The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-16
SOME INSIDE HISTORY
REASON WHY SENATOR NELSON
REFUSED TO SPEAK IN
NORTH DAKOTA
DUE TO MOVES NOME TROUBLE
Minnesota Statesman Said to Have
Told Republican Leaders THAT He
Believed the whole Trnnsac-
ton Was q Conspiracy.
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
GRAND FORKS, n. D., Dec. 15.-Great
interest is taken in this state in the
trial of Judge Noyes for contempt of
court in connection with the Cape Nome
matter which has filled so much space
in the papers for the past year. Noyes
is an old Grand Forks man, though he
has not lived here for years. Alex Nc
henzle, who has already suffered at the
hands of the United States circuit court
of appeals, got his start in this state,
having risen from the position of section
boss on the Northern Pacific to that Of a
man of large means and national commit
teeman of his state in the Republican
national committee. R. N. Stevens, who
held federal position at Nome while
the transactions went on which have
caused SO much controversy, is also res
ident of North Dakota. having practiced
law=for years at Lisbon, and having been
a member of the state legislaturevf
Burleigth county.
The people Of the Northwest are fanlil-
lar with the stories which have been tod
about the connection of Noyes, Mckenzie,
Stevens and the rest with the Anvil Creek
mines 1t has been stated that Senator
Hansbrough was instrumental in having
the Alaskan bill passed for the express
purpose of putting his friends in pos
session of property which did not belong
to them. This, of course, is denied by
the senator and his friends, and there
has so far been no attempt made to
prove that the charge is true. But state
ments come from Washington to the ef'
feet that the whole matter is likely to
be taken up in congress, and that an
investigation of the San Francisco court
will be demanded If this is done there
will be a fight in the old city which
will interest the Oldest inhabitant and
more politicians than those from North
Dakota will take a hand.
During the last campaign Senator Nell
. son, of Minnesota, although earnestly re-
quested to do so, declined to come to
this state. On one occasion he was stop
ping at the Hotel Dakota in Grand Forks
while filling an engagement in East
Grand Forks He was asked by several
friends to make an effort to deliver at
least one address in this state, and he
finally told the crowd that he would not
do so, and gave some reasons Whica
were greatly appreciated by the few
Democrats present, and the prominent
Republicans in the party were glad he
quit speaking.
The reasons why he would not agree
to speak in North Dakota were connected
with the Nome scandal and he did not
mince matters in giving his views con-
corning it. He made the charge that
the whole thing was conspiracy to rob
honest and innocent men of their rights
and that in order to do so there had
been the most corrupt use Of official pow
= er. He implicated Senator Hansbrough
Mckenzie and Noyes, and said that so
long as the state was sin the hands of
the Phnistines" he wouldn't make a
speech here. as he could not do so with
out expressing his opinion on the plat
form as to the whole Nome matter
wa n ma q
summer between Nelson and Hansbrough
on this same subject, and 1t is said that
things looked interesting for time. 1t
is understood that the Minnesota man
is as ready now as he was then to dis
cuss this subject, and if the matter is
ever brought up in the senate the wise
ones look for fireworks.
Senator Hansbrough points to the fact
that Senator Davis and other well known
Twin City men joined him in asking for
the appointment of Noyes, ana asserts
that he has not been interested at any
time in the enterprises of which Nc
Kenzie was the promoter His friends
say that it is unfair to him to assume
that he was improperly connected With
the appointment Of Noyes when there
has not been any more evidence to that
effect than there was that Senator Davis
or any Of the other men who asked for
the appointment of Noyes were actuated
by improper motives
Stevens has been relieved of his govern
ment job but people who come from
Nome say that he is making money, and
is quite factor in the life OF the town.
He is a man of good presence. and was
always in demand where ford oratory
was needed. His speeches in the house
at the time of the lottery fight are said
to have been gems of eloquence, as he
pointed out the benefits which would
to no 81 ut tlE NTH Of n
franchise to the Louisiana company. Ills
oratory and the diligent work of some
of the leaders of that side convinced a
few of the weakened ones, but there
was a majority that stood like a rock
against the proposition, and the stale
has been obliged to worry along these
ten years without an official lottery.
Late papers from Melbourne, Aus