The Vinita Daily Chieftain. (Vinita, Indian Terr.), Vol. 5, No. 263, Ed. 1 Monday, August 17, 1903 Page: 1 of 4
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BDHB .YINH& DAILY
ff'x-T"f fHTf TT-! "rf"& iTrS '! T'
PRICE PER WEEK 10
jVOL. V. NO. 2C3
VINITA INDIAN TERRITORY MONDAY. AUGUST 17. 100.3.
ioTlETHING DOING EVEYR DAY PROM NOW ON- SEE DAILY CHIEFTAIN FOR PARTICULARS.
j
'AFTER THE .
OFFICIALS
A Report that will
Probably Bring
Dismissals
Washington dispatches contain
an ex.ended summary of the re-
port ef 8. M. Brosiua an agent of
the Indian rights association oi
Philadelphia to its preiident
Philip C. Garrett. Mr. Broeius
' was here some weeks apo and also
visited all sections of the Indian
' Territory and made a pretty thor-
ough Investigation of alleged ir-
' regularities on the part of govern-
i mnt ofliciala. Conies of the report
were sent to President Roosevelt
k find also to Secretary Hitchcock.
Th the findings of this agent
' I were' regarded as important may
1 I be inferred from the fact that Sec-
! I retary Hitchcock at once went to
I Oyster (Bay to confer with the
I pre. 'dent and that an investiga-
I ticn has been determined upon.
; It is understood at Washington
that the oiikUl c induct of every
government official in the Terri-
tory from the chairman of the
- "Dawes commission down to the
clerks and employes at the Indian
A agencies will be inquired into. If
this decision is honestly curried
Siut tbrne who are acquainted wilh
Sexistbg conditions know full well
Jtneie will ba a nurubrr of trarge
iface; seen in tbi several govern
merit oilioes in this territory.
) "Recently" a Washington re
port state the "secretary learned
s that a retolu'.ion directing an in
vectigation by a congressional
"committee would bt offered in the
1 House when congress uieet?
which may have influenced him
: in his drcir-iou to start tin invti
gati'in. ' Even if ibi investigation
is pushed n- wi:h ttie utcpt-t
dispatch u te poxcibie tnt I'o.i
Kress may insiet in taking a hand
; in the proposed tan use cleaning "
THK BROSIUS KEPORT.
' The report deals with the manipulation
j of the holdings of Indians ami seeks to
: estahiish that not only is outside capital
; interested in securing control of exten-
sive tract of valuable land but that
companies have bren organized in which
' government officials have a direct inter-
est and of which they have become offi-
cer. The investigation of the special
agent covers a period of several weeks
j but he wy that it was necessarily gen-
eral in it chancier and he claims to
have secured information of but a stnal"
J percentage of actual regalaritie.
U TRUST COMPANIES INVOLVED
I'.rosius makes the direct charge that
' trust companies and "land shp.rks" have
-en operating for a long time in secur-
i ir.g lat-ls from the Indians without giv-
ir.g thttu adfjuate return lie says that
the favorit method is to secure a five-
year lease the limit under the law and
then induce the Indians to sign a con-
tract for the sa'e of the binds at the ter-
mination of the lease at a merely nominal
consideration. He says that the pi ices
j aid to the Indians vary from :.'" to "j
cents an acre and they are immediately
sublet by the sharks and trut companies
at from $1 to $2 60 an acre. The oppor-
tunities for profit and for taking advan-
tage of the ignorant Indians are shown
. by the fact that in a single reservation
I there are more than 3O00.0"O acres. The
!rut Companies have secured control of
most of the lan 1 and the legitimate
f miier who wishes to make a lease can j
only secure a g'Xd holding by making a
payment to the company. J
J lie agent criticises the manner o' .-io-ir.g
business by the I'awes Commi. ion
snd desctil the system by which the
i Indian who w".-hes to stcme allotments
is obliged to trave! in some casts more
ll-.an li'i) miles and unit for mviv weeks
btiuie his turn is reached and he can ;
file lie makes the assertion in connec-j
tion with handling the Cherokee lan. Is
that taking as a bash the wverae nmn !
! a of daily filings for sever il days it is j
concluaed that the work of the commis
sion will not be Complete for some thirty
odd years. The law provides that the
Cherokee shall not hold land of more
than 110 acres in extent for himself his
wife or each of his children but the
agent claims that this Is evaded in many
ways and that large tracts are held for
profit in spite of the provision that they
are subject to fine and imprisonment for
doing so Excessive holdings have been
improved and a demand has been made
now that a change is required by law for
the payment for improvements. This it
is claimed was never contemplated as
the illegal returns from the excess of
lands more than paid for the value of
improvements
RUSTLERS AS ACCESSORIES.
