The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-12
MONTANA BRIBERY CASE
SUPREME COURT CONSIDERING THE
CASE AGAINST wELLCOME.
Mystery of Thirty 81, ZOO Bills May Be
UnraveIed-Efort May BE Made to
Unseat Senator Clark.

ANACONDA Mont, Nov. 11.-This week
the time of the Supreme Court of Montana
has been taken up with the hearing of the
charges against John B. Welcome, one of
w. A. Clark's attorneys, who was Clark's
confidential man during the senatorial cleo
ton last winter, and is accused Of having
distributed at that time large sums Of money
in alleged bribery of members of the Legis-
lature in the interest of Clark The pro-
ceedings pending in the Supreme Court is
for the disbarment of Welcome.
Last January, in joint session of the Leg
islature. $4,000, chiefly in bills of the de-
nomination of 81 900, were passed to the pre-
siding officers desk. The testimony then
taken was that Welcome had given this
money to three members Of the Senate.
Whiteside Clark and Myers. These three
declared they took the money for the pur-
pose of exposing the bribery. Other MEM
bers of the Legislature were involved in the
exposure. The matter passed to the grand
jury, which was asked to find that either
there was bribery in the interest of Clark or
a conspiracy against him. The grand jury
brought in noncommittal report
Soon after the Legislature adjourned ac-
ton was started in which the Supreme
Court was asked to hear evidence under dis
barment proceedings against Welcome. The
preliminaries were thoroughly argued at
several sittings of the Supreme Court, coun-
sci for welcome strenuously denying the
courts jurisdiction Weeks passed. At
length the Supreme Court announced that
1t would try the issue. and the hearing be-
gan last Monday. Whiteside testified to
having direct relations with Welcome in
several transactions involving the purchase
of votes. State Senator Clark. of Madison
county, testified that on appointment he was
in Welcomes room at the Helena HO-
tel: that Whiteside was also present; that
Welcome counted out ten 81 900 bills which
were put in an envelope and marked by
State Senator Clark with his initials and
witnessed by WhiteSide and Welcome: that
placed in the envelope be put in Whiteside'S
care, the bargain being that State Senator
Clark to vote for w. A. Clark as long
as Welcome should require him to do it,
that the $4,000 in the envelope marked with
his initials, which was also deposited with
the state treasurer last winter, was given
TO him. as he supposed. for the purchase of
his vote for w. A. Clark. Speaker Stiff, Of
Missoula county, testified that from one Of
Clarks agents he was urged to accept $10-
0CO. he to retire from the speakership con-
test and vote for Clark for senator.
The impression is under ruling made
to-day. that the Supreme Court will confine
relate directly to the accused. Welcome,
whose attorneys are making a sturdy de-
Tense. The hearing will probably occupy
the courts time for another week The
cause gets its special interest from the fact
tnat all the parties concerned regard 1t as
the preface to the proposed action to have
W. a. C1arks seat in the federal Senate
declared vacant on the ground of bribery.