The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-20
THE MONTANA SENATORSHIP
Some Startling Developments In the
Bribery Investigation.

Washington, February 15.-Highly
sensational testimony was developed
today in the investigation by the SEN
ate committee on privileges and cleo
tons of the election Of w. A. Clark to
the senate from Montana.
Justice Hunt, a republican member
of the Montana supreme court, testi-
fed that his family physician. DR..
Tracey, had made what he (the ius-
tice) regarded as attempts to have him
consider a $780, 900 bribe to favor Law
yer Welcome, one of Mr.. CIark's at
torneys in the disbarnent proceedings
against Welcome. The witness did
not, directly at least. connect Mr.
Clark with this bribery proposition. so
the latteTS counsel, ex-senator FauIk-
ner. moved to strike the whole tasti-
mony from the record, but did not
succeed. The witness said he did not
make the matter public because he felt
too much Inundated over the propo-
sltlon and also believed hat DIR. Ira
cey did not realize the enormity of his
offense.
The committee held a night session.
at which Justice Piggott, also of the
Montana supreme court, testified con-
corning remarks made to him on two
days when DIR. Tracey had interviews
AoAA -
statement was that Mr.. Clark's leading
counsel, Mr.. Corbett, had come to him
and while apparently under great ex-
element, said hat he a Just been
advised by Mr.. j. S. NJ. Neill, of He
lena, that the supreme court could
be unduly influenced in the Welcome
disbarment proceedings, and wanted
TO know If it were true and spoke of
d~enouncing any such attempt. The
witness had informed counsel that he
never would lear of such an attempt
from him (PiggOtt), for he would kill
any one coming to him with a bride
offer.
Mr.. COrbett spent two or three hours
talking with the justice on this occa-
sion and the former said Mr.. Neil1 had
said to him: I'VE can get the supreme
court. They will come high and the
scheme will have to be capitalized for
about IS, 900, O0O." Corbett then pro-
ceeded to say that he had applied va
rious O~pprObious epithets to Mr.. Neil
for such a presumption, saying that he
had secured a special train and come
over from Butte for the purpose of
heading off any effort in the line of
such an outrageous proceeding and to
assure you (the j~ustice) that if any
thing of the kind was undertaken we
have had nothing to do with It."
On crOss-eXaminatiOn, Justice Pig
gOtt said that at that time he lad no
reason to suspect that Mr.. COrbett'S
motives were not the highest, but af-
ter Justice Hunt had related his ex-
perience he PiggOtt concluded: THAT
Mr.. COrbett and DR.. Tracey had con-
spired together to make an assault
upon the supreme court with their
800, 900; hat they had made their at
tack upon Justice Hunt and had failed,
and hat Mr.. COrbett knowing Justice
Hunt would tell me of this, had come
tn nTpn1rp mo AGAINST rpPaiVjnU hiC
version of the interview"
Attorney General Cornelius 3. No
Ian, of Montana, testified that he also
had an experience with DR.. Tracey. He
had conducted the prosecution in the
Welcome disbarment case and while
The case was in progress, DR.. Tracey,
who was also his family physician, had
come to him., he said, at three differ
ent times, suggesting that he (NOlan)
could get money out of the case from
Mr.. Clark. The witness said that he
had chatted with DR.. Tracey on the
occasion of the first meeting until the
latter asked him how much did he
think would be required. Il replied"
said the witness, "if 1 should lend my
self to UGH a scheme 1 think l ought
to be entitled to 500, 000."
The doctor said he thought the sum
reasonable. Later, on the same occa-
sion. after he had come to think the
doctor serious, Mr.. Nolan a he had
old the DOCTOR to go back to Mr..
Clark and tell him that if his body
were q skeleton and filled with gold
it would not be sufficient to buy him."
At the third interview Mr.. Nolan
said ne had told DR.. Tracey that he
had talked enough. THE time has
come" he told the doctor, Ito put up
or shut up"
do you mean it?" the doctor said.
81 do" was the reply. Then the
doctor said, come to my office at 4
o'clock today and arrangements will
it would not be sufficient to buy him.
Then the witness said he had told
DR.. Tracey again that Mr.. Clark did
not have money enough to buy him,
and had no further conversation with
him. He did not blame DR.. Tracey so
much as those behind him.