Brosiua says that trust companies to
deal in Indian lands have been organiz-
ed by the score and .cover every field of
the five civilized tribes. Agents or "rus.
tiers" herd the ignorant Indians to-
gether in parties of from five to twenty
and induce them to lease their hoi dings.
The Indian is induced to secure an al
lotment of improved land tkken from
the excess land of other Indians. He is
being told that he can not receive rent
for the lands during the five years as
the rent must be held out to pay for the
improvements. Brosius claims that wh i!e
he was in the territory one of the rust
lers brought in thiity-four Choctaws
and Chiclca.saws and another one thirty-
six and a third a less number.w ho were
told to the tribal trust company at from
$20 to flJOa head to be used in securing
control ot their lands.
Much the same tactics are employed
by the oil and gas companies in secur-
ing leases for oil lands. Brosius says:
"The air is rife with scandal in connec-
tion therewith." He cites a striking ex-
ample of an Indian mother and her two
children being deprived of their rights.
He says: "The Indian mother being ig-
norant of values was induced to give up
the lands that bad been in possession of
the family many years on being paid
JAM! each for the three tracts belonging
to herse'f and two children. The person
who made.the deal received tiO.OOU from
the oil company for his share in the pro-
fits." pros-us has Uktn up this case and is
trving to h'ive the lease invalidated. The
scheme was managed so skillfully how-
ever that it is doubtful if the wrong can
be righted except on the ground that
she was unauthorizel lo act on behalf of
her minor chtl lreu
COMMISSIONERS CRITICISE D.
At considerable length I'.rosius renews
the action of the Dawes commission in
handling lapds for the Delawares and
Cherokee ami in commenting on it
iay: ' The iniusuc! interest manifested
by the commission in this matter is
worthy of consideration as it is alleged
to favor interested parties in securing
leases." He then goes on to show that
the lands in question are valuable oil
tracts. Getting dow n to the actual con-
sideration between the trust companies
and the officials of the government
Brosius gives facts which he claims are
substantiated by records.
It will be recalled that several weeks
ago the statement was made in these dis-
patches that oiTicials under both the de-
partment of justice and the interior de-
partment were involved in the Indian
Territory scandals Brosius seems to
have established this beyond question.
He introduces this part of his rcj ort by
way of comment:
"The interests of the trust companies
being antagonistic to the Indians in
many ways it will be interesting to
know i f Ibeir organization and the scope
of teir powers as nuthoried by charter.
The Tribal- development company of
Tishomingo I. T was authorised March
2.1 v ith a it d stock of f 100000 and
had II 2030 paid in Guy P. Cobb who
was then internal revenue inspector (or
the Territory is the largest stockholder."
Brosius says: "P. L. S per is a lare
stockbo der and vice-president f the
company. Mr. isomer is United Slates
district attorney for the northern district
of the Indian Territory whose duty it is
under the law to prosecute persons hav-
ing excessive holdings of land and to
defend the Indians at all suits of law or
equity invoHing their titles to land.
Gov. Mosely of the Ch:ckaiw nation is
also a stockholder
TAMS BIXBV'S COMTANV.
The Muscogee title and trust company
which dots a business in lands was or-1
g.init.l m t'toruary o; mis j err
Bixby chairman of the IUwrs commis-
sion was a Mock holder and vic?f resi-
dent of the concern J. George Wright
Indian inspector in aolute charge in
Indian Ten itory. is one of if directors.
The Canadian Valley trust company of
u-o-ee was organized the dav after
the concern ;ust r.ime.1 to
' to ' bnv rent
sell lease and mortgage real estate"
and Tarns Bi'v in a 1 l;ii.n to I ing a
stockholder is pre
der.tof thece mr r.y.
G W Ho; kir.s chief law clerk for the
Dawe c :-'-j;-Mon re-'g-ie-l his po-t it
is stated to accept an important position
in the company as also P. G. Reuter
clerk in charge of the land office under
the commission.
The International bank aild trust com-
pany has Thomas H. Needles a member
of the Dawes commission as vice-president
and d'rector. Charles A. Davidson
clerk of the United States court at Viaita
is a director. J. H. Huckleberry assist-
ant United States attorney is attorney
for the company and James II. Huckle-
berry Jr is given as one of the stock-
holders in the prospectus issued by the
company.
Brosius says that C. R. Breokenridge
another member of the Dawes commis-
sion is being credited with being inter-
ested as a stockholder either directly or
indirectly of the Eufaula trust company.
He claims that Tarns Bixby has ac-
quired real estate while holding his of-
ficial position as chairman ot the com-
mission allotting lands to the Indians at
Fort Gibson Tahlequah Tishomingo
and Su'phur Springs.
SOrER'S MANY OFFICES.
