The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-06-02
H BRIBERY CHARGE
BEING INVESTIGATED BY A COM.
MITTEE.

MITTEE.
Senator'S Kyle and HuntOn Testify
That C. w. Butts offered Them
Money to Vote Against the Taris
Bill-Buttz Called as n Witness.
Washington, May 22.-Thc committee
to investigate the charges of bribery in
the. senate were on hand promptly to-
day in the room of the committee on
pri, ileges and elections. Senator Hunton
was at the meeting as a VIII ess. ,
G. W. Butte with his attorney was
Without the doors of the committee room.
and there We're other expected witnesses
in the corridors. Mr.. Buttz made a
written application to be present. The
Ct nmittee sat in secret session until
1890 when Mr.. Hunton was summoned
to testify. \Senator Hunton rem: ined
with the committee about half an hour,
and after he emerged from the commit
tee room the son, Epha Hunt IN, Jr., was
called in and asked to state what he
kcew about the alleged effort to bride
his father. Both Senator Hunton and
his son stated tt at c. w. Buttz was the
man who had approached Senator Hun
ton. The narrative did not differ ma
terially from the story heretofore given
to the press by Senator Hunton.
Senator Kyle YVES before the committee
for more than an hour and was in
formed that he would probably be called
again. He put the committee in posses
sion of all the information in his power,
stating that he was first approached by
Buttz about two months ago with the
proposition to vote against the tariff bill
and receive pay for his vote, the amount
offered being $4,000. In reply to a
question, Senator Kyle said he was con-
fdent Buttz represented other parties,
and the proposition, if it had been &C
cepted, would have been made good. Mr..
Kyle also stated that Buttz intinated to
him that if $4,000 was not enough he
could have almost any sum he would
name as high as $4,000.
Maj. Butte was the principal witness
during the afternoon. He was accom-
panied by his attorney, E. H. MCGOWAN.
Buttz was before the committee for
about an hour and was excused with
til" request that he be in attendance
agaiE Tomorrow. He explicitly denied
any intention or his part to corrupt the
senators. 1t is also understood that he
politely declined to answer some of the
more pertinent questions put to MIN by
neuIbers Of the committee.
Other witnesses of the session we-e
Duncan McFarlane, Senator kyie's clerk,
end James w. Walker, an attorney of
this city, who gave Butte q letter to
IL ha Hunton, Jr. Mr.. Walker stated
that when Buttz had asked for a letter
to Mr.. Hunton he had said he wanted
to employ him as attorney in q land
M ca opI lol Dsr1r M r<In~ ,,oo~@- fou
wanting to know the gentleman. Mr..
McFarlane told low, after Senator Kyle
had referred Buttz to him, he mad talked
with him and made notes upon his con-
versation. He confirmed Senator Kyle's
statement and said explicitly that Buttz
a made a direct proposition to bride
the senator to vote against the bill. He
also submitted his notes on his conversa-
ton with ButtZ.
Washington, May &c. w. Buttz,
who was very anxious yesterday to be
represented before the senate bribery ill.,
vestigating committee, was o on hand
wien the committee met to-day. Instead
he sent his attorney to explain that he
was otherwise engaged and asked to be
ex FUSED from attendance for the present.
On being questioned by the committee as
to Mr.. BUTTS reason for his conduct
Attorney McGcwan stated that his client
was engage. in making search for a wit
ness who could corroborate his statements
and throw light on the question at issue.
Thea explanation was far from salts
factory, and Mr.. MCGOWAN was informed
that Mr.. ButtZ was the mar wanted, and
not a substitute. Accordingly they called
the sergeant-at-arms to their assistance,
M directed that a subpoena be issued
for Buttz. While waiting the committee
called i'll several senators, including
Messrs. Voorhees,, Harris and Coke, to
whom Senators Hunton and Kyle had
stated they had given information of the
approaches made to themselves soon after
Buttz had first made his proposition to
them. They confirmed the statements of
Messrs. Hunton and Kyle. When asked
if they knew of other attempts to bride
senator's, Messrs. Voorhees,, Harris and
Coke, said they did not.
The sergeant-at-arms reported to the
committee that he had failed to find Mr..
Buttz. He, however, had ascertained
that Maj. Buttz had left the city on an
early train with the expectation of re-
turning by 2 o'clock, at which time he
had stated he would again appear be-
fore the committee to continue his testi-
nony. Both Buttz's attorney and his
boarding house keeper assured the SEN
ate officials that he had stated that he
was only going to a suburban town, the
name of which he did not give. and that
the purpose of his sudden departure was
to find a man to corroborate his state
ment made before the committee yester~
day.
Washington, May &c. w. Buttz,
rho is accused of attempting to bribe
senators to vote against the tariff bill,
was before the investigating committee
to- day. He gave the committee the name
of +. e. Holman, a claim attorney i'll
this city as one who could throw light
upon the whole transaction so far as he
(BIttz) was concerned. Mr.. Holman was
summoned. Holman's testimony fur.
nishes the key to BUTTS explanation of
his course in the whole transaction. When
h. emerged from the committee room,
Mr.. Holman said: MY mouth is sealed
as ito the proceedings in the committee
rccm, but l can say to 70 that the story
that I was the principal in the bribery
affair is without foundation. 1t was
through pure accident that l CHANGED 20
know anything of the business, and it
came about through my happening to be
in the Office of Mi. Harris one day
when Mr.. Buttz came in. Harris was a
lobbyist and talk drifted to the tariff. II
think l know" said Maj. Harris, "wherc
I could make $4,000 or $4,000 if 1
knew how the Populists would vote on
the bill" and, turning to Buttz, remarked
to him: "You are just the man to learn
that fact, ind I will give you $1,000 to
find out for me-"
Mr.. Holman said that the man Harris,