Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1913-03-06
RESOLUTION EXONE
ATING HOUSE MEMBERS
FROM BLAME, IN THE NESS BRIB-
ERY INVESTIGATION.
Gist of the Testimony of Messrs
Divet and Twitchell.


Bismarck, Feb. i28.-Ben j. Ness,
Of Devils Lake, former druggist and
life insurance agent, was found gull
ty yesterday afternoon in the house
Of Representatives of attempting to
bribe members of the legislature in
connection with the killing of the
anti-snuff bill. He was remanded
to the county Jail until Saturday
night at o'clock, by the house. His
hearing in the district court on the
same charge will be had Saturday
and if found guilty he will be SEN
fenced to term in the pen.
According to the testimony taken
by the house, there was no guilt at
tached to any members Of the house
or senate, either this session or in
the session of two years ago.
A resolution was introduced in
the house expressing confidence in
the integrity, honesty and good name
of those members whose names had
been mentioned in connection with
Ness statement about bribery.
Rep. Divet, in his testimony be-
fore the house said that Ness impli-
Gated Rep. Thompson of Ward, who
was to get $500, Taylor of Mount
rail, Ryan Of Morton, and Norheim
and Stenehjen of Mckenzie. These,
so Ness alleged, were fright" and
could be ''fixed," but the testimony
showed that Ness probably had no
money in his possession that he could
have delivered, and his statements
to the effect that he had fixed" GER
tain members of the house were
without any foundation whatever.
He was simply talking for effect, ac-
bcording to the views of many peo-
] pie, and that Ness was never auth
orized by the parties interested IN
killing the bill to work for them,
but that he would like to have the
impression created that he was con-
nected with large business interests
and took this manner to show it.
Attorney Bangs in making a plea
for clemency stated that it was
fact that Ness had been in an intox-
icated condition for number of
days, and he did not believe that he
was responsible for his acts during
that time and also stated that it was
not right that stigma should at
tach to anyone on account of the
ramblings of q man in the condition
he claims Ness to have been in when
the : statements referred to we're
made.
At the morning session Divet tes-
titled that Ness had claimed to have
fixed" it with Senator Hookway,.
who was to get $1,000 whether or
not the bill was killed; Mr.. Thomp-
son who was to receive $500, and
Representatives Ryan, Miller and
Taylor, who were to be paid, but the
amount was not mentioned. Again
the house demanded the names of
those mentioned by Ness as having
been in on the "pot'' two years ago
and Mr.. Diyet said that Ness had
saids that these men were, Senator
LaMoure, who received $1,000, and
senator Hookway, who had been paid
$1,000.
Rep. Divet was questioned by Rep.
Buck, and recited his story of the
attempted bribery. He said that he he
and Rep. L. L. Twitchell had talked
the matter over with Ness at the
hotel down town. Ness had stated
that he had Rep. BARLEY lined up
and also that Ness claimed to be
agent for the snuff company, and
that others were working for the
detpat of the bill, among them Lee
Pettibone of Dawson, Atty. Sullivan
Of Mandan, and Atty. G. j. Murphy
Of Grand Forks, who were there to
represent the snuff lobby. Ness
said he had told Mr.. Rice, vice pres
ident of the American Tobacco COM
p4ny, that he could put the deal
across for him." and said Rice had
been in Bismarck several times,
only remaining short time between
trains. Witness testified that Ness
said he would give $4,000 to Divet
and Twitchell il they would kill the
bill, and that rPettibone was in pos
session Of the .money.An effort was
made for conference with Petit
bone, but Ness returned later and
said that Pettibone would come In
the morning" Ness said the price
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