University of South Carolina Libraries
VICE PRESIDENT CORRUPT. senator gore charges sill 'l M\n Wim gk \fting. Senator Gore, on Stand Before Con gre?Mjonal Investigating committee, Nation -IniniN s. Sherman as Hav? ing Iteen Mentioned as the Man ??fllgher Vp" in Deal to Get $3.ooo. OOO From Indians?Other Promi? nent Republicans \II?-??mI to Have Revn Corn-erne*! hi Effort to Bribe Oklahoma, llllnd Statesman (.I\?n Details of Confcrcmv Culminatlifg la Offer of 1*0,000 Bribe. Muskogee. Okla.. Aug. 4.?What happened In the private office of Uni Itl States Senator Gore at Washing? ton at n <or\ May 6, last, formed the basis of sensational charges Involving the names of Vice President James 8. Sherman, Senator Curtis of Kan? sas, Congressman B. 8. McGuIre of Oklahoma and others In a hearing be? fore a special congressional investi? gating committee here today. During the 30 or 40 minutes of a conference held In that office Sena? tor Oore testified that he had been approached by Jake I.. Hamon, for ^sner chairman of the Oklahoma ter? ritorial Republican committee and also former chairman of the State Repablican committee and that he had been offered '425.000 or $50,000 to remove objection to certain leglsla . tloa pending In congress so that $3, POM.?00 might be paid to J. P. Mc Murray, an attorney at McAlester, Okla.. and his associates. The money was to represent "at? torney's fees" of 10 per cent of $30, OOt.Mt which was to be secured from a New York syndicate for 450.000 acres of coal and asphalt lands now V owned by the Choctaw and Chlcka oaw Indian tribes In this State. Sherman Interested In Deal. Vice President Sherman's narte was mentioned by Mr. Daman, Senator Oore testified as being interested ^rln the deal to the extent of approval of congress to what are known as the sir Murray contracts with the Indians. What happened In another private room In Washington, where it was alleged Hamon also made more "over? tures" relative to the land deal, was rtold bv C. e. Creager, congressman from the Third Oklahoma district. Congressman Creager supplemented testimony of Senator Gore. He on June 16, last, he had been Invited by Hamon to meet him In a private room at the Occidental hotel In Washington. ^ Having gone there. Mr. Creager tes ttfted, he was Informed he could have a substantial "Interest" in the land deal If he would withdraw his oppo? sition to the approval of the McMur ray contracts by congress. No Figures Named. f Mr. Creager was asked the ques? tion: "Were any figures mentioned as to how much you were to receive?" He replied: "No. I did not let It go as far as that. I made It plain I was not open to being Influenced It that way." k "\ had already gone on record as * being firmly opposed to the granting of su< h an enormous fees for attor? ney*" Congressman B. S. MeOulre, who wss charged by Senator Gore as "be* Ing Interested in the Mc Murray con |. traits." was said by Mr. Creager In ^?hls testimony to have been at the time of his visit an occupant of the same suite of rooms with Hamon and Mc Murray st the hotel Clerks of Senator Gore testified to having been Invited by McMurray snd Hamon to "frog lea" suppers at |)Washington, st which the Indian I tracts were to be "talked over." These Invitations, It was declared, were all "turned down." On one occasion, one of the clerks testified. Hamon said Senator Oore was 1 'awfully hard on his friends." ? Offered Hard fnstl Senator Gore in his testimony as? serted that the offer of bribery went so far that Hamon said the $2'.o00 or $50 <uo> wubl not be paid over In tho form of a check or marked money, but "it would be all dean, hard br?sh ' The committee that heard the charges was appointed by resolution ,.f t>>.? h ? i ?? r. pr- nt ithes to in? vestigate the M Muruy contract*, which are said to have been made by McMurray Individually with It.ttf ^ h <if whom agreed to turn over 10 per cent, of his profits from the * ib of land, provided the i on iNMflfl were approved by e < > ngr e* ?. The committee, headed by <.n gressman Charles II. Burke of South Dakota, chairman. Is composed or ^r'?m?'< ?'--riP ii I'hlllp iv Campbell ol Ksn?n?. Charles n. Miller ?>f Ulnae ?of ? J.din II. Stephens of Texas and '?: W Sein ler i of Virginia. If* Initial s.^p.n was held today. Congressman Creuger's uppearanee ?n the witness stand caused a nu.n tenator Gore's charges were the foV jwlng ? i he Man 'i. hei I p 1 That Hamon told htm III ?t a nan higher up" in the | mment was ?teresb'd In the appr ?