The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-20
TESTIMONY OF 4 MINISTER
The Clark Investigating Committee
Examines a Clergyman.
An Interesting Witness I'm the Scnn-
toriaI Inquisition-Hc Thrnsbcs n
ruption - Why He Resigned His
Passionate - His Part in the Case.

was b. Il. H. Warren, a former Methodist
minister He was chaplain Of the Montana
House of Representatives during the ses-
sion at which Senator Clark was elected.
This witness testified that having heard
of the alleged corruption, he went to see
Senator Clark to satisfy himself as 10 the
truth of the allegations. He repeated an
alleged conversation with Senator Clark,
in which he tWarren) told Mr.. Clark that
the vote of Representative Bonner could
be bought for $4,000
Under cross-examination Mr.. Faulkner
asked:
did you live in East Helena?"
Yes"
'How long,"
-Four years.
why did you leave?"
After my testimony before the supreme
court, a number of the members of my
charge were Clark men and they did not
pay my salary and / resigned
rs IL not fact that your congregation
charged you with ENLIGHTENMENT and an
other offence?"
mo, sir; no charge was formally lodged.
The charges never went beyond neighbor-
hood gossip"
Was il not charged that you had mis-
appropriated funds collected for the
church. pocketing a check given TO the
Methodist church by w. A. Clarke
1T was rumored around. but no charges
were preferred against me.
And rather than face the charges you
resigned your position as a minister of
God?'
NO, sir; my salary was not paid and
was being slandered and feeling incensed
j left the denomination
Might you not have resigned that par
ticular CHARGE"
Yes / might
did not the officers of your church tell
you OF the charges and request you 10 re-
sign7"
mo, don't think they did
when you beat the man who slandered
you at Sweetgrass Mon. for having SIAN
cred you, did be not charge you with i'm
morality"
Yes, sir"
When Bonner told you that he would
sell his vote TO Clark for $4,000, did you
take him seriously"
II think the witness said that Mr.. Bon
ner said that jestingly or laughingly,"
said Mr.. Chandler.
lis that right" asked Mr.. Faulkner, OF
the witness.
Yes sir"
did you really believe that Mr. Bon
ner really intended TO sell his vote?"
We'll. no, sir; ] thought better of him
than that
Then as minister of the Gospel YOU
went 10 Senator Clark and told him of
what Bonner had said in a way to make
Senator Clark believe that Bonner's vote
was for sale?'
When one man tells another that his
sheepfold is not locked up, It is not an
invitation TO steal the sheep
But you testified that you did not be-
lieve that Bonner meant 10 sell his vote,
and yet you told Senator Clark seriously
that he could buy Bonner
well. not exactly"
1t was brought out that Senator Clark
when asked by the witness for a contribu-
ton to his (WarTen'sD church. had given
him a check for 500 drawn TO the order
of Warren. II was shown also that though
this check was given TO Warren in March,
1899. he made no return OF IL to the church
till December, 1893 which was after the
charge of embezzlement and immortality
had been brought aginst him.
Ibid you write q letter to Senator Clark
acknowledging his check2''
Il may have done So though the check
is a receipt"
I'm that letter did you congratulate Sem
stor Clark on his election?'
Il may have done So
"A IMAM Noui pcSiliOu NOulu udIuiy
have congratulated Senator Clark II you
had then believed him guilty Of bribery,
would you?"
We'll / don't know"
The first witness called In the after
noon was Z. II. Cooney, member of the
Montana Legislature. His testimony was
that Representative Flynn told him that
the Clark people were paying money for
votes and were paying as high as $4,000
for single votes.
T. Z. Butler, a newspaper man, testified
that he had been authorized by Charles
Clark 20 offer CooDey SIS 900 for his vote;
but that Cooney had declined on the
ground that if he voted for Clark he would
have 10 leave the State.
The next witness. was z. 7. Cason, who
said he was an attorney at-law. He had
been a clerk in one of the departments in
Washington, and had then gone 10 Helena,
where he lived four years. He made Sem
ator Clark's acquaintance in the fall Of
1928. He produced a letter written TO him |
by Mr.. II. r. Marceyes, a member OF the |
Legislature saying that he would hold In |
allegiance the question OF voting for United |
States Senator He sent this letter 10 1
Senator Clark, and received reply stat /
Ing that, at present, they did not know /
what course would be pursued in regard |
TO Republican members. He said he saw |
senator Clark IN Helena and was author /
lied by him TO offer SO, 00G to Cason for |
his vote. Witness also testified as TO |
various interviews with Marceyes, and |
discussions about voting for Clark but |
be mad not held out any inducements 10 |
him.
In a subsequent conversation with Sena-
tor Clark, the Senator said he was salts |
fled that Marceyes would vote for him. |
He presented letter, purporting 10 be |
from Senator Clark to himself, enclosing
a $500 check FOR professional seryiees"-
the only service he had rendered being. he |
said, In reference TO election matters. He |
told OF an alleged conversation in Helena |
with Mr.. Root a partner Of Welcome, |
and a friend of Senator Clark
The witness said he told Root that he |
did not want 10 go 10 Washington to testify |
In the Clark case, and that he would avoid |
service OF subpoena. Root proposed that |
witness should fign a statement and wit
ness did write out a letter which Root |
said was not strong enough. Then Root |
wrote such letter he wanted, and wit
ness signed it, with the distinct under
standing that 1t was not true and It was
not 10 be used. Root furnished him with
means, and he went to Baker City where.
to his surprise, he found that the letter
had been published, and had been described