The evening times., 1899-04-04
FORTUNE IN CASH
THAT NOBODY WANTS
Held by Montanal,'s Treasurer
for a Claimant.
No One Willing to Admit Being
It's Owner.
Figures as a Feature of the Late
Senatorial Contest and Danger
Awaits "a Demand for 1t.

Helena, Mont, April 4.-There is in the
State treasury fund of $50, 900 in 1000
bills to which neither the State nor any
one else lays claim. This money is known
as the doodle fund" and was turned over
to committee appointed by the legisla-
ture to investigate alleged bribery in the
Senatorial contest which resulted in the
election of W. A. Clark.
The money was given to the committee
by Fred Whiteside State senator from
Flathead county, who was unseated later
In the session on contest instituted by
his Republican opponent
The first ballot for United States Sena-
tor was taken January 10, but before that
time there had been made against the
manager of the campaign for Clark wide
spread and reiterated charges of corrup
tion by the use of money.
The rumors became so persistent that an
investigation committee was appointed. It's
membership was dominated by the enc
mics of Clark, known as the DAILY follow
ing, the Anaconda crowd or the Copper
Collar gang
At the first session of the investigating
committee Whiteside appeared and produc-
ed the money mentioned and swore il was
given to him by John B. Welcome law
yer of Butte, manager of the campaign for
Clark, TO secure his CWhiteside'sl vote and
also the vote OF State Senator Clark, of
Madison county, and Representative Carr,
of Flathead county.
He went into a circumstantial and de-
tailed account of the transaction. swearing
he took the money solely for the purpose
OF trapping and exposing the methods of
w. 4. ClarkS managers.
State Senator Clark of Madison county
supported Whiteside, but Representative
Carr. of Flathead county, denied it in toto.
A long investigation followed and a final
report was not made until after w. A.
Clark was elected Senator and then ii was
filed away and no attention paid to il.
Meantime grand jury had been sum-
moned by Judge Mcintyre, and after an
investigation of several weeks, at which
forty witnesses were examined. the grand
jury reported that it had heard no evidence
on which an accused man could be convict
ed and returned 10 indictments.
The report OF the grand jury and the
election of Mr. Clark, who received the
votes OF eleven Republicans on the final
ballot. ended all legal proceedings relating
TO bribery. Mr.. Clark being thus acquitted
of all charges.
The thirty bills of the denomination of
900 each are still in the keeping OF State
Treasurer Collins. Several efforts were
made in the legislature 10 appropriate ali
or part of the money TO various uses. but
they all failed. One was to send il to the
Montana volunteer regiment in the Phil
ppines; another 10 divide it among the
State educational institutions; another was
10 advertise for a claimant; another was
TO give il TO an orphans home.
Senator Clark promptly denied owner
ship when the charge was sprung by
Whiteside, and from that day 10 this no
one has claimed il. Mr.. Clark and his
friends assert that the money was provid-
ed by the DAILY faction in furtherance of
conspiracy to defeat him by creating
scandal The DAILY men, of course. assert
that il belonged to Clark.
As The Legislature meets biennially it
| is presumed that the money will remain
in the keeping of the State treasurer until
the meeting of that body two years hence.
Though defeated in the legislature the
Anaconda element is credited with the in
tention of trying TO defeat the seating of
Senator elect Clark when Congress meets
in December.