The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-31
GEIGER PLAYED FARO
WITNESS IN THE MONTANA sENA-
TORIAL INQUIRY TELLS HOW
HE GOT MONEY
WAS THE WAY IN MONTANA

"Bucking the Tiger" Not Possible in
All Towns In the state-said
Money Was Easy t6sGet for Votes
on Certain Measures. but Declared
He Received No Clark Cash-Said
He Was a Mckinley Republican,.
WASHINGTON, Janssae,S When the sea-
ate committee on privileges and elections
adjourned it's hearing for the day into
the Investigation into sthe. election of Mr..
Clark to the United States senate, it was
decided to examine Witnesses not later
than Monday next. Mr.. Campbell stated
he would only have, sixteen more, and,
without stating how many men he would
call, Mr.. Faulkner said his witnesses
would follow one another an rapid success
sion, and there would beuno delays.
There was but one witness on the stand
today, j. FL. Geiger, who, on confess,
was given the seat from Flathead county,
at first occupied by Mr. Whitesides, who
was one Of the leaders in. the fight against
Mr. Clark Mr.. Geiger, voted for Mr..
Clark, but he declared he did so only be-
cause the Republican caucus had done
SO. He confessed to taking $500 in mon
ey home after the adjournment of the
legislature Of this sum he said he made
81 500 to $1,000 playing faro, and had found
81 900 of it in 500 bills in his room. This
latter amount he thought had been left
to influence him to-Note against bills l3z.
and 1874, relating to corporations, but he
did not know who put it there. Mr.. Gel
4 lol n
vote for Mr. Clark, and when asked who
had approached HIM to bride him on 9TH
er questions, he refused to answer.
LUCK AT FARO.
'How do you explain the fact that you
had so much better luck at faro after You
entered the legislature than before?' ask
ed Senator Chandler of Mr.. Geiger.
'.Why, senator" was the reply, II didn't
have. l lived in Montana twenty-five
years, and, having fallen into the ways
of the people soon after going there,
had frequently, in the early days, won
more than L did after my election to the
state senate But L, bby has no faro bank,
and | hadn't played for some time
In explaining where he had gotten the
$500 deposited in August, he said that
while in Peoria, ILL.,, he had won $1,000 In
day on horse race. Z
II found package in my room con-
tanning $1,100, and I have s.flce used the
money. 1t was the time the corp )ration
bill 1872 was up l took TIE money, put it
in my pocket and used II, and from that
time to the present. have never said a
word about it, VT
In reply to other questions, he said that
he had an idea who's LETT the envelope in
the room, but he did, not know He had,
he said, intended to vote for the bill any
way.
When the committee Teassembied Mr..
Campbell took up the fine of evidence
where it was left off. 4a3
who was it," he ASKED, That made
the proposition to ycus that you could re-
ceive 81, 100 for your vote against bill 1872
or bill134?" go
TT was common talk all over town
that money could be had for votes, re-
piled Mr., Geiger, .but1I cannot explain
further without matchmaking myself.
Senator Chandler insisted upon an ex-
PLANTATION as--to how heocould be incrim-
mated unless. he had agreed to accept
money for his vote, but the wi ness INSIST
ed that a further explanation would GER
tainly be seif-ncriminating and dec: med
to answer He would go no further than
to say he had told the party who was
approaching him that he would see
about it,
In reply to questions from Senator Hoar
Mr. Geiger~ said that before beho ding
Senator Clark he had convinced himself
that the charges of bribery against Sena-
tor Clark were untrue,
Further replying to. Senator Hoar he
further emphasized his allegiance to the.
Republican party, saying he was Nc
kinney Republican, that while he would
sf<,. r,11 6n
to accept the next best thing, which he
considered Mr.. Clark to be.
Mr.. Faulkner asked only one question
on cross-examination, and TO this query
Mr.. Geiger repeated that he had received
no money, nor requested any, from Sen
ator Clark or any one else to vote for
Mr. Clark for the United States senate.