Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-29
Resumption of the Investigation by
the Senate Committee.
BEONERAqION OF ]. <. TOOLB
Bank Cashier Ramsey Tells About
the Circulation Of Big Bills.
DEMAND CAME FROM BUTTE

After almost weeks respite the Senate
committee on privileges and elections to-
day resumed its investigation of the
charges filed against w. A. Clark Of Mon
tana in connection with his election to the
United States Senate.
At the beginning Of today's session Mr.
Campbell, counsel for the protestants, made
a brief state nent generating j. X Toole
from any unfair participation in the cleo
tor of Mr.. Clark. In making the state
ment Mr.. Campbell said that the prosecu-
ton had been informed before the witnesses
We're called that Mr.. Toole had secured
money as a consideration for his withdraw
ing from the senatorial race in Mr.. Clark s
interest and on this account Mr.. Toole'
bank account ha been gone into in making
the investigation. Since beginning this pro-
ceeding the prosecution had become con-
vlnced that this accusation was without
foundation and was satisfied that Mr.. TooIe
bad not been in aEy way dishonorab.y con-
nected with Mr.. Clark in the election.
Hence Mr.. Campbell expressed the desire
that any reference to Mr.. Tooie should be
eXpunged from the record of the commit
tees proceedings.
Mr.. Faulkner for the defense concurred in
this wish.
Not Paid for Supporting Clark.
The first witness of the day was Ed V.
More, fusion representative in the Mon
tana legislature from Meagher county, and
at present engaged as a dairyman and
owner of a cold storage plant at Bozeman.
Mr.. Campbell in his questions sought to
bring out the fact that Mr.. More had sud
denly come into considerable money since
the adjournment of the legislature.
Mr.. More admitted that he had deposited
considerable money at the bank since ad-
journment. but he said he had received
$500 from his partner, ]. p. Rhoads, and
over $1,000 from his brother. He had sold
the latter a half interest in ranch for
$1,000, and this money had been in part
payment of this obligation. He had also
borrowed money at the First National
Bank at Bozeman.
Mr.. More stated that he had not voted
for Mr.. Clark until the eleventh or twelfth
ballot, having previously voted for Mr..
Hartman for senator.
He said in reply to Mr.. Faulkner that he
had received no offer of pay for his vote
for Mr.. Clark and no consideration was
given him for that vote. As between Clark
and DAILY the people of Meagher county
were friendly to Clark.
Circulation of 81 900 Bills.
George L. Ramsey, cashier of the Union
Bank and Trust Company of Helena, the
next witness, produced a memorandum of
81 900 bills paid out by the bank, beginning
with January 10, 1899. Mr.. Ramsey said
the record had been kept by the teller of
the bank. The latter had found that at
that time there was an unusual number of
bills of this denomination in circulation,
and had begun to keep record of them
for the purpose Of protecting the bank
against fraud. The record showed that the
bank had had demands for large bills from
the State Savings Bank of Butte, sending
the institution $4,000 on the 7th and an
other $4,000 on the 18th of that month in
these bills. Most Of the large bills were
received from other banks, but occasionally
one or two were deposited at time by in
dividuals. For the month of March sixty
seven one thousand dollar bills passed
through the bank; for the month of Feb
ruary seven and for January twelve. For
other months the average was about the
same as for January and February, but
not so large as for March, when the de-
mands Of the Butte bank for the large
bills was met. Among the individual de-
positors Of large bills were Massina Bull
lard, a Helena lawyer; Deputy County
Clerk Berry, j. e. Cullen and ]. H. Geiger,
who successfully contested the seat of Mr..
Whiteside as a state senator. In the lat
ter case the bill was of the denomination
of $500. Mr.. Bullard had not only deposited
a 81 600 bill on February Z, but had re-
ceived 5000 in thousand dollar bills on the
I'd Of that month.
In response to questions Mr.. Ramsey
stated that in May last Mr.. Gelger had de-
posted a certificate Of deposit from the
bank for s., 500, in exchange for which he
had given Geiger a certificate for $1,000 and
a draft for S1,0O0. 1t was at the same time
that Mr.. Geiger had brought $500 bill
into the bank, which he had had changed
Mr.. Ramsey said the usual stock of large
bills kept on hand was frcm $4,000 to $780,
600. One of the parties to whom the bank
had paid out large bills was a Mr.. Well
come. who, MIR. Ramsey explained, was
not the ]. B. Welcome prominent in this
case.
Did Not Make the Marks.
D. o. Becker, clerk of the Helena Hotel.
was interrogated by Senator Chandler as to
$500 bill in the possession Of the commit
tee. This bore certain Identification marks.
including ID. o. B. the initials OF the wit
ness. He was asked if he had written these
marks, and said he had not. and knew
nothing about the bill. He suggested that
he might have depo sited it and the bank
aGded the marks as means of telling from
whom it was received.
The hearing then adjourned until 2:15
pm.
Mai. Thomas A. Brander Dead.
cnoo;al Dirna tob IN The Evening Star