Show CASE AGAINST CLARK Several Witnesses Testify as to Offers of Bribery SPEAKER STIFF ON STAND Ho Tells a Story of Being Apt I Ap-t 1 proached by a Representative of tho Senator and His Support Solicited Soli-cited Had Said that He Suggested Sug-gested 850000 as a Sum that Might be Paid for His VoteDid this However as a Play in Detective i De-tective Act Washington Jan GlIl Henry C Stiff Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives was the first witness In the Clark case before the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections today Representative Campbell of Montana L questioned Mr Stiff and his questions were directed to showing that the em Viarrussed financial condition oC State Representatlx McLaughlin had been taken advantage of by Senator Clark to approach him to secure his vote and also that Mr Stiffs vote had been Improperly Im-properly ssollcllcd HAD BEEN APPROACHED Mr Stiff stated that he knew that to 1 Mr McLnughlin was In distressed I to the financial circumstances prior I meeting of the legislature He also stated that he himself had been approached I ap-proached by William BIckford as a it representative of Mr Clark and his support solicited for the latter The questions bringing out this Information In-formation were all objected to by the defense vho IiuMsU that Mr Clark I must bf directly connected with all the I I transactions with which it was sought to connect his name The reply was tliat his connection would be sliovtii I ovor Mr Clarks signature LINE OF QUESTIONS The questioning of Mr Stiff was then I cii fld toward showing that Mr Hick ford had sought l In secure Mr Stiffs Rprcpj lo examine I t lip title of property l I 18 prop-erty lo hr pun based by Mr Clark from i Ct Mr McLaughlln for 25000 a part of Mclaughlins part I t tho t consideration on c c being BIckford specified that Mclaughlin Mc-laughlin should support lark for the Senate Mr Stiff tffUIMed to tin correctness cor-rectness of thin outline and added that ds Hlckford had told him that IK Stiff i ihoii1d 1 1 receive 500 for his i individual I frervlces when 50 would have been a I pood rep that his own vole was wanted for Clark and that ho should be put on Mr Clarks list of attorneys for a number 1 num-ber of years Mr l Blckfordhad Jn this o j connection exhibited a list of properly to be sold by l Mclaughlin with prices t to be paid which were in cxceso of the I value of the property and this property was afterward conveyed In Mr Clark f WAS TO 131 EMPLOYED J I I aJi Mr Stiff also stilted that the agreement I I PhWj agree-ment with McLaughlin provided that he vas lobe employed by Mr flnrk for I Inn years nt 24Qfl a your and that Mel Me-l I I ii had slrve heen I employed J III this connection Hi also said that McLaughlin c Mc-Laughlin had voted for Mark The witness stated that in another conversation with Mr BIckford a week prior to the meeting of the Legislature ji the latter had offered him 10000 If he J would withdraw from the contest for the Kpeakershlp and support Mr Clark 1 for the Sonatorahlp Mr Stiff also detailed de-tailed a conversation n with Mr A B Cook former State Auditor who had offered of-fered him 2001 to vote for Clark I made no definite reply said Mr SI Iff because I wanted Mo further investigate GI In-vestigate what was going on 1 told 1 him that It Mr lark really wanted toY secure my vole he could afford to paY > vl I more than SL0000 and suggested 0000 Y ki faying I did not want tills to PJP under rf stood as un offer on my part Mr of I Cook said he would see Clark and wr w agreed to meet again that day I did t not however see him again on this k subject lie also said that as Speaker I In selecting a committee of Investigation Investiga-tion In the hark mailer I he had not i known all the members selected were unfriendly to Clark WAS PLAYING DETECTIVE C1 Replying further to questions concerning tl con-cerning his suggestion of 50000 as the price Clark should pay for his vote he said 1 believe I was perfectly Justified Justi-fied In doing what T did I I considered e 37 I that a most outrageous crime was being C be-ing perpetrated l and I was willing to aol the part of a detective WHITESIDES STORY i Fred Whlteslde Montana Slate Senator Sen-ator from Flalhcad county testified that he had been approached prior to j I I ind after the meeting nf the Legislature 1 In the Interest of Mr Iarks candidacy I by John Nclll John B Wellcome and Imrlra W Clark a son of the Senator lie had seen Mr Wellcome by appointment HIER I appoint-ment In a room at a hotel at Helena I and had met there others of Mr larks friends He had also met Senator Clark who told him that Wellcome had wpokcn favorably of him Wlikcslde WHAT HIS PURPOSE WAS The Ural Intimation he had had that hlH support of Mr Clark would bo to hn financial advantage camo from Mr t t I Xelll Afterward Mr Wellcome had told him that his vote for and support I of Mr Clark would be worth 10000 He had operated with the supporters of Mr Clark for the purpose of exposIng I expos-Ing the corrupt methods which he was satisfied were being used to secure Clarks election He exhibiteda list of I the members of the Legislature whom Mr Wellcome and Senator Clarks son had requested him to see They had told him they were willing to pay 10000 toJ for any Democrat and more for the vole of J T Anderson of Meugber county f |