Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-01-07
Mr.. ST|FF'S VERY
STIFF STORY
IN THE CLARK BRIBERY CASE,
DETAILED BEFORE THE SEN
AT COMMITTEE YESTERDAY.
HIS STORY cIRcUMsTANTIAL.
Demanded $4,000 for His Vote At
ter Refusing an Offer of 100000.
Relieves He was Justified i'm
Making this Demand-The Tes-
timony of enator Whiteside, of
the Montana Legislature.

AAOo%N 80 80
witness in the Clark case before the
Senate Committee ON Privileges and
Elections to-day. Representative,
Campbell. of Montana, questioned Mr..
Stiff and his questions were directed
toward showing that the embarrassed
financial condition OF State Represen-
tative Mclaughlin had been taken adj
vantage of by Senator Clark 10 ap-
preach him to secure his vote and also
that Mr.. Stiff's own vote had been i'm
properly solicited. Mr.. Stiff stated that
he knew that Mr.. Mclaughlin was in
distressed financial circumstances prior
to the meeting of the Legislature. He
also stated that he had himself been
approached by Mr.. w. M. Bickford as
a representative CT Mr.. Clark and his
support solicited for the latter.
The questions bringing out this infor-
nation were all objected to by the de-
Tense who insisted thai Mr.. Clark
must be directly connected with ali
transactions with which it was sought
to connect his NAME. The reply was
that his connection would be shown ov-
er Mr.. Clark's signature.
The questioning of Mr.. Stiff was
then directed towards showing that
Mr.. Bickford had sought to secure Mr..
Stiff's services to examine the title of
property to be purchased by Mr.. Clark
from Mclaughlin for $4,000, a part of
the considerations of McLaughlin's be-
ing, Bickford specified, that MeLaugh-
lin should support Clark for the SEN
ate. Mr.. Stiff testified to the correct
ness of this outline, and added that
Bickford had told him that he (Stiff)
should have $500 f kbls adigiasel
services #ffen $50 would have been a
good fee; that his own vote was
wanted for Clark, and that he should
be put on Mr.. Clark's list OF attorneys
for a number of years. Mr.. Bickford
had in this connection exhibited a list
of property to be sold by Mclaughlin
with prices to be paid, which were in
excess of the value of the property, and
this property was afterwards conveyed
to Mr.. Clark.
Mr.. Stiff also stated that the agree
ment with Mclaughlin provided that
he was to be employed by Mr.. Clark
for two years at 81 00 a year, and that
Mclaughlin had since been employed
in this connection. He also said that
Mclaughlin had voted for Clark.
The witness stated that in another
conversation with Mr.. Bickford a week
or so prior to the meeting of the Leg
islature, the latter had offered him
$4,000 if he would withdraw from the
contest for the speakership and sup
port Mr.. Clark for the Senatorship.
Mr.. Stiff also detailed a conversation
with Mr.. A. B. Cook, former State
Auditor. who had offered him s20 900
to vote for Clark. Il made no definite
reply" said Mr.. Stiff, because | want
ed to further investigate what was go
ing on. l told him. he continued,
that if Mr.. Clark really wanted TO
secure my vote he could afford to pay
more than $40, 900. and suggested $780,
600, saying l did not want this to be
understood as an offer on my part.
Mr.. Cook said he would see Clark. and
we agreed to meet again that day. |
did not, however, see him again on
this subject"
He also said that as Speaker, in Sc
Letting a committee of investigation
into the Clark matter, he had not
known all the members selected were
u%nfriendly to Clark.
Replying further to questions con-
corning his suggestion of $50, 900 as the
price Clark should pay for his vote, he
said:
4 believe / was perfectly justified in
doing what l did. l considered that a
most outrageous crime was being per-
petrated and / was willing to act the
part of a detective"
Fred Whiteside, Montana State Sen
ator from Flathead county, testified
that he had been approached prior to
and after the meeting of the Legisla-
ture in the interest of Mr.. Clark's can
didacy by John S. Neill, John B. Well
and Charles w. Clark, a son of
the Senator. He had seen Mr.. Well
come by appointment at his room at a
motel IN Helena anu ndu also met
there others of Mr.. Clark's friends. He
had also met there Senator Clark, who
told him that Welcome had spoken
favorably of him (Whiteside). The
first intimation he had had that his
support of Mr.. Clark would be to his
financial advantage came from Mr..
Neill. Afterward Mr.. Welcome had
told him hat his vote for and support
of Mr.. Clark would be worth $4,000.
He had co-operated with the support
ers of Mr.. Clark for the purpose of ex-
posing the corrupt methods which he
was satisfied were being used TO Sc
cure Clark's election. He exhibited a
list OF the members of the Legislature
whom Mr.. Welcome and Senator
Clark,s son had requested him TO see.
They told him they we're willing to pay
$4,000 for any Democratic, and 0
for the vote of Mr.. ]. T. Anderson, of
Meagher county.
The Lnsyfon Fund
WASHINTON. January s-The to-