The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-25
NEW ANTEHASKELLL LETTER:
1T HAS HIM PLANNING TO AID
TIE PRAIRIE OIL & GAS 90.

Atty..Gea. West Of Oklahoma Gives opt
Document From One Standard Ofl
Attorney to Another Telling Bef0re-
hand what Haskell Was Going to DO
Guthrie, Okla. Sept. 23.-The most
important development here to-day rels-
tive to President Roosevelt's charges
against Gov. Charles N. Haskell. In pre-
venting Attorney General West fRom
prosecuting the Prairie Oil and Gas Com
pany standard OiD. Is q letter alleged
TO have been written by w. A. Ledbetter
OF Ardmore, Okla, general solicitor In
Oklahoma for the Waters-Pieroe Oil Com
pany to J. D. johnson Of st. Louis. general
oounsel for the Waters Pierce Company.
given to the press by Acknowledgement
West. h"S =
This letter was written July IS. 1908,
while the suit by West to force the
Prairie Oil and Gas Company TO domesH-
cate before building additional pipe lines
in Oklahoma wa pending in the District
Court. It was written two days before
the suit was heapd in. court and four
days before 1t was decided. -,
1t shows oonclusively. according to
Attorney General West. that a conference
between, Haskell. Ledbetter and the
Prairie Oil and Gas Company attorneys
had been held in Guthrie during the
two days preceding the writing OF the
letter and a plan OF action decided upon
among them to defeat West. In this
connection, too, 1t Is understood that
johnson. to whom the letter was adj
dressed, had been in Guthrie himself q
few days before and In conference with
Ledbetter, II not With Haskell.
Johnson's presence In the State House
here was reported at the time.
The letter was q copy Of an original and
having been accidentally dropped was
given by the finder to West. He read it
In a speech at NARROW. Okla, August 10
last. The letter In unsigned. but shows
IL was dictated by "W. A. L.. which are
the initials Of W. A. Ledbetter. In intro
ducing the reading Of this letter at NARROW.
in his speech. Mr.. West said: :.
Here Ii a letter written by w. A. Led
better, the attorney for the Waters
Pierce Oil Company to I'D. johnson. the
general attorney for the Waters-Pierce
Oil Company, written two days before
this oass was to be decided In the lower
court, and from which we may be able 10
see whom the Governor is seeking TO
protect =.
The letter reads as follows:
Guthrie. July as. 1908.
sCol, u. D. johnson. 81. Loais. Mo-,
sMY DEAR Sir: ! have been here yes-
terday and to-day In consultation with
the Governor and attorneys for the Prairie
OIL and Gas Com pany in the controversy
with Attorney General West. The plan
which has been adopted 10 about a. n
outlined to you some days ago.
sThe Governor fled his motion or order,
directing the dismissal Of the oase reoit-1
ing the facts as~certained by the repre-
sentative sent by him TO investigate the
conditions in the oil fields and the neoes-1
sity for the construction Of the pipe line,
Thess facts were agreed to by the Prairie
Oil and Gas Company In it's answer. and
Il joins In the prayer for the Dismissal Of
If the District Judge dismisses the
suit my understanding Is that the Al.
torney General win appeal to. the Su.
prone Court. II the suit lie not dismissed
the Governor will apply for q wit Of
prohibition at noe
miss the action win come on for hearing
in the District Court Monday and I viii
wire you definitely a. soon as the motion
The Governor accompanied his mo-
tion-with o very strong document reoit-
ing In detail his contention a against
Attorney-General West. and his determi-
nation to protect the rights Of corpora
tions as we'll m individuals . long ~
they obey the law. This 10 very Inn
portant document and should have the
widest circulation among the voters
1t as soon V II 10 published.
The letter outlines completely the
action which was taken. The Cow
ernor failed In the District Court 10 yet
the West suits dismissed aRainst the
Prairie Oil and Gas Company and I'm.
mediately procured, as the letter said
he would. a writ OF prohibition from the
State Supreme Court stopping the PROSE-
cution below, and later the Supreme
Court decided that West had no juris-
diction whatever under the Oklahoma
constitution TO initiate court actions
in the States name without the Gov
FFhn .,uannfnn. IL tht. iskf~. A. IS----