The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-20
HEARING IN DEBT CASE
IS ABRUPTLY HAL TED
CHIEF Witness for West Virginia
Called Away by Illness.
of Wife.
BOTH SIDES FILE SCHEDULES
Septimius Hall Says Virginia VIII
Gain Little Even If II Wins, as
Profit VIII Go to Spectators in
Securities.

The hearing in the Virginia West
Virginia debt case, which WAS begun
last Monday before Special Master
Charles f.. I.jttlcdcld. has boon post !
rored two weeks Tho postponcmcnt
was granted Yesterday afternoon by
the special master ann ny mutual con
sent of all the counsel in the case.
Tho causc Of the abrupt halt To the
proceedings is the serious illncss OF
Mrs. Conway H. Hillinan, wife OF the
special accountant and chief witness
for West Virginia. When the hearing
was resumed yesterday morning the
court learned that MIR. Eiillman had dc :
parted for Chicago. having received n
telegram advising him that his wife
was in dying condition. Later in
the day Governor Hatfield. OF West
Virginia. who was attending tho sit :
tinGs. convcrsed with the physician at
tending Mrs. IIilnan. The executive
learned ovci the long distance tclc-
phone, that the patient was IN OK
tremis and might pass away even be
fore her husband reached her bed :
side In Chicago. Governor Hatfield
Is himself n physician. BEFORE his cleo :
ton he was medical practitioner.
When the situation WAS explained
all OF the counsel in the case concurred
in tho motion for recess. The ia
was devoted to filing schedules. which
will he later offered AS exhibits.
The Virginia and West Virginia at
torncys and the lawyers representing
the New York interests will give the
time intervening before the hearing
is resumed 10 other professional en-
Sagements. The expert accountants
who have peen called into the case
will remain in Richmond. Governor
Hatfield and others of the West Nir-
Ginia party returned home last night.
STATE WILL. RECEIVE LITTLE
EVEN IL VIRGINIA WINS
According To Scptimlus Hall. or the
West Virginia party. one Of the MAX :
crs Of the Constitution OF Nest Wiz
Ginia, and now a member OF the House
OF Delegates OF that State, the inter
est OF the State OF Virginia in the re-
suit OF the debt case is small He de
clares that the State will get little.
even i! West Virginia loses in the
United States Supreme Court. The
winners. he says, VIII be the bond /
holders. and he says the bonds are
sold for a song. in many Instances. TO
capitalists not resident In Virginia
The so-called West Virginia certi-
flca;es." he AYERS, were cast away by
the original holders az having no
further value. and were bought up for
q mere pittance. am prepared To
show that the certificates sold in the
open market as low as liz cents on
the dollar. Now they are quoted at So
cents.
'Nirgtnlans who imagine that the
State OF Virginia will profit largely by
the proposed recovery from West Vlr-
ginia because Virginia holds S2.745.-
46o.11 OF the so-called West Virginia
certificates TO the credit of her literary
and sinking funds arc Iaboring under
n Misrepresentation.
"All OF those certificates were wiped
off the slate by the court in its ten
tat!ve finding OF s7.lS2,507.46 against
West Virginia. There may he mere
moiety of them, | will say. The certi-
ficates held 10 the credit of literary
and sinking funds were the common
assets of both States. except $245,osS.51
purchased by Virginia since 1861. If
the tentative judgment of the court
were TO stand. Nirginia's interest in
the recovery would be 20 per cent Of
So45,293.6l. which is SlII,6SS.95. III
the proposition OF the West Virginia
commission Is upheld by the court.
then NirGinia's interest In the recov-
cry Will be only 90 per cent amount
ing In money to s5s,o59.70."