The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-01-31

AuV ktUkAS l1nSWO VI V00 NVAuHB8OEH
Legislature. IL aaueus nominated w. D.
Washburn for United States Senator, but his
election Vas postponed Tor a day or two to
make IN investigating eommitteeto examine
into the charge of bribery and corruption.
The result shows very little ground Tor the
charges, the following being the substance OF
the testimony produced before the commit
tee: i ~ g
II. L. Williams sworn: a member Of the house
and an attorney. I am attorney for J. w. Ham.
About two weeks ago Ham came over to my office
il l would vote for Washburn I could have $500.
I told him it was no use. Afterward Ham came
a. sad ln toid me that Stone had said I could have
money was no object. He wanted me to come
out and announce myself for Washburn.
W. 4 Estes, sworn; a member of the
house. "@saas.@t ~~ ,-. s.es..,.
A person has approached me. He said he
would give a certain amount OF monev and do
! certain things. He wantet me to vote for Nj.
Sabin for United States senator. The man
with whom l had the conversation was Senator
buchanan. 1t was in nv room at the Merchants,
The offer in money was $4,000. Can't give the
exact words. He was In there an hour or 80.
1ntimated that 1t was no mere promise PROPOSE
tion 1t contemplated the vote on speakersnip
! and senatorship and some other matters to come
before the legislature. Something about pine
land matters. connected with some railroad that
no one else there. Had a conversation with Mr..
Sabin afterwards and T understood the conver-
sation alluded to that which we had had.
! withdrew for speaker after this offer. I was in
favor OF Morgan. Had no further conversation
with Buchanan. ! told him at that time that /
should have to refuse the offer. Did not know
that he had any authority more than what Sabin
said. Had o talk with Sabin one evening. We
talked the matter over. and he referred me to
Buchanan. aud said he was a fine fellow: that he
was able to do what he said he could, and II he
made any one any offer he was able to deliver
the goods. I was not offered any sum or any po-
sition to support Washburn. Donnelly offered
| tn Fn0En mo n HI fil mi Nffa ,~o ~ -
many words. He said that Graves was q Sabin
man. and that he thought by certain combina-
TONS ne co an secure my election as speaker;
shall expect you to support me as senator"
J. W. Ham sworn:
Ispoke to him about it. I said, 1T seems to
Washburn you might might get a pretty good
stake" l was around the Merchants hotel and
heard various rumors. All I said was. Il think
he could get So, 600 or SD. 600, that l heard o
gentleman say that he had $4,000 for the cam
paign. Stone had told me about it and he was
my own account. thinking I might get some
, thin p S%s Ct Wa it h IT I , ,5nns6s tnI ! talked ,hssa
me any amount that he would offer. I
never told him that Stone said he would give
any amount. l am a Democrat. There was no
matter, except that I was a friend of Stones.
Stone was a Washburn man. I think I told
Stone the conversation that l had with Williams.
Cross Examined-1 knew that Williams was
hard up and needed money. / told him he could
get $500 for going out and WORKING OH Wash
burns side, and later that he could get $4,000
or So, OOO. 1t was simply on account of my
friendship for Williams that 1 Told him this. I
did not cara from which candidate the money
came: | had no authority to offer the money,
but I inferred it from the general CONVERSE
ton around the Merchants. I did receive some
money from MIR. Stone. He said: "Come down
to the Merchants and hang around and use your
] inf ,vnr m "a, Tho nINH s1o - III ra-a ~~o
$50. l was only there about three days: was
not there all the time; was at my office most Of
the time. did not spend any money on any
members Of the legislature. I had a CONVERSE
ton with Mr.. Sabin last night, before I went to
the theater. LSabin sent for me and wanted to
know ii I was willing to testify what I knew
! told him it was worth 81. OOO-$5OO in cash
and a note. He said he would meet me at the
hotel at 8 a. m met HIM there and he said he
could arrange to give the $1,000. What I was to
do was to give my testimony just as I
had given it to him. Gen. Baker was present. as
were H. l.. Williams and one or :wo Others.
in his presence that this amount was fixed. I
said I was willing to testify IL there vas any
thing in it. meant if there was any money in
1t, and he understood it. My reason for taking
the 81, 900 was because the payment was post
poled. II that was paid I was to come before
the COMMITTEES. sabin and I discussed whether
l was to have the paw for my services only. II
Polk and Williams testified that I told them that
Stone had uthorized me to give the money. it
Is false. Gen. Baker did not participate In the
conversation, He talked in a low tone to Mr..
se Fl &. Stone sworn:
I was unfriendly to MI. Sabin and not particu-
iarly %frienoly to- MIR. Washburn. I told Ham
that Sabin had done a great many things to in
jure me, and l want: d him to get out and do
any money in it. paid him $50. I paid Ham
this out OF my own pocket. l have had no au-
authority from Mr.. 'Washburn to offer any
n the matter because I thought that Sahin was
IN improper person to be elected. My opposition
to him was from a purely business standpoint.
I think that he has injured me. I have had no
communication with p~arlisans of any candidates.
Senator Buchanan sworn:
Inever approached Estes. Saw Estes In my
room. He told me that he had been offered
SO. 900 to withdraw from tho speakership fight.
told him no. I never knew ANYTHING about the
pine lands coming before the legislature. Never
discussed any such question with him. Never
talked with him about a railroad grant or about
his vote, Estes evidence is false-a pure fabri-
cation. There was a bill introduced in the SEN
ate changing the route OF the Duluth & Winnt-
land grant.
A. NJ. Crosby Of Luverne. sworn:
We (meantng Estes and Buckman) talked
awhile. They went into Buckman's room and
shut the door except about six inches. Buck
induce him to withdraw in favor Of Graves for
speaker. He said they had offered him $4,000
on the other side and wished q know if he could
do better. buchanan said they were not max
ing a canvass in that way, but could do some
thing orhim In committees.
Senator Sabin, sworn:
Had a talk with Estes. The conversation was
in the most casual manner as to the speaker
ship. I told him I wished him to pin his sup
port to Graves. He spoke about the chairman.
ship of some committee. I said I supposed he
and Buchanan had some understanding about
kk-k Nanxko n~l II NSl fhD% r ~y,N DIAL $500
could deliver the goods. Our conve rsation had
relation to the speakership alone. Buchanan
told me Estes had told him he could get 5000
times up in our country and he must must
do al much as he could: / never
authorized buchanan to pay anything. CTesti.
| money to induce him to ~testifv.) Polk told me
| what Ham had said about it. / sent for Williams
and he curroborated the statement. I told Polk
mony and talk. He said that Ham was a very
doubtful kind Of fellow ana might do 1t for q
consideration. I told him I could not, nor
but that I never forgot a friend and thought I
could throw enough business into their hands to
pay. them for the trouble. | then sent for
Minneapolis. Polk told ne tina, Ham had madc
an arrangement with Stone to put mp a job on
me. told Ham that his price was high, that I
that if LIE gave his testimony + would
be more than OBLIGED to him. In the
morning I told him ut the Ryan that il he could
not come up voluntarily and i've his testimony
! could have nothing to do with aim. When I
| remarked that I was hard up I said that if I
went into a deal Of that kind I should have to
give, him a slow note. ,rhis was in a ,~jocular
kind of o way. I told him that I would meet
| him at the Ryan hotel in the morning, and I
| guessed ] could fix up the matter. Mr.. Williams
was present at that conversation. The character
OF the man and the wrong that I had had led
me to make some talk to him in a jocose way
that ! would not otherwise have done. I don't
Saow wL.t his inference might have been. My
remarks were of q general nature. But I gave
the inferenca that my husinrss relations mixht