The age-herald., 1900-01-07
NR. STIFF WANTED FIFTY THOUSAND Clark Case Shows a BuIed
 Vote Market ANY PRICE WAS OFFERED Speaker of Montana Ho ss
 Te'
 TT WAS OFFER s $. TWENTY 1Hgs He Says s as Perfectly Justified in Doinf q at He Did, as an Out 1 is Crime Was Be- asing Committed
Speaker of Montana Ho
WAS OFFER g SEVENTY 1Hgs

Washington January 6.-Henry C. Stiff,
 sneaker of the Montana house of repre-
 sentatives, was the first witness in the
 Clark case before the senate committee
 on privileges and elections today. Rep
 resentative Campbell, of Montana, ques-
 tioned MT. Stiff. and his questions were directed towards showing that the en- barrassed financial condition of State Rep resentative Mclaughlin had been taken ad- vantage of by Senator Clark to approach
 nim to secure his vote and also that MT. Stin's own vote had been improperly so- licited.
 MT. Stiff stated that ne knew that MT,
 Mclaughlin was in distressful circum-
 stances prior to the meeting of the legis- lature. He stated that he had himself been approached by MT. w NJ. BickforS, as a representative of MT. Clark, and his sup- pert solicited for the latter. The question bringing out this information Was objected to by the defense, who in- sisted that MT. Clark must be directly connected with all transactions with which | 1t was sought to connect his name. The reply was that his connection would be i shown over MT. Clark's signature. Tells of the Offer The questioning of MT. Stiff was then di- rooted toward showing that MT. Bickford | had sought to secure Stiff's service to ex- anime the title of property to be purchased | by MT Clark from Mclaughlin for $25, ,00O a part of the consideration on McLaughlin's part beng Bickford specified, that McA Laughln should support Clark for the sen- ate. MT. Stiff testified to the correctness of this outline and added that Bickford had told him that he (Stiff) shopid have $500 for his individual services when $50 would have been a good fee, that his own vote was wanted for Clark and that he could be put on Mr. Clarks list of attoneys for number of years. MT. Bckford had In this connection ex- | hibted list of property to be sold by Me- Laughlin at prices to be paid which were 1 in excess of the value of the property, and this property was afterward conveyed to MT. Clark.
 l MT Stiff also stated that the agreement l with Mclaughlin provided that he was to | be employed by MT. Clark for two years at l s2 400 year and that Mclaughlin had since l been employed in this connection. He also said that Mclaughlin had voted for Clark. The witness stated that in another con l versation with MT Bickford, a week OF Sc prior to the meeting of the legislature, the latter had offered him $10,000 If he would withdraw from the contest for the speak ership and support MT. Clark for the, sena- torship.
 The S5O, 1000 Deal MT. Stiff also detailed a conversation with S. B. Cook, former state auditor, who had offered him $20,O00 ito vote for Clark. q made no definite reply said MT. Stiff, 'fbecause I waited to further investigate what was going I told him that if Mir. Clark really wanted to secure my vote he could pay more than $20,000, and sug- gested $50,000, saying I did not want this to be understood an offer on my part. Cook said lhe would see Clark, and we agreed to meet again that day I did not,
 however, see him again on this subject
 He also said as speaker in selecting committee of investigation into the Clark
 matter, he had not known that all the members selected were unfriendy to Clark
 Replying further to questions concerning his suggestion of s50.000 as the price Clark should pay for his vote, he said:
 ''I believe I was perfectly justified in do- ing what I did considered that a most outrageous crime being perpetrated, and l was willing to act the part of a de- tective."
 Another Witness
 Fred Whiteside, of Montana testified that he had been approached at and after the meeting of the legislature in the interest of MT. Clark's candidacy by J. s. Neal, B. B. Welcome and c. W. Clark, son of the seantor. He had seen MT. Welcome by appointment at his home and had also met the others of MT. Clark's friends. He had also met MT Clark; Who told him that Welcome had spoken favorably of him (Whitesfde). The first intimation he had had that his support of MT. Clark would be to his financial advantage came from MT. Neal Afterwerd MT. Welcome told him that his vote for and support of Mir Clark would be worth slO,000.
 He had co-operated with the supporters Of MT. Clark for the purpose of exposing the corrupt methods which he was satds- fled were being used to secure MT. Clarks afn Ha ayh lgc4 bers of the legislature whom MT. Welcome and senator Clarks son had requested him to sec They had told him they were will ing to pay S10,000 for any democratic vote