The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1939-03-02
COMMITTEE ASKS
IMPEACHMENT OF
H. J. FREEB0URN
Continued from page y

\No1lIutueu from page -
open meeting follows:
February 81, 1889
MI. Speaker:
We, your Special Investigate
ing committee appointed for the
purpose Of investigating all ell
ective and appointive State
officers, offices, boards, bureaus,
departments, commissions and
institutions, wish at this time
to make a partial report on the
activities OF said committee.
Our committee was advised
OF various rumorS concerning
moneys which had been paid or
purported to have been paid
to q certain official of the State
of Montana as protection mon
ey by certain individuals desir-
GUS of installing and operating
slot machines in the State of
Montana.
The matter was referred to
a subcommittee for the pur-
pose of Investigating said rum
orS in order to ascertain whe-
ther or not there was any foun-
dalton therefor. The sub-com-
mittee subpoenaed and exam
ined a large number of witness
eS, and there Twas considerable
evidence produced which tended
to Substantiate said rumors, all
of which said testimony was
reduced to writing and is a part
of the records and files of this
committee. For the sake of bre-
witty we will not narrate in this
report the substance of the
testimony with reference to a
great number of rumorS, but
will confine this report to the
testimony relative to one par
ticular transaction.
The testimony before said
Subcommittee disclosed that
about the middle of January,
1887, one William McCrone, a
resident of Silver Bow County,
approached an individual from
the state of Washington who
was representing a novelty COM
pany, and informed this gentle
man that he was well acQuaint-
ed with the Attorney General
of the state OF Montana; that
he had known him for years,
and that if his acquaintanceshlp
with the Attorney General of
the state of Montana could be
of any assistance to this indi-
vidual or his company, he, the
said McCrone, would be glad
to introduce them to the At
torney General. A day or so
later he again approached said
representative and inquired
or not he would be
interested in going to Helena in
order to interview the Attorney
General, Mir. Freebourn. Said
representative accompanied him
to Helena and the Capitol
and Mr.. McCrone went
into Freebourn'S office. That
same day the representative
s ssfelbhohha his aIRf61 iq 2&adl&ed pR 1HaRRet thas1
or not he would be interested in
interviewing the Attorney Gen
eral. Later said representative
was informed that Mr.. Free
bourn would require a payment
of Ten Thousand Dollars in
cash to him if said novelty CON-
pany were to be allowed to OPP
crate slot machines in the state
OF Montana. The representative
immediately contacted his prin-
cipal and informed him thereof.
On the Goth day of January,
the head of the novelty COM
pany came to Butte, Montana,
and that evening gave to Nc
CrOne and delivered to him a
bank draft for Six thousand
six hundred Dollars, to be de-
livered to Mr.. Freebourn, the
Attorney General of the State
of Montana, as protection mon
ey for the right to operate slot
machines in the State of Mon
tana. The representative and
MIR. McCrone motored to Hell
ena that evening, but returned
late at night, and the prin-
clpal was informed that Mr..
Freebourn would not accept the
bank draft, but desired the
money in bills of small denom-
nations, and said bank draft
was then and there returned
to the principal. On the 3rd
day of February, 1887, Mr.. Nc
Crone and the principal and his
representative came to Helena,
and in the afternoon OF said
day the principal was intro
duced to the Attorney General
by said McCrone.
The testimony shows that Mr..
informed the owner
of said novelty company that he
did not run the Attorney Gen
erals office for his health"
that he was not a chiSeler or a
cheap skate, and that he
would give him a concession to
operate slot machines in the
state for the sum of Ten Thous-
and Dollars. That same after
noon the owner of said novel;
ty company handed to Mr.. Nc
Crone the sum of Three thous-
and four hundred Dollars in
cash, and Mr.. McCrone immed-
handed said money to
MIR. Freebourn. Mr. Freebourn
took the same and later went
down town to his apartment
with said parties.