The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-09-23
Attorney General Lilly Criti-
cizes Townsend for Not
OBTAINING Detective.


bribery trials to secure his witness
fees, when Attorney General A. A.
Lilly in letter addressed to Thomas
10. Townsend. criticised him for not
restraining Detective Guy b. Bid
'dinger, who was in Charleston Sat
urday, from leaving the state, and
thus compel him to testify in any
trials that may be held.
Under the law nonresident can
not be brought TO this state to testi-
fy. Attorney General Lilly and
State Auditor j. S, Darst blocked the
payment Of Biddinger's bill which
was approved by the judge Of the
circuit court OF Webster county, and
declared by him to be a reasonable
charge for services rendered as a
witness.
In his statement Lilly says bid
dinger, who claims New York City
as his residence, was in attendance
at the trials but fifty-o4e days which
boosts the average from sec a day
to SIS per day,
Biddingers first trip to the state
to testify was OF short duration, the
case being continued at the request Of
the legislative bribers themselves
when they demanded and received a
change Of venue from Kanawha
county.
Detective Biddinger stopped on
here last Friday night and Saturday
on his way from Cinclnnati to New
York, from visiting his mother in
the former city. He stated while
here that his agency had rendered a
bill for appearance as witness; that
the bill was correct, and that 1t
would not be out a postage stamp;
that If those who were blocking the
payment of the hill by the state OF
West Virginia thought the Burns de-
tective agency was in the grating
business they would learn they had
another guess coming. He stated
that the Burns agency would lose
nothing because the prosecuting at
torney had guaranteed the bill,
whatever it would amount to, before
he came to testify.
In his statement Lilly persisted in
his declaration that Biddinger fur
nished his services to Colonel w. s.
Edwards for s25 per day. Bid
dinger was employed by Prosecuting
Attorney Townsend, and the bill
paid according to the evidence in
the bribery trials by Edwards and
Governor William e. Glasscock. Bid
dinger's bill, including the service
of two additional men for several
days on two different occasions, and
which was paid by Edwards and
Glasscock through Townsend, as
testified to in the trials was $500.
Biddinger, according to the testi-
mony and not questioned, came to
Charleston on January Is and left
on February IN. fmediately following
the arrest of the legislators for hav-
ing accepted brides.
The following Is the answer of At
torney General Lilly to the letters OF
the prosecuting attorney of Kanawha
county, in regard to the Biddinger
claim of four thousand dollars, for
witness attendance in the bribery
cases recently tried at Webster
Springs.
Hon. T. C. Townsend. -
Prosecuting attorney.
Charleston, w. Va.
Dear Sir:
Your favor of the seventeenth in
slant to hand, and contents fully
noted. I also see the same in the
state press, Notwithstanding the fact
that in your former interview you
stated you did not seek notoriety or
newspaper controversy.
May I suggest that Il think It
would be more becoming in officials
of the law, where there is a legal DIS
agreement, to have such disagree
ment settled in a legal and orderly
manner, rather tlaR descending into
personalities and newspaper contro-
versy, which in no way can affect or
adjust such differences.
While do not know what the
supreme court would decide in the
matter, / have my convictions as to
the legality of the Biddinger claim.
and would cheerfully and willingly
submit to the courts decision,
whether favorable or adverse to my
contention. VIII you kindly do like
wise?
AS to what shall do in regard to
the prosecutions I beg to advise, as
heretofore stated to Mr.. Woddeu in