The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-23
TO WORK W0LFBRS
A Democratic Plot to Get Half of
Their 90 Bounty Ger
tif1cates.
TIMOTHY E. COLLINS
Name Appears in the Transaction.
Together with a Couple Of
Newspaper Men.

A democratic plot hus been laid at
Helena to 'woik" the, wolfels aud
stockmen OF Montana for 80 per cent OF
their 1893 bounty certificates. Mr.. II.
II. Clement Of this city, one OF the
largest sheep owners Of this section, put
The Gazette "on' last Saturday by
furnishing 1t the correspondence below,
which il self-explanatory. The first
letter was written to W. N. Seeley Of
Flatwillow, a teamster III Mr.. Gle.
ment's employ, and the paper on which
it was written contained the names at
the top, in bold, blnok.faced type, Of
Charles T. shearer and Albert Haw.
kins, the latter the city editor and the
former reporter OH the Helena Inde
pendent: Here 1t Isl
Helena, Montana, Jan. /, 1900. W.
N. Seely, Flatwillow, Mont Dear
Sir: We understand BY the record at
the capitol building that you are tho
holder Of old law bounty claim No. 984,
for $34. II you are tired waiting for
provision to be made for It's payment,
and would like to dispose Of your
claim, we will give you 81, which Is
80 per cent Of it's face value, and con-
sidering the fact that these claims do
not bear interest, aud that 1t is not now
known when they will be paid, that is
as much as we believe we can pay for
them. If the proposition 10 suitable to
you. please sign aud date the enclosed
assignment and forward 1t to us, and
we will send you check for the
amount. We refer, by permission, to
Hon. 4. z. Collins. state treasurer, as
to our responsibility. Yours very
truly. Shearer & Hawkins.
Billings, Montana, Jan. 10, 1000.-I
hereby assign to Shearer g Hawkins all
my right, title and interest In bounty
certificate No. 984, year 1893, (old law
olaim) issued in the sum Of $84, and
authorize them to sign and receipt to
the state auditor for any warrant that
may be issued for the above; also to
receipt to the state treasurer for any
money that may be allowed on account
Of said warrant. W. N. Seeley.
Flatwillow, Jan. 10, 1900. H. r.
Clement. Dear Sir: I received the III.
closed letter from Helena. I have
signed the assignment and send the
whole outfit to you. I hear they have
made an appropriation. II you think 1t
hest to wait, I will not send the as.
signment; II not. have them send the
check to you. Yours respectfully.
W. N. Seeley.
On receipt Of the above, Mr.. Clement
wrote to Deputy State Treasurer Geo.
M. Hays, formerly Of this city, asking
him when 1893 bounty certificates
would be paid, and received the fol-
lowing:
State of Montana, Treasurer 8 Office,
Helena, Montana, Jan. 10th, 1900. II.
+. Clement. ESQ, Billings, Monthly
Dear Sir and Bro: Yours Of the 18th
inst. to hand. In my opinion 1893
warrants will be paid this fall without
doubt. Yours truly.
Geo. M. Hays.
That il the whole story, but 1t Ia
sufficient to prove that democratic
plot has been laid to "wcrk" the wolf.
ers and stockmen to the extent OF one.
half Of their '08 bounty certificates.
And State Treasurer 4. r, Collins, evil
IDENTIFY, who Ia now down at Washing
ton purifying" Montana politics In
the CLARK investigation, IN lin" on the
deal II not, why do Messrs. Shearer
q Hawkins, who are poor newspaper
mon working for salaries. refer TO Mr.,
Collins "by permission?" Al there
must be at least $4,000 worth Of '03
bounty certificates outstanding, Mr.. DOL
lins' name in connection with the mat.
ter excites the suspicion that he Ia put.
ting up the money. with the agree.
ment. probably, that he Ia to get half
Of the rake off,
II Ia gratifying to note, however,
that Mr.. Cleo. NJ, Hays o. this city Ia
not u party TO the transaction, His let
ter will no doubt save thousands Of dol
lars to the army Of men who have been
engaged for years IN trying TO rid the
ranges of Montana of stock 'desty0ying
animals, Scores Of these men live In
Yellowstone county, while there ara
many more Of them ths0ughaat eastern
Montana, and II II hardly necessary to
advise them TO hold their bounty aes.
tifoates, These men, no doubt, will
gratefully remember Mr., Geo, N, Hays
tor exposing tha plot And they will
also remember State TyeAauEey r. r.
Collins, but probably not 70 Gvatafully,
while the entire scheme will hs charged
nm IN tina ossupt damO0v atiO naptv In