Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-12
MONTANA BRIBERY HEARING
Supreme Court Takes Up Charges Against
One of Olark's Attorneys.
TESTIMONY SHOWS MONEY WAS USED
Case is Regarded as Preface to Pro-
posed Action to Have Clnrlx's Scat
in United States Senate
Declared Vacant.
TESTIMONY SHOWS MONEY WAS USE

ANACONDA, Mont Nov. 11-This weel
tho time of the supreme court OF Montana
ha1 been taken up with tho hearing Of the
charges against John B. Welcome, one o.
W. A. Clark's attorneys, who was Clark't
confidential man during the senatorial elec.
tion last winter and is accused OF having
distributed at that time large sums Of money
in tho alleged bribery OF members of the
legislature in the interest OF Clark. The
process pending in tho supreme court Is fol
tho disbarment of Welcome.
Last January. in the joint session of the
legislature, $4,000, chiefly in bills Of the
denomination OF $1,000. were passed to the
presiding officers desk. The testimony
then taken was that Welcome had given
this money to three members of the senate
Whitesids, Clark and Myers. These three
declared that they took the money for the
purpose of exposing the bribery. Other mem
bers OF the legislature were involved in the
exposure. The matter passed to a grand
jury, which was asked to find that either
there was bribery in the interest of Clark
or conspiracy against him. The grand
jury brought in a non committal report.
socn after the legislature adjourned an
action was started In which the supreme
court was asked to hear evidence under dis
barment proceedings against Welcome. The
preliminaries were thoroughly argued at sew
eral sittings OF the supreme court, counsel
for Welcome strenuously denying the court S
Jurisdiction. Weeks passed At length the
supreme court announced that it would try
tho issue and tho hearing began last Mon
day. Whteside testified to having direct re-
lations with Welcome in several transact
tiona involving tho purchase of votes.
State Senator Clark of Madison county
testified that ON appointment he was in Well
comes room at the Helena hotel, that White
side was also present; that Welcome
counted out ten $1,000 bills that were put in
an envelope and marked by State Senator
Clark with his initials and witnessed by
Whitesids and Welcome; that Whiteside
proposed that the money thus placed in the
envelope be put in Whitesides care the
bargain being that State Senator Clark was
to vote for w. A. Clark as long as Welcome
should require him to do 1t.
Senator Myers of Ravalli county testified
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 voto for W. A. Clark.
Speaker Stiff OF Missoula county testified
that from one OF Clark's agents he was
urged to accept $40, 900, he to retire from the
speakership contest and vote for Clark for
senator.
Ths impression Is, under a ruling made
today, that the supreme court will confine
tn, testimony strictly to tho charges that
relate directly to the accused. Welcome,
whose lawyers arc making a sturdy defense.
The hearing will probably consume the
M fpr
The case gets its special interest from the
fact that all parties concerned regard it as
tho preface to the proposed action to have
w A. Clark's seat in the United States SEN
ate declared vacant on the ground Of brib-
ors