Killers of the Flower Moon
David Grann
Contributed by Shemika Thormahlen
Chapter 14
Summary

Tom White tries to determine the secrets held by Hale and his nephews, Ernest and Bryan. He firmly believes that Bill Smith must have found out about the truth, and was killed and silenced before possibly revealing who was behind Anna’s murder. Before he died, Bill Smith had called his doctors, the Shoun Brothers, and his lawyer — of whom White formally questions, and establishes that Bill Smith had referred to Hale and Ernest as his only two enemies.

Furthermore, White uncovers that the Shoun Brothers may have called the meeting before Bill Smith’s death with a hidden agenda. It surprises him that Bill Smith named James Shoun the administrator of Rita’s estate. The doctors seem confident that Bill Smith made the decision rationally, but White has many suspicions. Additional investigations on the flow of oil money from Osage headrights reveal the immense corruption attributed to the guardians meant to protect the Osage finances, with most of them working with other individuals in power to create schemes that defraud the Indians of their money. Despite the Indians knowing about the corruption, they were powerless do anything since they lack the means to stop them.

Analysis

At this moment, the only suspects that White has are Hale, Ernest, and Bryan. He is certain that they are hiding the truth and has the determination to uncover those secrets. White’s choice to consider Bill Smith’s story portrays his brilliance in conducting investigations, and he understands that the bombing might have been a way of quieting Bill Smith for recovering essential pieces of information. His suspicion of the Shoun Brothers continues to get thicker when he learns about the administration of Rita’s estate. The massive corruption he uncovers with the Osage headrights and the guardians indicate the extent to which the white individuals are misusing the Indians solely for financial gain. Most of the guardians are like predators who only seek to benefit themselves while oppressing the Indians faced with authoritative limitations.

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