The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-10
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena, Nov. 9.-Some sledge hammer
blows were dealt in this city to-day. 1t
was the most interesting day yet Of the
Welcome disbarment hearing and
there was strong evidence presented.
In the first place, w. A. Clark Of Mad
ison county, who, it was fondly hoped,
would not appear. was on the stand
and told his story of the bribery in a
clear, direct, convincing manner. There
was no faltering in the testimony.
The story was told without deviation
and without flinching; stronger even
than it has been told before.
The faces Of the defendants adher-
ents lengthened perceptibly during Mr..
\ CIark's recital. The ecross-examination
was weak and unexpectedly brief. Not
only did 1t fail to shake Mr. Clark s
testimony, but the testimony even
seemed to grow stronger the deeper the
probing.
Another hard blow came in the shape
OF the testimony of z. T. Cason, which
seemed to be an utter surprise to the
| defendants attorneys.
| Mr.. Cason told clearly and unswerv-
ingly the work he had done for the
{! election of Clark.
l
of Rev. Mr.. Warren.
| During the day the court ruled that
no testimony would be admitted but
that pertaining directly to the case.
| AS a consequence 1t did not accept the
| testimony of H. C. Stiff, speaker of
him by W. NJ. Bickford. maintaining
that Bickford's guilt could not impli-
cate Welcome. under any showing thus
| far made.
| Rapid progress is being made and
| Attorney General Nolan stated to
Standard reporter tonight that the
! evidence for the petitioners will have
| been presented before Saturday night.
The respondent will probably start his
case Monday morning.
Chief Justice Brantly, upon the con-
vening of court this morning, announc-
ed the decision of the court on the OBJ
lection to Senator Anderson testifying
| as to conversations he had with Mr..
Whiteside. The objection was overruled
and Senator Anderson, resuming his
testimony, said he remembered the con-
versation referred to and that it occur
red on the Friday preceding the day
of the first vote for United States sem
ator. The witness was asked to detail
the conversation, and Mr.. Day entered
another objection on the ground that
Mr.. Welcome was not present and
that Wniteside was not acting for Mr.
position to Mr.. Welcomes directions.
Chief Justice Brantly said the testi-
mony was competent so long as it re-
lated to the actions of Mr.. Whiteside
within the authority delegated to him
by Mr.. Welcome under the principle
of law governing a principal and his
agent, but that would exclude any tes-
timony as to what Whiteside had told
the witness declaring his purpose.
Mr.. Day said If any of the conversa
ton went in they wanted the whole of
it, and the witness was directed to give
it.
offered $4,000.
"Mr Whiteside came to me in the
lobby of the Helena hotel,'' said Sena-
tor Anderson, land said he would like
to see me privately. We went upstairs
on the elevator to some room, the num-
ber of which I do not know. and when
we got there he told me he had been
authorized by Mr.. Welcome to offer
$4,000 to any democrat who would give
his support to w. A. Clark for United
States senator. He also stated that
welcome said he was willing to give
me more than $4,000 and in further
conversation Mr. Whiteside said it was
his opinion that Mr.. Welcome was will
ing to give me $25,000. When abso-
lutely refused to entertain the PROPOSE
tion Mr.. Whiteside said his purpose
accept the money and keep it, but that
he would like, If I would do it, for me
to take the money for the purpose of
assisting him in the exposure which he
contemplated, and turn the money over
to the legislature
Mr.. Day made a motion to strike out
all the testimony on the ground that 1T
was hearsay.
Justice Hunt inquired of Senator An
derson If Mr.. Whiteside had informed
him of his purpose before he made his
offer in behalf of Welcome or after
ward, and the witness replied that
when the offer was first made to him
he thought it bona fide offer and that
Whiteside said nothing about his pur-
pose or motive until after the offer was
refused.
After consultation and long delib-
Grafton the court, through the chief
Justice. announced it's decision, sustain
ind the motion and ordering the testi-
mony to be stricken out. Assistant JUS
tice Hunt dissented. He said that while
he was not firmly fixed in his opinion,
the question being a perpleXing one,
yet he believed in the relevancy of the
testimony and the advisability of it up
to the point where Whiteside disclosed
his purpose to the witness.
Attorney General Nolan desired to
know on what ground the motion was
sustained, SO that he could govern his !
testimony accordingly. He said the tes
timony was certainly competent for the |
purpose of proving the allegations of a |
conspiracy to bribe and corrupt the |
members of the legislature. Mr.. Nolan |
said the conspiracy could not be prov |
en- by any other testimony.
Associate Justice Pigott said the un- |
sworn testimony of Whiteside to an
other party did not so to prove a con-
sp1racy. The Justice also said he was |
IN grave doubt as to the competency !
of the evidence for any purpose
chief Justice Brantly said the prin- |
cipal question in his mind was as TO
whether Whiteside could act in his own
behalf and for Mr.. Welcome at the |
same time on propositions directly OPP |
posed to each other The chiaf iurt;ne |