The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-07
It MAKES II STRONGER
An Amended Answer in the
Beasley Case.
is MUCH MORE SPECIFIC
Alleges as a Fact That He Did Accept q
Bride From Clark and That He Ac-
copied Money From the M. Q.
P. Mining Company.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Big Timber, June 1.-THE defendants
in the Beasley libel suit filed their
amended answer to-day. The first part
of it is the same as the first answer.
The defendant admits the hanging of
the eff1gy and posting the placards of
"Beasley, the bride taker," and "Beas-
ley, the traitor to Sweetgrass county,
and that the charges contained in the
placards We're true in each and every
word and statement.
The amended answer, however, is
much more specific in its recitation of
the alleged facts on which the defend
ants base their case than was the orig
inaL The defendants now state that
Beasley did take money as bride from
W. A Clark or his agents, and that
while they have not sufficient knowl-
edge or information to make positive
allegation of the amount received by
Beasley, they allege on information and
belief that the amount was about $1O,-
900.
The amended answer further admits
that Beasley accepted a bride from the
Northern Pacific Railroad company in
the shape of an annual pass, and that
said pass was given him for the pur-
pose of influencing his vote as a men,
Der of the legislature, and that he &C
cepted the pass and used it and is still
using it. The next paragraph is en-
tirely new and is as follows:
Defendants further allege upon in
formation and belief that the said w.
w. Beasley was on the said 2Sth day of
January. 1899, a bride taker in this
town. That he accepted the sum of
about s., 900 from the Montana Ore Pur-
n1,o OF, orr nf ifS a o.
for voting against house bills numbered
1874 and 1872, the amount of money &C
tually received by the said w. w.
Beasley and by whom the same was
paid the said defendants have not suf-
ficient knowledge to make positive
averment."
The republican and democratic state
and county platforms are quoted in full
and the defendants allege that Beasley
secured a large number of votes for the
office of representative upon his repeat
ed assertion and pledge to the people of
Sweetgrass county that he would vote
for no one but a republican for the of
flee of United States senator. The an
swer goes on to name J. A. Hail. presi-
dent if the Big Timber National bank
Henry Hilburn, a commercial traveller
e. H. Talbot. president of the National
Park bank of Livingston. J. L. Cough
man and Mr. Kreiger of Livingston as
reliable and creditable persons who
made statements during the pendency
of the senatorial contest which led the
defendants to believe that w. A. Clarl
was at that time negotiating for re-
publican votes, Beasley's among them
The averment concerning Mr.. Talcot i:
as follows:
THAT on or about the 18th of Janu
airy, 1899, the defendant, John Barbour
was informed by one E. H. Talcot o1
Livingston that the w. A. Clark force:
were making strenuous efforts to secur,
republican votes for Clark; that the
plaintiff was very friendly with tn,
Clark people and that he. E. H. Talcot
believed that they would get the sait
Beasley vote with enough other repub
lican votes to elect Common rumor il
the streets of Helena said that the saiC
votes would and could be secured for {
money consideration. The averment
concerning the statements of the othe,
gentlemen named are of similar i'm
port. The conclusion is the same as il
the original answer to-wit:
THAT the defendants hanged the eff
figy and posted the placard thereon a
a matter of news. that the public Nigh
know how Beasley had betrayed tn
trust reposed in him by the people o
Sweetgrass county,"