The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-30
PROBING THE CLARK Case
A Witness for the Memorialists
Contradicted by Powell Black.
Negative Testimony Favorable TO
the Senator From Montana-Tryin ing
to Trace the $1,000 and $500 Bills
A Man Who Mny Soon BE Wanted
by the Investigating Committee.

ing. Attendants at the hearing accounte
the evidence as being favorable TO Senate
Clark. Probably the most important VIII
ness examined during the day was Powell
Black, a member of the Montana Legisla
ture. His testimony. though negative, wa
important in that il coDtradcted at salem
points that given by William F. Rector
leading witness for the inemorialist:
against Senator Clark, and who appeared
before the committee on Wednesday, Janu'
airy IL. Rector testified that after Room
6Is, in the Power Block, in Helena, had
been rented for campaign purposes, and that
A. J. Davidson had brought over several
sums of money from Butte, Rector, CT
direct examination, swore that Black had
taken some of that money for the purpose
OF buying votes for Senator Clark 81
think Mr.. Black took that money and went
to Calispell, Mon, to catch a fly up there
with ii" meaning State Senator Carr.
Rector had also said that Black was depu-
ted to bride John NJ. Conrow and one or
two others. Under cross-examination, Mr..
Rector was not so positive in his as
sertions Mr.. Black took the stand yes
terday, having been called IL the witness
chair at the suggestion of the memorialis.s.
He contradicted Rector at all points ex-
cept that he went TO Mr.. Carr, but at the
instance of Mr.. DAILY, who furnished him
with transportation, he had not spoken
with Carr about the senatorial contest.
He had not seen Conrow in Livingstone.
He had not handled any money for ally
body during the session OF the legislature.
Neither had any bride been offered TO him
for his support of any candidate. On the
first ana second ballots he had voted for
Mr.. Toole for United States Senator, and
after that for Senator Clark.
bit of evidence was brought before
the committee by counsel for memorial
lists which the enemies of Senator Clark
believe will have considerable TO do with
the determination of the case. 1t is a copy
of letter alleged TO have been written by
Senator Clark 10 C. II. Fortman, Treas
urer of the jefferson Democratic Club OF
Helena. Fortman was called TO the stand
10 testify as TO the letter which he wrote
TO Senator Clark and TO identify the copy
before the committee as the same in SUBJ
stance as the reply which he Lad received
from Senator Clark. Tho witness stated
that he had written TO the Montana Sena- |
tor making request for two hundred or
two hundred ami fifty dollars to meet the |
expenses OF the club. Senator Clark had |
replied that he would turn the communi |
cation over to his son or TO Mr.. Welcome,
who had charge of such matters. The pur- |
pose OF this was 10 show some connection |
between Senator Clark, his son, and Well |
come IN the matter of the alleged bribery. |
The first witness examined was Edward |
v. Moore, OF Bozeman, Mon. q member OF /
the legislative assembly by which Senator |
Clark was elected. His examination in /
chief was directed principally to his fin
sncial condition his bank account, and his |
business generally.
The questions were all circumlocutory,
none OF them being directed TO the con-
nection of the witness with the election OF
Mr.. Clark.
II REORGANIZATION, however, Mr..
Faulkner came TO that point in an explicit
manner.
did you vote for Mr. Clarke ne asked.
Yes" the witness replied.
"ln voting for him did you do so by
reason of any offer or payment 10 you OF
any consideration whatever
mo, SIR said the witness promptly and
positively.
Then the chairman. Mr. Chandler took
the witness in hand and led him back
through all the particulars of his business.
since his election TO the legislature.
The next witness was George l. Ram
sey. cashier of the Union Bank and Trust
Company, of Helena, Mon His examina.
titn was directed to the fact of the in
creased circulation OF bills OF large denomi-
nations $500 and 81 600 in that community
about the time OF the senatorial election |
He produced small account book in which |
the teller of his bank had kept a record of
The large bills received and paid out and |
be read this memoranda in detail
He gave the list OF thousand dollar bills
passing through the bank for the year 1899
as follows:
January. u; February, z; March, e.,
April, z; May, 13; June, 2; July, 10; Au-
gust IS: September, 5; October, s; Novem-
Der, G; December. s. The disparity be-
ween March and April. he explained, as
lrising from transactions between banks.
There was no connection traced between
lhese large bills and the legislature.
Most of the large bills were received from
md paid 10 correspondent banks, in Butte |
3oseman, Spokane, and other towns. Some
,f them were received from and paid to |
OF the bank
In cross-examination the witness spoke
" conversation over the telephone with
| gentleman in Butte asking him about
arge bills, witness said that the conversa-
ion was "ioshing," which he said was
word used in that locality for jocular |
md was derived from the Chinese Josh.
What explanation have you to make" Mr.,
Faulkner asked. ''of this large dealing in |
thousand dollar bills in March,"
Probably $50 600 of those bills were |
collected by us from other banks in Helena
Il the request q our correspondent In |
butte
They were not Mr.. Faulkner asked.
bills that were in circulation and that
anne in regular deposits?'
They were not" the witness replied.
ID. o. Becker. clerk at the Helena
HOTEL was called TO the stand. $500
Dill. In possession of the committee. and 7
which was turned into the investigating
OF the Montana Legislature az
part OF the $4,000 bride money, has :
written with a pen on the back ID. o. B..
ina other signs and letters. Mr.. Becker
,ould not explain how his initials, got on :,
he bill. He did not write them, nor could !.
le recognize the handwriting, though he !.
aid 1t appeared familiar
w. X. Dollenty. Montana banker was =
allied TO testify as to the financial cond,- y
ion OF State Senator Tierney before and q
'fter the meeting of the legislature. but :
he testimony was unimportant f..
There was curious incident In connec-
ion with the hearing yesterday When
he committee had been called to order
senator Chandler asked IL anybody in the
Dom knew where Benjamin Hill or L. I.
Wright were stopping. No one did. III
an find them, ] shall detain them in the
ity." said Mr. Chandler
These men are from Montana They
anne TO Washington about the time the
inquiry was begun. II Is said that they
anne on subpoena from the committee