Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1911 — BRIBERY CHARGES ARE BEING PROBER [ARTICLE]

BRIBERY CHARGES ARE BEING PROBER

Senator LaFollette Testifies in Gore Bribery Charges. BORE'S STATEMENTS AFFIRMED ■ ■— t ' Wisconsin Statesman Tells Story of Conversation With Mr. Gore About Bribe Offer of Jake Hamon in Land Cases. Washington, Jan 6.' — Senator LaFollette, cf Wisccrsin, was the star witness before the house committee inquiring into the Gore bribery charges in connection with lawyers’ contracts with the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma. Senator LaFollette testified that Senator Gore told him of a conversation he had with Jake Hamon in which Hamon had offered a bribe, or at least made a proposition that amounted to an attempt to tribe, The offer is alleged to have been made in connection with the legislation pending last year providing for the approval of contracts made by J. F. McMurray with the Chocktaw and Chickasaw Indians. Mr. Hamon wanted Senator Gore to withdraw' his opposition to the contracts According to the charges he suggested that if Mr. Gore cttuld see his -way clear to let the contracts go through without pretesting, it would beworth $25,000 to him and possibly more. This is the substance of the story as it was told to the senate by Mr. Gore a year ago, and Senator LaFollette declared that it was substantially the story that Mr. Gore had narrated to him a month before the centrads were to have been taken up in the senate. Jake Hamon has testified in substance that instead of offering a bribe, he, in fact, practically solicited for a loan. Senator La Follette corroborated the statement of Gore that he had made known the alleged attempt to bribe him long before he made the disclosure to the senate. Senator LaFollette testified that be had advised Mr Gore to make a public statement of the case. Mr. Gore was not inclined to do so. on the ground, he said, that the making of such a charge would lay him Open to prosecution. A payment of $7'0,000 made by authority of congress to the firm of McMurray, Mansfeld & Cornish for leeal services performed for the Oklahoma tribes, also came up before tbe house comipittee. This payment is known as the “Big Fee.” There has been a lot of gossip in Washington about it for a long time. and indications are that an interesting light Will be thrown uren it before the inquiry is ccr eluded . , ' -