The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-18
IN THE CLARK INVESTIGATION
Attempt Made to Impeach the Princi-
pal Anti Clark Witness.

Washington, Feb. 16-The proceedings
In the Clark case today did not reach the
| high point of interest attained yesterday.
The principal witness of the day was Mr..
Walter Cooper, one of Mr.. Clarks man
ayers in the campaign. He is a resident
Of Ex-ReDresentative Hartman's town,
Bozeman, Snd the principal tits between
the two served TO relieve what would
otherwise have been a commonplace
story. Mr.. Faulkner sought on behalf Of
Senator Clark to reopen the question as
to State Senator Whiteside's effort at
bribery during his own election but the
committee adjourned for the day with
out deciding on the question of revelaney
The committee did not resume it's con-
sideration of the case until o'clock to-
day.
The first witness was Frederick J. Win
ston, New York lawyer, who said he
was at present in the office of Broker
Kerr, Of New York, some time in Nov
ember last, when Mark Hewitt, witness
for the prosecution had expressed opin-
ions rejecting upon the state supreme
court Of Montana in connection with the
Welcome disbarment case before that
court. Mr.. Winston said Mr.. Hewitt had
expressed the opinion that Welcome
would be disbarred "as the supreme court
was owned by Mr.. DAILY" The witness
also said that he (witness) had said that
the general impression in Montana was
that the DAILY people had supplied the
$4,000 used in the Whiteside exposure, to
defeat Clark for the senate, but failing in
that they were then using the money
sy,-T TT1111
In replyy to a question from Senator
Chandler, Mr.. Foster, counsel for Mr..
Clark, stated that Mr. Winston was put
on to impeach Mr.. Hewitt's testimony
Walter Cooper Of Bozeman, Mont, who
was one Of Senator Clark's chief support
ers in his campaign for the senate, was
the next witness. He testified to being
present at the meeting of Mr.. Clark's
friends in Butte in July, 1898, preliminary
to entering upon the campaign. He said
the purpose Of the meeting was to
break the control Of the Anaconda Cop
per Mining company over the affairs of
the state" and that he had done all he
could in the succeeding campaign to &C
complish this result. Speaking Of Repre-
sentative Johnson's transfer of his vote
from Hartman to Clark, Mr.. Cooper said
it was not made until It became evident
that Mr.. Hartman had no chance of sue
cess. He repudiated the Iea that the
vote Of Mr.. Johnson Cwho is a physician
had been influenced by giving him en-
ployment at the Bridges coal mines. Mr.
Cooper said he had received no pay for
his services in support of Mr.. Clark, but
that Clark's son, Charley, had paid his
hotel bill. He had kept a memorandum
of his expenses during the campaign, but
he had destroyed or mislaid it,
Mr.. Hartman asked the witness what
debts he had liquidated since the adjourn
ment Of the legislature. He at first re-
fused to answer, saying, THAT is my pri-
vate business, and none of yours. To the
committee I would say that 1 will tell
you anything I can of public nature, but
will not let any man parade my private
business from one end of the country to
the other" He did explain, however
that he had paid $4,000 in debts with
money he had secured from the sale Of
the Bozeman water plant and $1,000 he
had borrowed from Senator Clark. For
this debt he had given his note and ex-
pected to pay the note when due, having
his milling company stock as security.
Ben Falk ex-deputy clerk of Flathead
county. Mont, was recalled by Mr.
Faulkner and asked whether Mr.. White
side had offered him $1,000 to be allowed
access TO the election returns involving
his CWhiteside's) election to the state
senate before the votes were counted
Mr. Campbell objected unless on the I'M
Outstanding that Whiteside would have a
chance to rebut. He thought the testi-
mony entirely incompetent. Mr. Faux
ner admitted that the testimony if given
would be purely collateral but said the
bars had been thrown down in admitting
testimony as to attempts at bribery of
the supreme court. This he thought
would let in this matter. Responding Mr.
Campbell said if the testimony was adj
mitted the prosecution would ask to have
witnesses called to prove that the wit
ness had received $500 from Mr.. Bickford
for making the statement.