-. a! of tie* con A 'Sets tason why Senator Gore should not e; that when asked who was thi I man "higher up" Hamon replied: "Vtot President Sherman." That Harmon told him Senator 1 Curtis of Kanaai was "interested" in |hi th ai. Thai Mamon told him Congress? man McGutrc of Oklahoma was "in I terested" In the deal. I That Mamon told him an employe of tin- department of Justice at Washington was "interested" in the Ideal; that he (Senator Gore) knew the name of the employe, but would not divulge his name or the name of his Informant, because the latter would lose his position. That former Senator Long of Kan I sas. acting as counsel for McMurray, had gone to President Taft on April I 28 to urge the approval of the con I tract, but thr.' the president had said that it would take a good deal of ar I Kumcnt to convince him that the [amount of fee $3,000,000 asked by Mc Murray was Justified. Curtis May Testify. Senator Curtis today sent a tele I gram to the committee denying that I he was In any way interested in the I contracts and offered to appear before I the committee. Chairman Burke said Senator Cur I tis would be subpoenaed to testify. I An account of that part of Sena I tor Gore's testimony referring to Vice I President Sherman follows: i Mr. Burke?In your conversation I with Mr. Hamon you stated he nam- j I ed a very high official that he said I was Interested In these contracts. You I omitted his name. Mr. Gore?I again say that I I should very much prefer not to name I It. I am. however, subject to the I will of the committee. , Mr. Burke?The committee Is here I to get the facts and we must have I all this information. Vice President Mention. Mr. Gore?He sugegsted that Vice I President Sherman was Interested in I the contracts. Thomas H. Owens, Counsel for Mr. I Gore?In that connection you spoke I of an article appearing in a Kansas j City newspaper that two gentlemen I had called upon the president I j J wish you would say who was men I tloned In that article. Mr. Gore?In the newspaper of April 1, Vice President Sherman and Senator Curtis were named as having called to discuss the suggested coal and asphalt lands. I think before the senate met the next day the in? formation came to me. Senator Gore explained that he be? lieved Vice President Sherman was favorable to the contracts. A short time later he Introduced resolutions In the senate that required further ac? tion of congress before the contracts could be approved. Asked If he had ever met Hamon, Congressman Creager replied: "Yes, I met him by appointment at his rooms at the Occidental hotel. He ln ttted me there, s. ving he wanted to talk over a little matter with me. "At that time efforts were being made to have the president approve of the McMurray contracts. I already had gone on record as being opposed to their approval. Well, when I got to the hotel and was sitting In a room with Hamon he began to urge me to withdraw my opposition. He suggest? ed I might have an interest in the contracts." Congressman Miller?Were any figures mentioned. Did he say how much Interest you might have? Mr. Creager?No, I did not let !t go as far as that. I made my lan? guage pretty emphatic that I was op poaad te the contract! and would not be Influenced. <'??rigressman Stephens?You mean to say that you regarded the offer of ?tfc h a Character as to arouse your indignation? Bather Vexed. Mr. Creager?Yes, that is lt. I re? garded It as an offer to lnlluenee my attitude toward the contracts. It was aval ?UfJteated that I call together all the o?i. i is I could and defeat the measure opposing the approval of the rdlls. Conirreseman Miller?What kind ol rooms did Mr. Hamon and Mr. M.Murray ha\e at the hotel; Mr. Creager?Oh, three Of four front rooms. Representative IfoGulrc of Oklahoma occupied part of the Hamon and McMurray suite. I met Hamon later at different times, when he le ard I was coming to testify be fore this committee he urged me not \i>. He eaproasod the hope that i lid make no statement before this ? ??mmtttoo, I Je. ailed to the stand. Senator Gore a i ' ? d to mention the name of the . mplove of the department of justice who had told him that an oth. r employe an official In that de partmenl was Interested in the con tracts. Won't Violate Confidence. 