dis-approved by President Roosevelt. Chief Gives Testimony. Green McCurtain. chief of 18.000 Choc-taws Choc-taws and a venerable Indian of G2 years, then look the stand and told the committee com-mittee that one George W. Scott, whom ho believed acted In the interest of M-Murray, M-Murray, had offered him one-fourth of the profits to bo realized from the lnnc. deal provided he Induced the tribe to withdraw all opposition. This offer referred re-ferred to new contracts held by McMurray McMur-ray which aro tho causo of tho present Investigation. Tho amount of the brlbo mentioned by D C. McCurtain. who is a son of the chief. Is the samo as that which Senator Sena-tor Gore alleges was tendered him on May G by Hamon to put through thc-pcndlng thc-pcndlng contracts, which, according lo Scnntor Gore, would result In the selling of 150,000 acres of coal, asphalt and timber tim-ber lands owned by the Indians to a New York syndicate on a basis that would give McMurray and his associate' an "attorney's fee'' of 10 per cent, or 53.000,000. Curtis Enters Denial. The presentation of the charges ngalns" McMurray followed another day of sensational sen-sational testimony. In which Senato-Charlcs Senato-Charlcs Curtis of Kansas nnd Congressman Congress-man R. S. McGuire of Oklahoma appeared ap-peared on the stand to rcfuto statements state-ments that they wore "Interested" In lv deal. The name of Vice President Sherman Sher-man was again mentioned and conferences confer-ences held by President Taft over the McMurray contracts were referred to. Both President Taft and Vice President Sherman, according to Senator Curtis, had declared that the 10 per cent attorney's attor-ney's fees asked for was oxccsslve. The opinion was unanimous at the president'' conference, he said, that In the sale of the land, no attorney's assistance was needed as the government by treaty already al-ready had stipulated to sell the land on Its own responsibility. Something of the spirit of an Indian war council was presented when Chief McCurtain. known as the "governor." squatted himself In a chair beforo the committee and. brushing the flics oft his hend with a large hadkerchlcf. gave his testimony. "A long tlmo ago." he said, "mnnv of the Choctaws protested against the big fees that would be allowed under the McMurray contracts. I. myself, sent a protest to tho secretary of the Interior. Just before the adjournment of the last congress George W. Scott came to my house and asked me to sign a letter. I refused to do so. Then he camo again and told me he wanted mo to write a letter to the secretary of the Interior withdrawing my protest against the McMurray Mc-Murray contracts. Charges Aro Plain. "When I said I would not do that, ho said he was authorized to agree to give me one-fourth of tho profits If I did. 'Yes, he said, 'we aro going to get a 10 per cent fee out of It. and you will get ono-fourth of the tenth. Now you sign the letter nnd it will be n great bargain.' I absolutely refused to do it and ho wont away." "A good many of your tribe did sign the contracts with McMurray. didn't they?" asked Congressman C. B. Miller. ' "Yes, thov did that because they arc losing all faith in tho government. They have lost ail faith In government officials and in tholr tribal officials, too. It's because be-cause they havo been given so many promises and the promises have not been kept. The government promised It would sell the land and distribute the profits In 190G. It hasn't done so yet. The Indians are becoming disheartened over the gov-crnment'u gov-crnment'u promises, nnd that's why they signed the contracts. Thoy thought It would be better to got some of the money thnn none at all." Indians Want the Money. "Are they In a hurry to get money?" "Yes, thoy certainly are. They need It. They arc poor, for they have been living on promises for so long." "Why do you Indians have so mnny lawyers?" "Because we want to got tho money." "Can you estimate how much your tribe has, paid out in attorneys' fees in tho lust ten years?" "Our tribe in that tlmo has paid out about $300,000." Among the developments of today wero: Senator Curtis told of having been summoned sum-moned to the White House to discuss with President Taft and Vlco President Shorman the merits of the McMurray contracts. President Taft had expressed the belief that tho 10 per cent foe was loo high, and his visitor agreed with him. This, the senator thought, sufficiently suffi-ciently refuted the imputation that tho was "Interested" In tho land deal. The senator knew McMurray for years and had never known of his attempts to "influence legislation." Senator Curtis also testified that ho also knew of no animosity existing between be-tween himself and Senntor Goro, except that Mr. Gore had romarked that Curtis Cur-tis was meddling too much In Oklahoma affnlr3, by fair means and by foul. Oreager Explains Some. Congressman C. E. Crengor of Oklahoma Okla-homa attacked tho testimony previously given by Hamon, whom ho accused of having suggested that he might obtain an "interest" In the contracts. This Hamon Ha-mon denied. Hamon had assorted that beforo tho conference at Washington, Crcagor had called him up on the telephone tele-phone and made the appointment. Crcagor, Crca-gor, In a long circumstantial narrative of riding on street cars, meeting at n restaurant and going to tho Occidental hotel, emphatically declared that Hamon had called him up and that tho mooting was at Ilamon's solicitation. Congressman McGuIro denied ho was over "Interested" In the contracts or had sought their approval by congress. He said ho knew McMurray and Hamon. Hamon had sometimes stopped at his sulto of rooms, at his hotel at Washington. Washing-ton. McMurray had asked him if he had opposed the contracts