The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-13
COMPLETE HEARING
IN DEBT CASE
Gr.oIAL haste. 11rrIE1rnID
WILL HEAR ARoUlGDNrY IN
!. NEW FORK oCToBnR ..
WEST VlRClNlA'S CLAIM
ecnnnALLY BELIEVED THAT
STATE HAS NOT SHOWN ITSELF
HNT1TLED TO CREDIT
ASKED FOR.
WEST vIRCNlA'S CLAIM

Special Master Littleneld yesterday
afternoon completed the. hearing III
evidence in the virginia-West vir-
ginia debt case. The ending came
suddenly and rather Unexpectedly.
For more than ten days the State
Of West Virginia had been examining
Expert Accountant Hillman. who has
spent some time in this city in going
over all sorts Of records in an effort
- set up the contention Of West vir-
gfnia that 4ha- State had many on
ests to tho claim Of Virginia Just
how much these offsets really aggre-
GAtad 10 prob1ematich. Mr.. HillmAn
had . corps Of assistants with him
and they filled all sorts Of exhibits
ana statements.
Virginia placed on the stand hin
1le witness. Mr.. Potter. who has been
the case for Virginia. Mr.. Potter ex-
planned at some length all the facts
a. Waved by the State Of West Vir-
ginia and he was cross examined by
counsel for West Virginia
It was along about this stage OF
tho proceedings that the lawyers
representing the State of Virginia
Strung q surprise. The matter OF the
old James river and Kanawha canal
Was being discussed. West Virginia
~ up q claim to the effect that the
ats.s OF Virginia had disposed OF that
property and that no settlement had
been made with West Virginia In the
matter.
Read Letter From Mr.. Axtcll.
A letter from Decatur Axteli. vice.
president OF the Chesapeake and
Ohio. was read The letter said that
Il was true that the property had been
taken over by the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad. but he added that the
property was bankrupt. and had the
canal been sold 1t would not have
standing debts and the stockholders
would have gotten nothing whatever
In other words. that was an asset that
was worth nothing whatever
Counsel for West Virginia tried to
prevent the letter being made part
OF the record. but II had gotten in al
mos. before they knew II. Then they
asked that Mr.. Axteli be asked TO
come to the hearing and to make his
statcfnca. and he questioned, When
an attache OF the hearing sought Mr..
Axfcii ne returned with the informa-
ton that Mr.. Axtell had left the city
and that IL was not known when he
would return.
Mr. I.:ttlefield than declared that
II there was no further evidence to
be presented he would adjourn the
hearing and stated that argument In
the ease would be had In his Offices
In New Yc-k beginning october Z. 1t
was stated that another effort would
be made TO have Mr.. Axtell appear
and answer any and ali such ques-
t,ons as the State of West Virginia
might desire to ask him.
The hearing has been tiresome In
every way and the evidence already
presented Is said to have been covered
In the previous hearings. except that
Il was presented from another view
point. OF course, the master will
have to hear argument from counsel.
and he will later file his report with
the Supreme Court of the United
States. The master has decided the
CASE previously, and there Is a belief
that there Is not evidence enough to
convince him that his flrst decision
was wrong. West Virginia has at
tempted 70 Offset virEinia's claim by
counter claims. leaving n very small
balance in favor Of Virginia