The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-07
CLARK CASE TESTIMONY
MORE WITNESSES IN DEFENSE OF
THE WOULD-BE SENATOR.
Effort to Impeach Evidence offered
by Friends of Mr.. Daly-A Good
Price for Timber Land.

tee on privileges and elections to-day in
connection with the investigation of the
election of Hon. w. A. Clark TO the Senate
from Montana. Among those were State
Senator Cullen, State Representative Nc
Laughlin, Benjamin Falk and Harry Ring
walt. Mr.. Cullen testified that previous to
the meeting of the Legislature Mr.. Marcus
DAILY had told him that if Clark was elect
ed to the Senate he should not take his
seat and that his supporters would be de-
nounced as bribe-takers Mr.. Mclaughlin
was put on to impeach the testimony of
Speaker Stiff. of the Montana Legislature,
concerning the sale of timber lands to Mr..
Clark just before the opening of the ses-
sion of the Legislature. He said he had
sold his land to Mr.. Clark for $4,000, or
much less than its proper valuation; that
he made the sale through Mr.. Bickford
and that in making 1t he had not discussed
the United States senatorial contest with
Mr. Bickford. Mr.. Ringwalt told of a con-
versation he had with Mr. whiteside be-
fore the meeting of the Legislature In
which. the latter had told him that there
was to be big sensation in connection with
Mr.. Clarks senatorial race and that $780,
600 would be spent In 1t. During the day
the letter from Mr.. Bickford, which was
opened in Mr.. Campbell's office while in
the hands of\Benjamin Hill, was put in as
evidence. The committee declined to go
into corelative questions bearing the
legislative elections in Montana in 1899.
The first witness of the day was State
Senator Phillips, of Choteau county, Mon
tana, Republican, who had voted for Mr..
Clark. He said he had known Mr. Clark
| for thirty years and that in talk with
| him he had told him that IL the Republic
ans voted for Democrat for the Senate.
| the Democrat must be a protectionist. Mr..
| a G
favor of q tariff on lead, wool, and other
| raw material and as an expansionist, and
| had agreed TO write letter defining his
position. This letter, the witness said. was
| written, but he was not able to produce 1t.
| Mr.. Phillips admits having talked with
| State Senator Mckay at the Republican
| candidacy, but denied he had told that
| gentleman that he could get $4,000 for a
| vote for Mr.. Clark and of having told him
that Representative Ingersoll was to get
| $4,000 for his vote.
| CULLEN'S TESTIMONY.
State Senator Cullen. Democrat, from
| Dawson county. who had voted for Mr..
Clark, contradicted fatty the testimony of
| Mr.. Whiteside to the ef1ect that he was to
have received $4,000 for his vote for Mr..
| Clark, saying he had not been offered nor
| had he received any consideration for his
vote. Mr.. Cullen is a railroad conductor on
| the Northern Pacific and he testified to a
conversation he had had with Marcus DAILY
on the train. in December. prior to the
meeting of the Legislature. He said that
| Mr.. DAILY had brought up the subject of the
| contest for the United States Senate ask
| ing him what he thought of the outlook.
| Witness said he had replied that he
| thought that Clark would be elected. To
| this, he said. Mr.. DAILY had replied: II will
| tell you that every man who votes for
| Clark will be published as a boodler and
| bribe-taker. If you fellows elect Clark I'll
| see that he never takes his seat in the Sen
| ate" He had voted for Mr. Clark on the
| first three or four ballots because of the
| Whiteside exposure, but had been assured
| by Mr.. Clark, in conversation, that the
| exposure was the result of a conspiracy
| and that the money was not his.
| On cross-eXamination Mr.. Cullen said his
| family had spent the winter in California
| on account of his health, but that he had
borrowed the money for them TO live on.
| brother that he had seen Clark and fixed
the thing and that Whiteside was fool
If he did not get $4,000 for his vote.
| Harry Ringwalt, of Great Falls, detailed
a conversation he had had with Mr.. White
| side previous to the meeting of the Leg
| islature. He was at that time deputy coun-
| ty treasurer Mr.. Whiteside had come to
| him asking him to enter into scheme to
| prevent Mr.. Clark's election to the Senate
L want you to go to Helena with US. Mr.
| Whiteside said. and assist us in fight on
|
Senate / asked him what he meant by
| us, and he replied that he meant Mr.. DAILY
and his friends. He added that L might as
| well get into the band wagon and take a
ride-that If l would do what he wanted
me to do. see the legislators, ETC., could
make a pile of money. more of ii in two oil
| three months than L could have made In
my. position in as many years. declined
| and Whiteside then told me to keep quie,
| and / would hear a bomb explode SOON
| that he going to spring a sensation te
prevent Clark's election, and that there
| was $4,000 in it,
FALK ON THE STAND.
No little interest was manifested wher
Benjamin Falk was introduced as wit.
| ness. His name had been frequently men.
| toned during the hearing. He did not pro-
coed far before the noon adjournment HI
had only stated that he was deputy CLERK
of Flathead county in 1898, and had handled
the election feturns involving the election
in which Mr.. Whiteside was a candidate
for the state Senate. Attorney Foster, fol
the defense, sought to bring out the fac
that Whiteside had offered $4,000 for &C
| cess to the returns before they were
counted. The question was objected to a,
| collateral.
On examination by different members OF
the committee Falk said that Carr wa!
| afraid he would be poisoned by threat.
| w nlteSlue ndQ maze against him.
II. w. Mclaughlin. representative II
the Legislature from Missoula, was put OF
| to explain his sale of land, timber and saw
mill site, the latter In the town Of Missoula
| to Senator Clark He said there from
100000 to 100000 feet of lumber and tina
he had sold 1t for s24.6S4. notwithstanding
| he had considered it worth from $35, 600 u
| $4,000. He had accepted less than the prop
erty was worth because of the fact tina
| Mr.. Daily practically had q monopoly o.
the lumber business In the State, cuttinl
him off from making a sale. Part of tn,
| considerable that he was to remain
as manager for the Western Lumber Com
pany at the rate of $500 per month. III,
/ had negotiated the sale through Mr.. Bick
ford, but not word was said about sena
torial contests. He had. however, beer
approached by the DAILY people and aske,
to vote for Conrad. He had declined be
cause he considered Clark the best man
He had received no improper proposals I,
vote for Clark and no remuneration 70
voting for him.
On cross-examination Mr.. Mclaughlin
said he had paid 5000 for the property sold
He had he said, about 81 500 when elected L
the Legislature, but he owed about $50
The $500 had been kept I'm his house an,
not i'm bank. He denied that he told Mr.
Toole that he would vote for Mr.. Clark
because the vote meant bread and butte
for his family. II did not say that to MI
Toole and he dare not get on the stand an
swear that did, said the witness. OF tn
sd, COO paid for the lumber property $500
paid until last March, after the adjourn
ment of the Legislature. This paymen
was deferred because the transaction wa
| not entirely closed up.