and, on his answering he had not, ho agreed with McMurray to tell President Taft that the ontlrc Oklahoma delegation was .not opposed to the contracts, He said he novor had been improperly approached In regard to the contracts and ho was never Interested In them "to tho extent of one penny." R. L. Murray of tho Chickasaw trlbo said Governor Johnson of that trlbo hod repeatedly urged him to Induce ns many Indians as possible to send telegrams to Washington to have the contracts approved, ap-proved, which he had refused to do. Indian's Testimony. D. C. McCurtain, who described himself him-self ns a delegate to Washington for the Choctaws, preceded his father on the stand. He testified that beforo the disapproval dis-approval of the old tribal contracts bv President Roosevelt In 1D0S. and while they were still pending, ho was approached ap-proached by McMurray In the lobbv of tno Raleigh hotel at Washington. McMurray Mc-Murray had been talking with Cecil Lyon, national Republican committeeman of Texas, but Lyon went away before tho subject of the 525,000 was discussed. D. C. McCurtain testified. "I met Mr. McMurray in tho lobby and ho saldr "You know we have a contract for the sale of the lands.' I said: 'I hoard it, but had never seen a copy of the contract He said: 'We have decided de-cided we will give you $25,000 If you will not oppose the contract.' "He said 'If tho secretary of the interior in-terior approves tho contract In its present pres-ent form wc will glvo you $25,000. If he scales tho contract, then the $25.0- tvlll hit rMtf fir. TV n npxm.rllnplt. T .on n talk to you further about this matter.' Raised Gravo Question. "I didn't see McMurray for several days, but In the meantime I got to thinking think-ing about the proposition and I knew that they were going to bring powerful political politi-cal influences to bear in support of that contract. I thought maybe If I didn't manifest too much opposition to that contract I would be In a position ultimately ulti-mately to defeat It. but If I becamo too antagonistic I might have no opportunltv to gut my forces together, and that they might In soma way secure, tho approval of the contract. "Several days after that I saw McMurray McMur-ray In the capltol and I said- 'I have docldcd to accept your proposition.' but 1 didn't learn any more about the contracts con-tracts by that means. Tho matter went on for some time and no effort was made to get the contracts approved. Then the matter went along until the constitutional constitution-al convention of Oklahoma appointed a committee to investigate whether II were possible to purchase tho coal lands from the Indians, Announced Opposition. "McMurray became active again. He wantod to appear beforo this commlttco as the representative of the Choctaw Indians, He endeavored to obtain a written statement from Governor McCurtain McCur-tain to the effect that McMurray represented repre-sented Lhe Choctaws and they so recognized recog-nized him. McMurray came out to my house to see me. He stated ho thought lie was in a position to do the nation a great deal of good. Then I said: 'Mr. McMurray, I don't want anything to do with your contracts.' " Mr. McMurray In an Interview denied he made the offer. Ho said Lvon had been financially Interested with him In tho contracts. Much of Congressman McGuire's testimony testi-mony related to whether he occupied a part of a sulto at the Washington hotel with Hamon. "Havo you ever received- anv financial assistance from any person having a contract with tho Indlnns?" Chairman Burke asked. "I never have," replied Mr. McGuire. "There novor was the suggestion of aid to be given mo by McMurray or anyone else." "Is there any reason why Senator Gore should feel unfriendly toward you?" McGuire Roasts Gore. "Nono that I know of Yet he has dono his utmost to give mo a black eye. He showed this In his attitude toward our efforts to secure appropriations for federal buildings at Guthrie, Blackwoll and Kingfisher. Okla, He wrote letters saying he would do all he could to help got the buildings and then he wrote letters let-ters saying he had done all he could to get them, but to a dead certainty he did all ho could to have the appropriation appropria-tion knocked out." "How many times did Hnmon stop at your apartments In Washington?" "Well, I never locked tho door at thoso apartments. Anybody from Oklahoma could como and make themselves at hdme. Hamon came there because I hud known him for years, but Hamon nevor discussed dis-cussed with me the McMurray contracts." con-tracts." J. Milton Turner of St. Louis, ' former United States minister to Liberia, testified testi-fied as to his efforts to Improve conditions condi-tions among the negroes who live on the Indian lands. The committee will continue its investigation inves-tigation at McAlcster. Okln,, on Monday. Goro's Statement. Sonator Gore tonight Issued the following follow-ing statemont relative to Vlco President Sherman: "I have nevor. either In tho senate or before the investigating committee, made any charge whatever against Mr. Sherman. Sher-man. I never said ho was Interested In tho McMurray contracts, directly or indirectly. in-directly. The vice president's name was mentioned lo me by Hamon as tho man higher up who was interested In the contracts. con-tracts. When. I testified beforo the committee, com-mittee, I was under obligation to relate all that Hamon had said and when it came to mentioning what Hamon had said to ino about Mr. Sherman. I named the vice president with extreme reluctance. reluc-tance. I had no alternative but to tell the truth. I think I owe It to Mr. Shorman Shor-man and the. country to hope that the facts that Hdmon mentioned about Mr-Sherman Mr-Sherman will bo relegated to perpetual oblivion." |