'That I could not do." replied Sen? ator (lore "The matter was Impart? ed to me In confidence and 1 regret tnal it was m< ntloned h< re at all." "Now, senator," Interposed Con gressman Campbell, "don't you think It unfair to go ? far before this committee and yet not tell all you know?" You know we are here to learn the truth and we would like to I ivc ill of It made known." j "No. I would rather not It || we'l ' i mix that hen ofore employes' In that department have lost their post-1 tlons l<?r giving out information and I would rather that this feature of the investigation he dropped." Senator Gore testified ho and Hamon long had been friends and J had been Interested in business trans- ^ actions at Lawton, Okla., In which money loans were Involved. Hamon Is an attorney of Lawton, which is Sen ator Gore's home town. Hamon Is 37 years ?dd and is married. Warned LaFollette. Explaining what led up to his op? posing the approval of the contracts with the Indians, Senator Gore in his testimony asserted that as far back as 1905 he wrote a letter to Senator LaFollette calling attention to the great wealth of the asphalt' lands owned by the Indians. He said the United States geolo? gical survey had estimated the min? eral deposits to be worth $160,000, 000. In 1905 he said McMurray had obtained contracts with the tribes of Indians for the sale of the lands on a 10 per cent, basis. In 1908 Presi? dent Roosevelt had registered his dis? approval of the contracts. In the same year McMurray ob? tained contracts Individually with 10, 000 Indians, there being at that time no law against the execution of con teracts with individual Indians. It was this condition that aroused him to introuce a resolution in congress de? claring that all Indian contracts must be approved by congress. McMurrnry's First Visit. "McMurray then came to my office," said the senator. "I told him I had no objection to just attorneys' fees, but that I thought 10 per cent, on land valued by the government at $160,000,000 certainly was too high. 1 also said 10 per cent, on $30,000,000 was too high, as I was Informed that a New York syndicate was ready to pay the latter for the lands. I said I saw no reason why the Indians should pay attorneys' fees in this in tant at all since the government by treaty already had disposed of the land and given the Indians the full profit. I wrote letters to the presl ent and various other officials de? scribing what I called an attempt to plunder and rob these Indians. "A great many interests were at work in promoting contracts, the first time I knew that Former Sen? ator Long was acting In hebalf of McMurray, being one day when I walked into the office of Secretary of the Interior Balllnger. I began to protest against the contracts and was told not to talk so loud as Mr. Long was present and he was Interested in them. The Casus Belli. "On last May 5, my bill holding up the Indian contracts was reported out of the committee favorably, the report being submitted by Senator Hughes of Colorado. The very next day McMurray came to me and asked me to have Mr. Hughes not to press the measure. I told him I would press it. I have been pressing It ever since." Mr. McMurray said: "I have never approached any one In this matter except upon Its merits, I took the ctontracts in good faith. I believe they are legitimate and the rompensation is not too great. Prac? tically all the Indians In the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations want their land sold. 'I do not know anything about the Incidents of which Senator Gore and Congressman Creager speak. I have gone to them many times but I went to them in person and did not send an agent." "Frog Log" Banquets. References to Invitations to "frog leg" banquets and to alleged asser? tions by Hamon that Senator Gore was "going back on his friends" were made in the testimony of D. F. Gore, | private secretary and brother to Sen? ator Gore. D. F. Gore stated that he was In his brother's private otllce at noon on May 5 when Hamon appeared. 'II stepped Into an adjoining office and left the senator and Hamon alone except th t once In a while I went In and out. When they quit talking in about 30 or 40 minutes, Hamon came out into my room. " 'Well,' he said, 'the senator is getting awful hard on his friends. 