Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-05-25
WILL PROBE BOOK FUSS
Man Claiming to be Ginn's Agent
interviews Henry Butts
ASKS MUCH, TELLS LITTLE,
advises Mar. Butts To Be Rstieene ard
Learns No Money Was Paid Board
by CHM Representative.

That a detective is Investigating the
Wilkinson Butts controversy. that ne
il in the employ of CHM & Co, and
that he is geeking Information as 70
whether the agent of CHM & Co paid
anything to the book board is the be-
lief of Henry Butts,
The facts from which Mr.. Butts de-
duces his conclusions run as follows;
One evening as Mr.. Butts was return
ing from drive and was passing INTO
his ward he was accosted by man
whose face he could not distinctly see
owing to the imperfect light, with the
remark that he had been out to see
him before but could not find him and
that he thought he would come out
again and suggested that Nr. Butts
drive in and unhitch as he wished to
talk with him.
Arouses Mr. Butts Suspicious.
After Mr.. Butts had hitched his
horse he went over to where the man
was standing. The latter introduced
himself as representative of CHM &c
Co. He said he had heard that Mr..
Wilkinson was desperate and he want
ed to warn the members of the board
who we're friendly to CHM & Co to be
very careful as to what they said,
After some desultory conversation
the stranger said that he understood
that to retain their books in the
schools. CHM & Co. would have to os-
erbid the American Book Company by
a large margin; that Mr.. Wegre, who
is the representative of the American
Book Company in this section had
turned in a large expense account In
which it was represented that he had
paid a large sum to the board.
Mr. Butts suspicious were aroused
by the manner and words of the man
and he asked him, 'Mr Wilkinson
didn't send you out?H
Il am no detective; | am the repre-
sentative of CHM & CO." replied the
man. He then asked Mr.. Butts to give
him a Letter of introduction to D. H
Stuckey, saying that he wished to get
from him a conversation that had TAX
en- place in his presence between Mr..
Weigle and Mr. Wilmuth, the state
representative of CHM & Co. relative
to the matter.
II struck Mr.. Butts as strange that
the man should come out to his place
which is distant FIVE miles from the
city. simply to get letter Of intro
duction to Mr.. Stuckey so he put an
end to the conversation by requesting
the man to say to Mr.. Wilmuth, 81
am ready at any time to furnish an
affidavit that Weigle never offered one
cent to me to vote for the adoption OF
his books and that it Is my opinion
that he did not give one dollar to any
member of the board to vote for their
books and you tell Mr.. Wilmuth that
If Weigle has misrepresented the
Berkeley county book board in this
way and attempted to defraud the
company that employs him by charg.
ing them up witha certain amount of
money which he claims that he had
spent with the book board doa't care
how roughly they handle him"
Talk Strengthens Suspicious.
Mr.. Butts belief that the agent of
CHM & Company has been charging
up amounts to the company claiming
that he paid them to the local book
board is strengthened by the state
ment of the man that it had cost $500
TO get their books adopted in two diff.
ferent places; that he had actually
paid out $780,
Mr.. Butts met Mr.. Stuckey this
morning and asked him whether nv
conversation had ever taken place In
his presence and Mr. Stuckey denied
that such thing had occurred.
Mr.. Butts encountered the man this
morning and he said that he thought
he could get along without Letter to
Mr. Sttyckpv