The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-13
Some Members of the Legislature Ac-
Money Over to the state.
MORE STARTLING EVIDENCE
SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE CON-
MITTEE ON ELECTIONS.
OF Montana Legislators
That Tends to Show Mr.. Clark Pur-
chased n Seat in the Senate.

gain of four or five witnesses before the
Senate committee on privileges and elec-
tions to-day in connection with the attack
On the right of Senator Clark of Montana
to his seat in the Senate. One of the wit
nesses, State Senator Myers, produced a
letter from c. w. Clark, son of the senator,
telling him CMyers) he had forwarded $500
as retainer for him as attorney in con-
nection with the coal interests of the
Clarks. A dentist named Ector has also
displayed letters from Senator Clark him.
self referring to w. NJ. Bickford as a rep
resentative of his, and that while he
Clark knew nothing of Ector's claims
for services, his policy was to remunerate
all that served him. Probably the most
important witness of the day was III. II.
Carr. a member of the Legislature. who
had voted for Mr.. Clark for the Senate. He
is one of the men in whose name money
was turned over 60 the State. Mr.. Carr
said that while this money, 5000 in $1,000
bills, had been shown to him by Mr.. White
side and he mad aIked the envelope con-
tanning it, Mr.. Whiteside had not said any
thing TO him about voting for Mr.. Clark.
L. l.. p. Ector, a dentist at Missoula,
was the first witness to-day. He had par
ticipated In the campaign In Raveli coun-
ty In the interest of e. p. Wood. who was
the Democratic candidate for the Legisla-
ture at the last campaign, and who was
friend of Mr.. Clark. Mr.. Ector said
he had acted at the instance of Mr.. Bick-
ford, one of Mr. Clark's managers A
number of letters from Bickford were ex-
hibited In one of these, written after the
legislative election. Mr. Bickford referred
to the presence of ''our friend" in Hamil-
ton and asked Mr.. Ector to ascertain what
his financial condition was. Mr.. Ector
said ''Our friend was Mr.. Wood and that
he replied to this letter, saying that his
Indebtedness was $500. and that $1,000
would probably be necessary to settle all
his debts. Afterward Mr.. Bickford had
given him $1,000 to give to Wood. He had
then refused to accept the money, telling
Bickford ''It was all off, as Wood had
told him that he could not afford to sell
himself.
MERELY PROMISED TO PAY.
The witness said that Bickford had prom
ised to pay him for his services and that
no specific sum had been mentioned. HE
asked me how much expected" said the
witness, "and / told him I wanted all l
could get out of it. 1 continued by saying
No doubt you will make a stake out of
it, He asked me how 10 per cent. would
do. said: That would be satisfactory, as
l have no doubt you will get $4,000 or $25.-
600 out of it,. 1t appeared that no settle
ment was made with him by Mr.. Bick-
ford and that Mr. Ector wrote to Senator
Clark about the matter. Cross examination
of
up the letters received from Ector.
Representative P. j. Sullivan, a member
of the last Montana Legislature. from
Granite county, testified that he had been
approached by Mr.. Bickford when he went
to Helena, previous to the meeting Of the
Legislature. and asked to vote for Mr..
Clark "I said.. the witness testified that
/ might do so If there was enough in it,
He asked how much. said $4,000. He then
asked me il half that amount would not
be enough. replied no, and We separated"
Sullivan said that afterward he had again
met Bickford and that the latter had sug-
gested $1,000. He had told Bickford then
that he would not vote for Clark under
any circumstances. and had seen no more
of him. Mr.. Sullivan said his purpose had
been to lead Mr.. Bickford on and that he
had not expected to vote for Mr.. Clark
even if the offer of $4,000 had been ac-
cepted."
The witness stated that he is now the
proprietor of the Florence Hotel, at Butte.
and the cross-examination was devoted to
showing that this hotel is largely owned
by Marcus Daily. The witness said he paid
his rent in currency to Mr.. Hennessy. and
<-;5 hath DaIx
owner He admitted that his patronage
was largely from among the miners of the
Anaconda mine. and counsel brought out
the fact that, whereas before the legisla-
ture met, the witness had been the propri-
etor OF a saloon paying $50 a month. he
now pays 5000 a month for the Florence
house.
UNWILLING TO TESTIFY.
Anthony Daugherty, OF Helana, proved to
be the first witness who was apparently
unwilling to testify. He was called with
the view to show that he had allowed a
friend of his. named Gallagher. to occupy
for several days a room in the Brown
block. rented by himself. and that he had
remained In the closet Of the room and
overheard a conversation between A. j.
Steele and Representatives Gillette and
Flynn concerning the senatorial election.
State Auditor w. T. Poindexter testified
that A. ]. Steele had promised to give him
s5o, 900 to secure the votes of the three men,
bers of the legislature from Beaverhead
county for Mr.. Clark. he Poindexter) to
have 5000 for his services; but that he had
never approached the members because he
was opposed to Mr.. Clark's election. aud
had only agreed to see them Tor him to pSenu