1 want to make a lot of money, Dick, and I don't care how I make lt. I did not know then what they had been talking about, but when Hamon left the senator said he had been talking about the McMurray contracts and Hamon had offered him $25,000. The senator said Hamon offered to In? crease this amount." Another Witness. J. Lelloy Thompson, stenographer to Senator Gore, testified he also was in and out of the senator's room when Hamon was present. He, too, was In? vited to the "frog leg" banquet, he said, but declined. Congressman Campbell?How long were the senator and Hamon at con foren< e togt ther? Thompson??About ">o or 10 min? utes, When Hamon came out l over hoard him say be wanted to make a lot of money and he did not care how be m ide it much. "Did you hear anything that was shnld at the ( onU rence?" ??No, l did not. Usually wlen Ha? mon called i heard everything that was said. There never before had been any effort to conceal it, but this time it was different." "In what way was it different? Did Hamon act differently?" Hamon Secretive. "Yes, he appeared not to want to say anything when I was in the room which was quite opposite from his usual manner." That the Choctaw Indians who had protested against giving 10 per cen. attorneys' fees to McMurray had been asked to rescind their action formed the substance of testimony offered by W, A. Durant, a Choctaw Indian and a member of the Oklahoma State legislature. Mr. Hamon tonight declined to dis? cuss Senator Gore's charges and said he would not make any statement ex? cept in response to categorical ques? tions. Hamon Denies All. The following questions in inter? view were then put to him: "Did you offler a bribe to Senator Gore?" "I did not." 'Did you offer to give him an in? terest in the McMurray contracts?" "I did not." I "Did you offer to bribe Congress? man Creager?" I "I did not." "Did you offer him any interest in the McMurray contract?" "I did not." "Did you mention to Senator Gore or anyone else that Vice President Sherman was interested in the appro? val of the McMurray contracts?" 'I never mentioned seen a thing to anyone." 'Did you say Senator Curtis was interested in the McMurray con 'I did not." 'Are you yourself interested in the approval of the McMurray con? tracts?" "I am not." Mr. Hamon reclined to answer oth? er questions, saying he expected to appear before the committee when he would tell all he knew. C AMI'BELL MAY OPPOSE BAILEY. Governor of Texas Slated to Run on the Prohibition Ticket?His Antl liquor Plan. Austin, Tex., Aug. 3.?Gov. Camp? bell today sent a special message to the legislature, submitting a proposi? tion for prohibiting the sale of liquor within 10 miles of any State educa? tional institution. If a bill to this effect is passed the capital city will be dry, as well as Galveston. It is said here that Gov. Campbell will make the race for the United States senate against Senator Bailey two years hence. He will run on the prohibition platform. GOVERNMENT BOAT WRECKED. The Perry Runs on Reef?No Lives Lost. Washington, Aug. 2.?The first serious accident of a revenue cutter since the Gallatin was driven on a rock in Boston harbor during a heavy snow storm, 18 years ago, be? came known today, when official ad? vices reported that the Perry, carry? ing half a hundred officers and men had run on a dangerous reef in Beh? ring Sea and was a complete loss. No lives were lost and the men have been distributed among the other craft that guard the sealing herds and per? form other duties in those northern waters. The Perry is one of the oldest forty six vessels of the revenue cutter ser? vice. The dispatch reporting the loss of the cutter, which took place July 20, gave few details. STATE OF OHIO. CITY OF TO? LEDO, ss. LUCAS COUNTY. Frank J. Cheney makes oath that he Is senior partner of the firm of F. J. Cheney & Co., doing business in the City of Toledo, County and State aforesaid, and that said firm will pay the sum of ONE HUNDRED DOL? LARS for each and every case of Catarrh that cannot be cured by the use of Hall's Catarrh Cure. FRANK J. CHEN BY. Sworn to before me and subscribed In my presence, this 6th day of Da cember, A. D., 1886. (Seal.) A. W. OLE A SON, Notary Public. Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken inter? nally, and acts directly on the blood and mucous surfaces of the system. Send for testimonials free. F. J. CHENEY & CO.. Toledo. O. Sold by all Druggists, 7 5c. Take Hall's Family Pills for con? stipation. So far, nobody lias Induced Sena? tor Lodge to express any opinion about Congressman Ame'a probabili? ties of success with his aeroplane.? Boston Daily (Hobe. ?Life on Panama Canal has had one frightful drawback?ma? laria trouble?that has brought suf? fering and death to thousands. The germs cause chills, fever and ague, biliousness, jaundice, lassitude, weak? ness and general debility. But Elec I trie Bitters never fall to destroy them and eure malaria troubles. "Three i...tties completely cured me of a very severe attack of malaria," writes Win. A. Fretwell, of Luc a ma, N. o, "and I've had good health ever Since." Cure stomach, liver and kidney I troubles, and prevent typhoid, 50c. Guaranteed by Blbert'i Drug Store. mmm w hobby. CLOSE CAMPAIGN IN EASTERN PART OF STATE AT CON WAV. Goofl Audience Hoars Tliem?No Incitement In Evidence but Speak? ern All Please Audience?No Meet lug Today. Conway, Aug. 4.?With the meet-j Ing today in the Independent Republic j the campaign in the eastern part of the State is closed. The candidates left this afternoon for Columbia, where they will speak Saturday. The meeting at Conway was attended by 500 or more of the citizens of Horry and the speakers seemed to strive to surpass each other in their efforts to win votes, for of votes there are many in this county and there is not any set of men which can control the vote of this people. Revise Tax System. The speaking was opened by E. Walker Duvall of Cheraw, candidate for lieutenant governor, who was fol? lowed by C. A. Smith, candidate for I the same office. Next was Attor? ney General J. Fr?ser Lyon, who was well received. Mr. Lyon did not dis I cuss any of the matters which have I been talked of lately, but talked to the I people of Horry about the need of a I revision of the entire tax department j of the State. He agreed with Jeremiah I Smith of Conway, who had published J an article demanding a change in the J administration of the tax laws. Mr. j Lyon's remarks were given the closest 1 attention and the people of Horry I seemed anxious to learn something j about the State's finances. B. B. I Evans was absent. ' The candidates for railroad com? missioner were all present and two of the candidates for adjutant gen I eral, Col. Newman and Col. Moore. I G ubernational Aspirants. I Cole L. Blease opened the speaking I among the candidates for governor. I This was the best speech he has made during the campaign. J. T. Duncan j spoke. j I This was not a demonstrative au? dience, but C. C. Featherstone ap I peared to be the most generally J favored of the candidates for gover I nor. Mr. Featherstone today relied J less upon his anecdotes and sentiment I and advanced some new and striking j arguments for prohibition. Mr. Hyatt was in fine form today and made a capital speech. He told of what he had done for the farmers and their interests and incidentally pushed the fighting against Richards I and Featherstone. T. G. McLeod made today a really brilliant argument in favor of local I option. He fell upon Mr. Feather? stone and belabored the Laurens can? didate for trying to draw the line so that it would appear that a local op? tion advocate was not moral. Mr. McLeod declared that he had voted I against the sale of liquor in his own I county and that the prohibition In that county is being enforced by pub I lie sentiment. He declared false any intimation that he was any less moral than an advocate of prohibition and invited the closest scrutiny of his pri I vate and public life. His speech was the most striking incident of the day, J although he did not appear to be so much of a favorite. The last speaker among the candi? dates for governor was Maj. Jno. G. Richards, who excelled al? efforts that he has heretofore made. He was particularly effective in ridiculing the claim of farmers' friends by Mr. Hyatt and of best prohibitionist by Mr. J Featherstone. Mr. Richards appeared I to make manv friends in the audience There will be no campaign rneeting Friday but the candidates will assem? ble at Columbia Saturday to tell the voters all about It. Congresional Candidates. The candidates for Congress, P. A. Hodges, Ben B. Sellers, Geo. W. Brown and J. E. Ellerbe, presented their claims for this office in the order named. This was the first appearance of the candidates in this county, quite a goodly number remaining over to hear them. The speeches were about the same as made at other points in the distric t. Each candidate attacked Mr. Ellerbe on his lumber vote. Can I didate Hodges read a letter from H. J. McLaurin of Sumter urging lumbt r men of the district to support Ellerbe. Bach of the candidates were given lib? eral applause, but the applause given to Ellerbe amounted to an ovation. *If your liver Is sluggish and out of tone, and you feel dull, bilious, constipated, take a dose of Chamber? lain's Stomach and Liver Tablets to? night before retiring and you will feel all right in the morning. Sold by W. W. Sibert. "I sometime wish," says Senator i Burton, "that our orators would talk! less about Increased bank deposits! j revenues and iron and steel products and more about human welfare." it i Is a reasonable wish.