The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-13
THE CLARK CASE HEARING.
several More Witnesses Examined by
the Senate Committee

Elections OF the Senate h the case Of Ger
tain memorialists OF Montana against Sena
tor William A. Clark When Mr.. Chandle
had called the committee to order Mr
Campbell. counsel in chief for the me
morialists, stated that ". J. Cook. of Mon
tana, who had come to Washington il
obedience to subpoena. had reached thi
city He had brought with him, Mr.
Campbell said, copies Of books of tn,
Thomas Cruise Savings Bank OF Helena
showing the deposits OF A. ]. Davidson
and Toole, two of the alleged corrup
tionis,s.
Mr.. Campbell said he was satisfied tina
! the copies were not accurate. and he asie,
! that the committee instruct the witnes!
to produce the books themselves.
This raised a law point and contention
| between counsel ensued former Senator
Faulkner and Mr. Foster. for the defense
! maintaining that certified copies were suf
/ ficieat. and that it would be an unredsOu
able thing to bring the books of the bank
| from Helena to Washington.
| Mr. Chandler called for a copy Of the
| subpoena which had been served on Mr.,
| Cook and It was shown by this that only
4 copies of the books as they related Ia
Davidson and TOole should be brought to
this city. Still counsel for the memorial
/ lists insisted that they were not satisfied
as to the correctness OF the copies. The
question was taken under advisement by
the committee.
+. l.. r. Ector. OF Missuula, Mon, was
the first witness He testified that while a
resident of StevensvilIe. Mon he had met
Mr.. Bickford. who had come to that town
he said to ascertain the opinions OF the
candidates for the State legislature on the
senatorial question. The witness produced
a number OF letters purportiDg 10 have been
written by Mr. Bickford 10 him. but these
letters appeared to contain nothing that
could be construed as discriminating SEN
ator Clark, In one letter Mr.. Bedford
wrote that ii was very difficult TO obtain
funds from the State Central Committee
for use in the county contests. and that al
though there was considerable talk in the
Montana newspapers about the free use Of
money the gossip was without foundation
In another letter there was enclosed the
sum of 5000. to be used for campaign pur-
poses. Mr.. Ector had written to Mr.. Bick-
ford that Mr. Woods. a candidate for the
Legislature. was involved and that a mort
gage was held on his property. Though Il
was not so stated the inference to be
drawn was that the mortgage was held by
a DAILY man. Mr.. Bickford replied 10 this
letter and directed Mr.. Ector TO ascertain
just what the Indebtedness was and that he
B:ckfordl would attend to it. Ector an
swefed that IL would take between $4,000
and s. eco to settle the debt Ector said
that he met Bickford at MissUula and that
the latter offered him the $1,000 for Woods.
but the MONEY was rejected. Several let
ters from Senator Clark to Ector We're pro-
duced. but they contained little that was
significant. There w2s one Of these letters
signed William A. Clark in typewriter. and
after a discussion by counsel It was i'd
mitted In evidence. though its admission
was opposed by Senators Hoar. McComas.
and Pritchard.
The next witness was Philip G.. Sullivan.
proprietor of the Florence Hotel at Butte.
He was a member OF the legislature from
Granite county. He told of mis- aequaint-
ance with Mr. Bickford. He said Mr.. Bick-
ford had asked him il he could support
Senator Clark.
Il told him perhaps I could" said the
witness. Mr. Bicki0rd said how much.
/ replied $4,000. Mr Bickford said be
thought half that would be good price.
Later he said he could raise it to $4,000,
but then | told him that ! could not sup
port Senator Clark
Under cross-examiuatiOn. the witness
said he was not the owner OF the hotel
He first said Il was owned by a company.
but later stated that he did not know that
this was so. He paid his rent to Mfr. Hen
nessee. Of Butte. His patrons were miners
of the Anaconda Mining Company. 1t was
finally drawn from the witness that Hen
nessee represented Marcus DAILY and that
Mr. DAILY owned the hotel. Before the leg
lslature met the witness vas keeping a sa-
loon for which he paid $50 month. After
he testified in the Welcome dsbarment
proceedings he secured the Florence Hotel
from Mr.. Tennessee. and he now pays
81 900 Il month rent for it. He said that
he never gets a receipt for his rent pay
mepts
When asked why he suggested that he i
might support Mr.. Clark for $4,000. he
answered that it was just for curiosity
He had heard that money was being used
for Mr. Clark He had not heard that
money was being used in behalf OF any
other senatorial aspirant.
when did you first tell about this at
tempted bribery"
Some time last summer
ITO whom
II can't think of his name"
WAS it Mr. Campbell Or Nr Toole or
Mr. Whiteside?"
NO, sir
After some time it was drawn from the
witness thai he first told of the ALLEGED
attempt a corruption to a clerk in Mr.
office.
AnthcEy Dougherty who keeps a livery F!
stable at Helena. was the next witness
He was put on the stand by the memo
rialists. Mr.. Campbell explained that he
believed the witness knew certain facts :
nut was not 4 willing witness Mir Dough- /
,rty's answers were nearly all in the |
negative
IL was maintained by the memorialists |
hat Dougherty let Gallagher have his room |
or week and that he (Doughertyl took |
room at a hotel; that Dough- |
.rty became locked in a closet adjoining
he room he had let to Gallagher and
overheard a conversation between steele,
Flynn and Gillette concerning the pUr
base of votes.
Did you not tell Charles Dillon that You
ct your room to some other persons. and
hat while in a closet you overheard steele.
flynn, and Gillette arrange TO sell their
,otes to Clarke
NO, sir. told him that had let my
Dom to Mr. Gallagher. but said nothing to
ir. Dillon about Steele, Flynn. or Gillette"
Can you give the name OF any person
.ho told you that they either knew or be-
ieNcu lHdI HltutN was btfslE hsth ~ I-O- /
note the election OF Senator Clark
II do not remember any"
Mr. Dougherty was an unwilling witness,
nd no information was obtained from him.
Thomas W. Poindexter OF Helena, was
he next man. to take the witness chair. 7
lie was acquainted with $. ]. Mcdowell.
lie had conversation with him ON January
1899. He told me that Mr.. Steele lad
cen him and asked him to suggest some
ne who was close enough to certain mem-
ers of the legislature that they sought to
each. He told me that there was money
n It, and for me to think it over. He