The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-16
TO SAVE CLARK'S ATTORNEY.
,,rroRT TO BRIBE THE MONTANA
SUPREME COURT.


MO of It's Justices Give Testimony
:, the Clark Case-Said That $780,
400 Was offered to Justice Hunt.
Justice Pigott Tells of Attorney
Corbett's Actions-AttOrney Gem
eraI NoIan's Experience in Well
come Disbarment Case.
washington, Feb 15.-Highly sensational
testimony was developed to-day in the in
,sstigation by the Senate Committee on
privileges and Elections of the election of
" A. Clark to the Senate from Mon
tana.
Justice Hunt, a Republican member of
the Montana Supreme Court, testified that
his family physician, Dr. Tracey, had
made what he, the justice, regarded as
attempts to have him consider a 100000
bribe 10 favor Lawyer Welcome, one of
Mr. Clark's attorneys, in the disbarment
proceedings against Welcome.
The witness did not, directly at least
connect Mr.. Clark with this bribery prop
osition, SO the Iatter's counsel. ex-senator
Faulkner, moved to strike the whole tes-
dmony from the record, but did not sue
coed
The witness said he did not make the
matter public because he felt too much
hdmiIiated over the proposition, and also
believed that DR.. Tracey did not realize
the enormity of his offense.
Justice PigOtt on Stand.
The committee held a night session, at
which Justice Piggott, also of the Mon
1rF fisa1 inc
remarks made to him on two days when
Dr. Tracey had interviews with Justice
Hunt. Justice PigSottS statement was
that Mr.. Clarks leading counsel Mr. Cor
bet, had come to him, and while appar-
emily under great excitement, said that
he had just been advised by Mr.. j. S. M.
Neil of Helena that the Supreme Court
could be unduly influenced in the Well
come disbarment proceedings, wanted TO
know if it were true, and spoke of de-
nouncng any such attempt. Witness had
informed counsel that he never would hear
of such an attempt from him (PiggotO,
for he would kill any one coming to him
with a bride to offer
Mr.. Corbett spent two or three hours
talking with the justice on this occasion
I'D the former said Mr.. Neill had said
TO him:
I'VE can get the Supreme Court They
will come high and the scheme will have
Corbett then proceeded to say that he
had applied various opprobrius epithets to
Mr.. Neill for such presumption saying
that he had secured a special train and
come over from Butte for the purpose of
heading off any effort in the line of such
an outrageous proceeding and to assure
him (the JUSTICE that if anything of the
kind were undertaken 1--WE have had
nothing TO do with it,"
On cross-eXamination Justice Piggott
said that at that time he had no reason
to suspect that Corbetts motives were not
the highest, but after Justice Hunt had
related his experience he QoiggotD con-
Guided that Mr.. Corbett and DR.. Tracey
had oonspired together to make an assault
upon the Supreme Court with their $780,
COO; that they had made their attack upon
Justice Hunt and had failed, and that Mr..
Corbett, knowing Justice Hunt would tell
me of this had come to prepare me
against receiving his version of the inter-
view"
NOIan's Experience.
Attorney General Cornelius B. Nolan of
Montana testified that he also had an ex-
perience with DR.. Tracey. He had con-
Quoted the prosecution in the Welcome
disbarment case, and while the case was
in progress DR.. Tracey, who was also his
family physician, had come to him. he said,
at three different times, suggesting that
he (Nolan) could get money out of the
case from Mr.. Clark. The witness said
that he had chatted with DR.. Tracey on
the occasion of the first meeting until the
latter asked him how much did he think
would be required.
Il replied" said the witness, 'if 1
should lend myself to such a scheme 1
think / ought to be entitled to 100000"
The doctor said he thought the sum rea-
sonable. Later on the same occasion aft
er he had come TO think the doctor seri-
Gus, Mr.. Nolan said he had told the doctor
to go back to Mr.. Clark and tell him that
if his body We're a skeleton and filled with
gold it would not be sufficient to buy him.
At the third interview Mr.. Nolan said
he had told DIR. Tracey that he had talk
ed enough. 1.-The time has come" he said
he told the doctor, ito put up or shut
up"
do you mean it?" the doctor said.
81 do" was the reply.
Then" the doctor said come to my
office at o'clock to-day and arrange
ments will be made for you to get your
money"
Then the witness said he had told DR..
Tracey again that Mr.. Clark did not have
money enough to buy him and had no fur
Their conversation with him. He did not
blame DR.. Tracey so much as those be-
hind him.