-?Chicago Dally XeWS. ( ?Be sure and take a bottle of Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy with you when' starting on your trip this nummer. it | cannot be obtained on board the trains or steamers. Changes of water and climate ?fter? cause sudden at? tacks of diarrhoea, and it is best to be pr< pared. Sold hy \V. W. Sibert. [SLANDERS FRIGHTENED. and Upheaval Visits Beach at Sul? livan's Island and Frightens Visi? tors?Does no Damage to Speak of. Charleston, Aug. 2.?A big water pout that later developed into a sand-spout, alarmed a lot of Sulli? van's Island people today but for? tunately the spout was broken up or became dissipated before it did ser? ious damage to property or injured anybody. The spout formed in the harbor off the beach and advanced towards the shore line. It moved slowly and many people watched its course, expecting to keep in the water, but, contrary to expectations, it continued on Its way and as it struck the beach and left the water's edge a cloud of sand was turned skyward in rotary motion instead of water and the phenomenon started to take a course along the beach. This threatened serious trouble and when the observers saw the disturbance pick up a large bench, wrench it from its moorings in the sand and throw it high in the air, raising clouds of sand and scattering it over a wide area, the alarm became- all the great? er, but the disturbance ended almost as abruptly as it had appeared and without injury to anybody or damage save to the bench, which can bo readily replaced without much cost. INSURGENTS WHf IX KANSAS. Six Out of Eight Republican Candi? dates Are Insurgents. Topeka, Kan., Aug. 3.?The insur? gents won a complete victory at the Kansas primaries yesterday. Six out of eight insurgent con? gressmen were nominated, in spite of everything the congressional organi? zation in Washington and Kansas could do to' save their men. Their majorities run from a thou sand to thirty-five hundred. Borden Democratic Club. The Borden Democratic Club will be re-organized Tuesday afternoon, August 16th at Borden, S. C. C. L. EMANUEL, ij S. J. FOLK. August 2, 1910. r ' 2t-lt a week. f ? From Sickness to "Excellent Health''. ?So says Mrs. Chas. Lyon, Peoria, III.: "I found in your Foley Kidney Pills a prompt and speedy cure for backache and kidney trouble which bothered me for many months. I am now enjoying excellent health which I owe to Foley Kidney Pills." Slbert's Drug Store. CERTAIN RESULTS. _ Many a Sm ccr Citizen Knows How Sure They Are. Nothing uncertain about the work of Doan's Kidney Pills in Sumter. There Is plenty of positive proof of this in the testimony of citizens. Such evidence should convince the most skeptical doubter. Read the follow? ing statement: J. H. Grady, 16 Wright St., Sumter, S. C, says "I have no hesitation in recommending Doan's Kidney Pills as they proved of great benefit to me. I used them for kidney trouble and they helped me more than any other remedy I had previously taken. My back ached nearly all the time and I had severe pains in my kidneys. The kindey secretions were Irregular In passage and w'hen allowed to stand deposited sediment. I finally used Doan's Kidney Pills, procured at China's Drug Store and they regula? ted '.he passage of the kidney secre? tions and removed the lameness from my back. I have had no return of kidney trouble." For sale by all dealers. Price 50 cents. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, New York, sole agents for the United States. Remember the name?Doan's?and take no other No. 17. Foley Kidney Pills What They Will Do for You They will cure your backache, strengthen your kidneys, cor* rect urinary irregularities, build up the worn out tissues, and eliminate the excess uric acid that causes rheumatism. Pre* vent Bright's Duease and Dia? bates, and restore health and strength. Refuse substitutes. W. W. SI BERT. and CljREwsLUNGS f^fPHsgjErsSF&n?? 1 THROAT AMD LUKGTaOUBUS \ O SAr/SFACTOB/ rj jjmu siiii ?af 1