Mr Brosius says this of District At-
torney Soper: "In addition to being a
stockholder in the Tribal development
company as already shown he is stated
to be a stockholder in and attorney for
the Cherokee oil and gas company
which is operating in Indian Territory
with original charter rights granted in
Arkansas. He is also stated to be gen-
eral counsel for the St. Louis and San
Francisco rai'road company for the In-
dian Teiritory whose interests fre-
quently conflict with those of the In-
dians." This is the way Brosius closes bis re-
port: "There are rumors afloat to the effect
that federal officers in the Indian Terri-
tory are interested in other transactions
that would seem to preclude them from
retaining their positions under the In-
dian department. With the information
in the possession of the various officers of
the government employed in the Indian
Territory it is clear that they possess a
great advantage over others in pressing
any business with which tbey have an
interest either through a trust company
or otherwise. The prestige they have
with the Indiam and others by reason of
their efficia! relations is very important."
DECLINED AN INTERVIEW.
1. L. Super U. S. district attorney
oa being requested t mak-e reply to
thfl lirlus charges tbi morning re-
fused t ne Interviewed with refer-
ence t' i! loved Uud fraud in Indian
Territory wiin which his name iscon-
neetel ami stateUhat he believes his
Ur-i duty Is to the department of jus-
tice to which he Wsif apser when re-
quested. CHIEF IiCFFlNGTON TALK'S.
Chief liurlingtoa iu au interview
this mo'Dlng with reference t alleg-
ed scandals in the territory aid: "I
know S. M. Brosius and am acquaint-
ed with toe IudUu Itin Ms association
that he reoreseot. He is a man of
bili tanditni ana the association is
very influential io Washington. 1 am
sure he has the ear of the Indian of-
fice and perhaps of the president. I
hope a full investigation will be In-
stituted and the whole affair probed
to the bottom. Tae..knyle l-e of
laud fc'ra'j'es and title possesse 1 by
the Dawes Commission and it em-
ployes jnves those .entieuieii a rteeil-
ei a ivaut ue over ( ther cM.sus and
may have a tendency to lcfluence
ru-iris and decisions in which 'hey
or their friends are tin uiCial'y ir.tr-e-te
I
I irm of the Ontua.
TIip cfstus. a cruel and danperous
Sp.ci.i of boxing in which the bauds
and arms were furnished with gaunt-
Ms. loaded with load or iron was re-
vived in Grt-pce In the twenty-third
Olympiad; but as the victory in this
came was frequently stained with Mi. .id
it was never h"M in much estimation
by the Creeks who evinced in their
public sports none of the sanguinary
ferocity that characterized the Romans.
Pamoxerins. a champion of the csnis
bavlr.c Plain ht adversary under cir-
rumstances of iut'. h cruelty Rnr! treai-h-ery.
m not only refused the wreath
but was driven from the Ffndhini with
every n.ark of infr.my and indienation
while his deceased victim was splen-
didly crowned by the j'niaes. The com-
batants in this exert ice wore headpieces
of brass for their protection notwith-
rtand:nf: which they were often If rrlMy
pi.itll-ated thoi.cti they might escape
with life and limb.
Bearded Worn.
Two French doctors have been
looking into the f; uestion of lardti
women and have discovered that Cot
I cf every 1.000 face females are
' fcearoeo. vu tr.ese .ov M.t.j..
1 d.'.v n. I" l ave a very Tis;i:e cearu ana
jten r-re unmistakably adorned with
lvu :rnt srrer.dEce. Out cf I.OCO
' Mamie ed. 491 had
j beard while 55 tad beards well
1 m'w n London Chronicle.
r i
Well The Swellest Line
TAILOR
j& MA
That Was Ever
We have spared no expense
in making- room for a Cloak
and Suit department and we
can now boast of being" the
only firm in your town hav-
ing a nice well ventilated and
lighted private cloak and suit
room devoted especially to
this line.
w1
'E are showing:
. pecially invite
this line and see what the new STYLES are for this fall. The line is the
celebrated "Palmer" make and needs no introduction as they are c;iven up
by. everyone to be right in STYLE best in MATERIAL and correct in
TAILORING.
We have the new "Corset Coat" suit the very thing for street wear and
the Russian Blouse suit for an all purpose suit.in all the new shades of cloth.
Now we feel proud of this line for we know you can't find one as com-
plete outside of the largest cities. Come and see them "sure."
1
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JLJLiVi .Kzxf
WHAT?
j& (TTTTfnPC
Shown in a Town
all the new things in Ladies'
the ladies of Vinita and vicinity to call and inspect
1 I. A
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Mercantile Company.
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of LADIES
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the Zize of Vinita!
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Suits and Skirts and es-
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Marrs, D. M. The Vinita Daily Chieftain. (Vinita, Indian Terr.), Vol. 5, No. 263, Ed. 1 Monday, August 17, 1903, newspaper, August 17, 1903; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc774069/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.