Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-16
Held in the Clark Hearing
Last Night.
THE SUPREME JUSTICES
And Attorney General Nolan Gave
Their Testimony-Judge Pigott
Said He Was Angry When He Had
Conversation in Helena.

Washington, Feb. 15.-IIighly sensa-
tional testimony was developed to-day
in the investigation by the senate COM
mittee on privileges and elections of the
election of w. A. Clark to the senate
from Montana. Justice Hunt, a repub-
lican member of the Montana supreme
court, testified that his family physician,
DR.. Treacy, had made what he (the JUS
tice) regarded as attempts to have him
consider a s1O0, 900 bride to favor Lawyer
Welcome, ONE of Clark's attorneys, in
the disbarment proceedings against Well
come. The witness did not directly, at
least, connect Clark with this bribery
proposition, so the latter's counsel, ex-
Senator Faulkner. moved to strike the
whole testimony from the record. but did
not succeed. The witness testified that
the same day one of the attempts to brihe
him had been made, similar efforts had
been put forth to reach Justice Pigott.
another of the justices of the supreme
court of Montana.
Counsel for Mr.. Clark cross question
ed Justice Hunt quite sharply as TO
why he had not prosecuted the doctor or
made a statement a. the time concerning
the matter, the reply in substance being
that the witness felt too much humirlat-
ed over the proposition and also believ-
ed DR.. Treacy did not realize the enorm-
ity of his offense.
The committee held a might session at
which Justice Pdgott testified concerning
remarks made to him on two days when
DR.. Treacy had interviews with Justice
Hunt. Justice Pigott's statement was
that Mr.. Clark's leading counsel a
come to him and while apparently under
great excitement said he had just been
advised by Mr.. Neill Of Helena that the
supreme court could be unduly Influenced
in the Welcome disbarment proceedings
and wanted to know III it were true and
spoke OF ~denouncing any such attempt.
Witness had informed counsel that he
would never hear of such attempt from
him (Pigott), for he would kill any one
coming to him with a bride offer.
At the night session of ---e senate conn
mittee on privileges and elections, JUS
tice w. T. Pigott, another member OF the
bench of the Montana supreme court.
was heard. He was questioned by Sen
ator Chandler. His testimony was re-
lated in a slow and impressive manner:
It was on different lines from that OF
Justice Hunts, but received equally close
attention. Mr.. Pigott's statement GOV
cred an init arview with Frank +. CorDetC
OF Butte, who is Mr.. Clark's principal
western counsel, which had occurred on
the 5th OF August last, the same day as
DIR. Treacy,s first two interviews with
Justice Hunt. He said he met MT. Cor
bett on the street and the latter TOLD MN
that he had come to Helena in a spac.al
train to see him and requested a private
interview. He had taken M. CorDei TO
his rooms at the Capitol. TIE latter lold
him ]. S. NJ. Neil. of Helena, had tele.
phoned to Butte that the supreme court
might be influenced in the Welcome dis
hafsment case. Detailing the converse
ton Mr.. Pigott said Mr.. Corbett appar-
emily was very much excited. his lips
trembling and his manner was very ner-
vuus. -
HE said he did not want me to get an
gry at what he was about to tell me. III
then told. of the receipt of the telephone
message from Mr.. Neill, which had beer
as follows: We can do business witt
ltane supreme court He said he had
spent two or three hours with Mr.. Neil
and thai the latter had said to him. We
can get the supreme court. They viii
come high and the scheme will have to IN
capitalized for about IS; O00, 6O0.' lie the1
proceeded to say that ne hau applleu Var
ious cpprob1dous epithets to Mr.. NedH, TO
such a presumption, saying that he ma
secured a special train and come from
Butte for the purpose of heading on an.
effort in the line Of such an outrageous
proceeding and to assure you mat I
anything of the kind was undertaken ",
have "a nothing to do with it. Fl n
undertakes to do that I will myself sc
UP In the supreme court and tell what
know about the proceedings.
4 have a mind to do that anyway,
Mr.. Corbett added.
At replied." continued the witness, "yo1
can rest assured that if Neill a~pproache'
me in the way you suggest. you Will nev
er know it nor will the fact become publ
and I believe hat a man making such a.
attack should be killed by the maj t,
whom he had made the proposition.
will endeavor to do that If so approached
/ would never have a man arrested TO
such proceeding for I would not want tn
publicity nor would I want to bring
court into d.srepute."
Justice Pigott said that after this inter
view Mr.. Corbett left him, saying he ha
to hurry to the train, but that more tina
half an hour afterwards. he had seen tha
gentleman and two others leaving fo
the train.
Justice Pigott said that in the evenin
after this interview he had called upo
Justice Hunt and related h had occur
ed between himself and Corbett, whe
Justice Hunt related his experience of tn
same day with DIR. Treacy.
On cross-examination Mr.. Pigott sal
that at the time of Mr.. Corbett's visit /
had no reason to suspect that Mr.. Co
belts motives were not of the highes
They had been friends for years. Senate
Faulkner insisted upon knowing wheth.
the justice had Stree formed any doub
al to Mr.. Corbett's motives, and if S
why. 70 this he replied: IT had no doub
until Justice Hunt told me what had ha1
pened between him and DR.. Treacy {
h same day. I put this and that t
gether. and then concluded that MI. &C
bett and DIR. Treacy had conspired
make an assault Upon the supreme cou
with their $100, 900; that they had ma,