The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-26
HEARING TO Be
HELD TOMORROW
Declares He can Free Him
self When Brought Before
Bar Of Lower Branch.
..
LOOKING FOR ra-.> s.
"MEN HIGHER Ufas;
Statements That Members. onicers and
Employees Are Involved in Move.
ment Against Anti .lufl Bill Will
Also Be Investigated.

has been bribery in connection with
the fight against the anti-snuff bill.
the house committee. appointed yes
terday by Speaker Frame to present to
the house such Information as may be
obtainable on the question, will make
an effort to expose such methods. The
committees particular duty Is to pre-.
sent evidence bearing upon the
charges of attempted bribery laid
against B. j. Ness. whose hearing will
be held tomorrow morning at 10
o'clock.
Last night the committee on injury
held a long meeting and they have
been in session almost continuously
today. They refuse to give any state
msnts Of their activities, except the
promise that the probe will be thor
ough. R. 8. Norheim of Mckenzie
county, one of the committee men,
bers. declared the committees inten-
tions at getting at the men "higher
up" II there are any. and to probe
the statement contained In the infor-
nation filed that members. officers and
employees Of the house are involved in
the movement to head of the snuH
bill.
In the meantime. Ness is being kept
in the custody Of the sergeant-at.
arms. He is securing q surety bond
for his appearance in the criminal
courts. where charges also are laid
against him. Ness claims that he will
be able to clear himself, when brought
before the bar Of the house tomor.
row.
Procedure Entirely New.
This is the first case Of it's kind
that has ever been brought before a
North Dakota legislature. 1t is q
question Of privilege, the members OF
the house having power to punish the
lature. by virtue of constitutional
limitation, shall expire.
In the event Mr. Mes is tomorrow
found guilty Of violating the rules OF
the house in Offering to the three
members any money for their sup.
port. he will be committed to the
Burleigh county Jail and held a pris-
oner until Friday night. March 2, at
midnight, which is the hour for the
adjournment Of the legislature. The
constitution makes provision for such
punishment. Had this affair happened
earlier in the session. that is. before
the thirtieth day, and had he been
convicted. he could only have been
held prisoner for thirty days.
Proceedings in the house are en-
t:rely independent of those brought
III lHc CFlIllludl COuIl VI ouIACIS ~
county, in which Judge w. L. Nuessle
is acting as committing magistrate.
Neither action has any effect upon
the other. In the courts he is charg-
ed with criminal violation. of law;
in the house he is charged with con.
tempt.
Information Filed Against Ness.
The full information filed against
Mr.. Ness by the house members,
Messrs. Divet, Twichell and Markell,
follows:
"To the House of Representatives Of
the state Of North Dakota and the
Honorable Speaker Thereof:
eve, the undersigned. members In
attendance upon the said house. do
hereby lay before you information
that on the 22nd and 23rd day of Feb
ruary. 1913, we were by one Ben Ness
solicited and asked to lend our aid
and support to the movement for the
defeat Of senate bill No. 90 commonly
known and referred to as the anti
snuff bill.''
No Offer Of Money Here.
"That the undersigned W. NJ. Bart
ley was not offered any specific or de-
finite amount Of money for his influ.
the said bill, but was assured by the
said Ness that IL he would lend his in.
luence to the defeat thereof. he would
be suitably compensated in money
THAT the undersigned l. L. Twitch.
ell and A. q. Divet were in direct
terms offered by the said Ness the
sum Of thirty-f,ve hundred (3s.bool
dollars for their influence and effort
in bringing about the defeat Of the
said bill in the house Of representa-.
tives, which sum the said Ness stated
he would pay in cash or deposit in
the hands Of discreet third person
for delivery to the said Twitchell and
the said Dewitt II they would promise
their influence for the bringing about
Of the defeat Of the said bill.
Claimed Members Are Involved.
"That your informants conversed
with the said Ness at several different
times and occasions. with q View to
fully developing his purpose and in
tentions in regard to the defeat Of the
said bill, and in connection with the
offers aforesaid the said Ness did dis
close Information to the effect that
several other persons not connected
with the legislative assembly were as
ISOLATED with him in the effort to cor.
rupt the members of the legislature
and bring about the defeat OF the said
bill communicating to your infOrmants
the names Of the said persons.
That the said Ness also in the said
conversat ations and negotiations. dis
closed and stated the names Of mem-
hers. employees and officers of the
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