Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-01-17
The Prosecution Offers New and
Startling Testimony in the
Noted Case.
The ROLL OFs3O, OOOIN EVIDENCE
Clark Wrote Letters to a Missoula
Dentist Assuring Him a Settle
ment Would Be Made.

praCtCeu IN securing the eleCtOo Oh WA
Clark to the senate progresses slowly. the ad-
mission Of testimony damaging to Clark being
bitterly fought by Clark's attorneys. Senators
Whitesde and Clark and Representatives My
ers. Carr and others. besides number of peo-
pie from various parts of the state, have been
on the stand during the past week. and without
question very strong case is being made out
by the memorialists, so strong. in fact. that il
hardly seems possible Clark can save himself
from expulsion.
From the mass of testimony Offered we quote
a few paragraphs, taken from the report of pro-
ceedings on consecutive days.
Senator Whitesde being on the stand and
under cross examination. the following passed:
@. What do you know about attempts to
brbe w. J. Hannah?
A. All know was that Neill said $20O0 had
been sent to bring him from the Philippines
q. Have you not declared yourself that you
meant to destroy William A. Clarke
A. said would stake my life that Well
come would be convicted of bribery and that
Clark would never retain his seat in the senate
q. DO you claim that there was an attempt
to bribe Hobsonl
a. Only upon information. twas stated
by Neill to me. when Hobson was spoken of,
that some one had said: How do you expect
to get such men as Hobson?" And Ncill pulled
out several large bills and said: That's what
we do the business with
The same line of cross examination was con-
tinued in reference to Messrs. Mitchell, Tier
ney. Riddle. Mahon, Black. Bywater and 9TH
ers, the efforts of the counsel for the defense
being mainly directed toward attempting to
show that the witness had not testified to all he
claims to know when witness before the sew
e:al Montana tribunals
State Senator Clark Of Madison county was
next called. He stated that he was Demo
crat and that he had gone to Helena more fav-
orably inclined to Clark than any other candi-
date for the senate, but that he had changed his
opinion after he had investigated the methods
of his namesake. Clark testified that he had
received $4,000 in 1.OJO-dollar bills from
United States Senator Clarks manager. Mr..
Welcome. in January, 1885 and thatthe money
was given TO him on the express condition that
he was to vote for Clark as long as his vote was
NdntNds NilN llNiAiiiaiths ssaAN HAA
Mr.. Welcome, saying Welcome said to him
1--WE want you with US aud we want you
hard" adding: "Now, We are going To get the
votes necessary to elect our man, and If We
don't get them one way We will get them an
other"
81 asked Welcome what was in IT," the wit
ness continued. "and he replied: There is
$1,000 for you, provided you comply with con-
ditions,' the conditions being that | vote for
Clark as long as required" The money. $1,000
in 1000 bills. was given to him by Welcome
that night. After counting il he had placed II
in an envelope. marked the envelope and
handed ii to Mr.. Whi,esde for safe-keeping.
He said that when Welcome gave him the
money he had called him over into the corner
of his room. and holding the bills up. said he
had fine engravings he wanted to show him.
L. L. Ector. dentist at Mssoula. was the first
witness. He had participated in the campaign
in Ravalli county in the interest of L. z. Wood
who was the Democratic candidate for the leg
isature In the last campaign, and who was q
friend of Clark. Ector said he had acted at the
instance Of Bickford. one of Clark's managers
Letters from Bickford were exhibited and in
one of these, written after the Legislative eec.
tion. Bickford referred to the presence of "oui
friend" in Hamilton, and asked Ector to asccr.
tain his financial condition. EctOr said ''ouI
friend" was Wood. and that he replied TO thi.
letter saying that his Indebtedness was 20
and that 5000 would probably be necessary to
settle all his debts. Afterward Bckford had
81, IN, e,tt t, W..nb had
then refused the money. telling Bickford i
was "all off," as Wood had told him that he
could not afford 20 sell himself Witness said
that Bickford had promised to pay him for his
services. but that no specific sum had been
mentioned.
He asked me how much | expected" said
the witness Then told him wanted all !
could get out OF it. ! continued by saying, Nc
doubt you will make stake out of it. lie
asked me how 10 per cent would do, and said
That would be satisfactory. as have no doub,
you will get $4,000 or s25,ooo out of H."
II appeared that no settlement was made with
him by Bickford. and that Ector wrote TO Sen.
tor Clark about the matter. Correspondence
with that gentleman began in December. lssS
and closed Nov. s, 1889 These letters were
read to show that Bickford had been the agent
of Clark in the senatorial race. In the first let.
ter CLARK said that the matter concerning which
Ector had written him had been left entirely
in the hands OF Bckford." and that he was to
confer with that gentleman concerning the
matter In the second letter. dated Jan. 2S
1899. Clark spoke Of the fact that he had just
been elected, saying Bickfurd was wild with
JOY. adding that. while he had no personal
knowledge as TO what he had done, he never
disappointed any one who had helped him. -
and the last statement was practically repeated
from Paris in April and In another letter writ.
ten from New York in November last In the
New York letter Clark said he would refer the
Ector matter to Bickford. and in the Paris let.
ter he said il was his desire that ANY one who
served him should be amply renlunerated.'
One Of the letters Of the series was signed in
Typewriter, aud the defense objected To its ad.
mission. This objection brought out the first
division in the committee. Senators McComas
and Catfery casting the only votes against the
admission.
Fred w. Cowan. a railroad conductor OF
Nssoula. testliel i to going TO Helena during