The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-24
THE HEARING CONTINUES.
Ector's Letters TO Senator Clark Pro-
duccd and Rcnd.

| duced and Rcnd.
| The Montana bribery enquiry occupie'
the Committee on Privileges and Elections
of the Senate yesterday from 10 until
! o'clock, with the usual recess at noon
| Several witnesses were put on the stan'
| by the protestants against Senator william
/ \. Clark.
One of the features Of the session wa!
| the production OF the Ector letters. L. l.
P Ector testified that he entered into re
gotiations with Mr.. Bickferd to influence
the vote of a man named Woods. who was q
candidate for the Montana Legislature. He
did not get any money for that purpose
Under his direct examination he produced
several letters which he had received from
Senator Clark and some of the supporters
of the Senator. These were offered in evil
dence. Counsel for the memorialists then
letters which he had written to Senator
Clark and Mr.. Bickford and which had
called forth the letters which had been
admitted in evidence. Mr.. Faulkner OBJ
jected on the ground that the letters them
selves were the best evidence of their con-
tents. and he underEtood that they were In
existence and could be produced before the
committee. The objection was sustained.
Search for the letters was made and
they were finally found at Butte. Mon..
and reached Washington Monday after
noon. They were read before the COM
mittee. There was nothing significant in
them. except that they showed that the
writer repeatedly asked money from Sen
ator Clark. which he did not get.
Mr.. Faulkner, when the committee had
been called to order. announced that he
was ready to submit the Ector letters.
Two letters, he said. were missing from
the package.
Senator Chandler then handed to Mr..
Campbell. counsel-in- chief for the memo
rialists the package which contained the
letters.
Mr.. Eetor IVES then recalled TO the stand
and he identified the letters shown him
as those which he had written to Walter
NJ. Bickford and Senator Clark.
Various letters were read by A. A. Bir-
ney, associate counsel for the memorialists,
among them one written on March l, in
which he wrote Mr. Biekford asking him
about the 10 per cent of his (Bickford's)
receipts from Clark, which he (Ector) con-
sidored he was to have.
when the letters had been read there
was slight controversy between counsel
from which the suggestion was drawn
that counsel for the memorialists suspected
that all the letters which had been in the
express packet when it reached Wash
ington were not In II when that packet
was handed TO the chairman Of the COM
mittee
Mr.. Chandler asked II Charles W. Clark
was in the room. II was not, but was
sent for. Upon taking the witness chair.
Mr.. Clark said that he had opened the
package of letters at his rooms at the Ar
lingtcn Hotel. He had retained for him
self cne letter, all the others he had given
to MIR. Faulkner. Mr.. Birney then de-
manded this letter. II was produced. The
then said that all the letters which
had come 10 him by express yesterday
were in evidence before the committee.
was J. r. Mckay, Republican State sena-
tor from Custer county. Mon. He who
testified that a proposition had been made
10 him to vote for Senator Clark. The
had been made by a Mr. Phil
lips. who told him that he could get si5,-
300 by voting for Mr. Clark.
He was asked by Mr.. Campbell II he had
been approached by anybody else in the
matter of casting his vote for Senator
Clark. He answered In the negative.
Under cross-examination by Mr.. Faulk-
ler the witness said that neither Charles !
W. Clark. Mr. Welcome. nor Mr. Bickford.
Tor anyone of the known friends OF Senator
lark had sought to induce him by i'm
proper means TO vote for Senator Clark.
The next witness was b. J. Fine OF
Madison county. Mont. He was a mem
,er of the Legislature and was supporter
If Senator Clark. He said he did what he
,ould to honestly advance the interests OF
Senator Clark. He had never seen Casey
1r Hobson in Welcomes room.
BY Mr. Campbell: What was your f.
1ancial condition at the time you were
nominated for the legislature"
About the same as II Is now" |
The witness testified finally that he |
started out to make his campaign with |
about $500. His canvass cost him about |
200. The witness said that an old judg- |
nent against him was paid by Senator |
lark and charged against his account, ne |
,eing at that time employed by Senator |
lark.
BY Mr. Faulkner Mr.. Finn was asked: |
When did your political relations vi b |
Senator Clark begin?'
In 1855"
What fixes the date in your mind?"
Mr.. Clark was candidate for Delegate
o Congress. BY the treachery of Marcus
DAILY he was defeated"
And who defeated him.
Thomas II. Carter, the present Sena-
or"
Did you ever have offered TO you any
'ecuniary inducement to vote for Senator
'lark?"
NO, sir
The committee adjourned until next
ionday at 1G:15 O'Clock.