Show I ALLEGED ROBBERY OF OKLAHOMA INDIANS I firs Mis Gertrude Collego College Sioux Formerly of Fort FOlt Duchesne Member of Committee Which I Made Investigation gation Among the many many which congress congress' lately latel has been asked ed to investigate is the exploitation of well to I Indians now alleged to be g going ing cm un I In the state of ot Oklahoma It is isI I charged that since all alP aU jurisdiction over Indian probate te mattes matters As is s been transferred from the interior department to the local c county courts the estates of the lIve ive Tribes are being sham and openly robbed robbed in ina a scientific and t ruthless manner In other words without the protection of the feller- feller feder-f feder r al go government ment these ld I Indians ans are arenow arenow now m more re completely at the mercy pf unscrupulous white men than r were their unfettered ancestors a couple of centuries ago This charge Is the result of a private private private vate investigation made by special agents of three organizations Interested Interested Interested Inter Inter- ested in the welfare of the American Ameri Amen can can Indian Indian Mrs Gertrude Bonnin formerly of Fort Port Duchesne a college college colt col col- t lege Sioux research agent of the Indian welfare committee of the Federation of Women's clubs Charels Charel H. H Fabens of the i American Indian Defense association f foil tion and Mathew K Sniffen of the Indian Rights association All ll three recently spent several weeks in eastern Oklahoma individually engaged engaged engaged en en- in quiet r research search and hence all aU are well provided with hand first-hand evidence Their report reveals some startling abuses ana clearly shows the immediate ne nee d of federal inter inter- ference It charges charge that in many of the counties the In Indians ians are virtually att at atthe the t mercy of groups that include the ther r county judges guardians attorneys 1 1 J bankers merchants merchants and and even the undertakers undertakers all of whom r re re-i i J gard the Indian estates as legitimate legitimate mate game The chief trouble it explains arises from the fact that many many of the county courts ar are in influenced in- in by political considerations and that Indian guardianships are i r the plums plum to be distributed to the tho fa faithful friends of the nudges Judges as a ay I y 1 reward for support at the polls A prominent attorney of Creek county told the investigators The Indian business has become a political f cal proposition No lawyer who practices s law can legitimately get in A man has to buy a big case I I have hav been here for te ten years and we we have not had a square judge during that time How is it worked work work- ed Suppose for instance here isa is isa a guardianship of particular value and I am ama a friend of the judge and be he wants to appoint John Doe as guardian He can say to me You tell Doe I will appoint him him if he digs up When Doe is apI appointed appointed ap ap- I pointed guardian he soon get gets back bad backI I his and and then some The wards often get little more than thana a bare living out of ther estates There is no way to c compel the judges to act square The professional guardianship is profitable in fact ga game ne so BO very leaving that tha even bootleggers arc their lucrative business to become g guardians They find it much lauch easier hazardous work wink Each land Iland I and less guardian Usually has a an n attorney retained probablY probably it has steadily retained how been suggested to him far he can go and be within the he law With the estate of or his hh Indian ward under control he pie is catered his hh who desire a to by lY the bankers merchants who account by the the wards ward's trade want to secure sycophants I and by any number of who want to negotiate l loans ans on questionable ques security In this way the whole community interested interested-amI interested ami e especially espe le is more or less tobe tobe to tobe anxious is the judge who county of or the be re Many found app appeared ap- ap judges the investigators toward lenient p eared to be quite these guardians ns Usually no no auditOn audit audit- 0 On Local Page ALLEGED ROBBERY OF OKLAHOMA INDIANS From Page One ing ng of accounts is demanded and the he judge asks no embarrassing questions Two great evils result from this system the report points out One is I. the charging of excessive fees feea and administrative cost costs The other others is s the actual abuse of the trust by dishonesty petty gr graft tt and gence In one case a guardian not only asked for and received a ator month for tor himself but bul in addition asked the court to appoint a co co- guardian to help him also at a month He retained his attorney at a month Thus the total cost of administering this one estate was about a year o |