The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-07-09
WHOLLY EX-PARTE
Is ~. ~eirs -vindieation- m tn
Material Municipal Review.

ffrom The Charlrstur po-ft
The National Municipal RevieW Is
quarterly published b the National
Municlfal League. anc the July nun
Der o. that publication contains a
indication of A. LEO Well A. Nr
We'll a. a member o. the council %
tue National Municipal Leaeue. the
article in the k.visw has much tha
force and eject o. vindication Of
MI Well b. himself a foot.note b
the editor Of the publication states
That TIE article vas prepared Al his
request by one Who has had access
10 the testimony and court records
and TO the various articles published
on the subject
Internal evidence would indicate
b that the anonymous one Who has
had access" etc. must be either one
I OF the numerous well-pald counsel
employed by the Manufacturers
Light and Heat Company 10 defend
Mr. We'll In the criminal courts OF
West Virginia. or one Of the equally
numerous newspaper men ENGAGED
on the job Of defending the company
and its counsel before the court Of
3 public opinion II the author OF the
I Nihdlcation' has had access 10 all
the apers IN the case. be has care
; iuily RETAINED from any attempt 10
explain or 10 "viudicate" certain
I Passages from a certain letter TO
/ which The signature OF A. Leo Wen
Is appended
II will be- recalled that Al a hearing
In Wheeling last March. Mr.. We'll was
] asked whether at any time or In auy
3 way be had ever authorized Kidding.
I er to make any offer or promise TO
the commissioner" TO which question
] the reply Of the accused attorney was
i did not authorize Biddinger
In any way. shape OF form to
make any kind OF a proposition.
Out on the contrary. told him in
the most emphatic language that
/ could command. that I would
not stand, nor would the company
stand for any kind OF payments
OF any kind or character"
mat was what Mr.. Well told the
court under oath at Wheeling. The
very next day he was confronted in
the same court with letter in which
! he had written to W. J. Burns as fol.
lows.
I'VE then discussed the whole
matter IN the presence Of 6iddin-
per and Mr.. Hoehberg and
] said to Mr.. Biddinser. he must
correct the matter with General
Elliott. and authorize him to
make definite proposition Of
5000 TO Elliott for his services.
| " he secured affidaVits from the
! two commissioners and that II we
obtained the sffidsVits, and they
thereby lost their positions.
would be willing to pay them
In answer 10 a question by counsel
Tor the state. Mr.. Well. who was again
on the witness stand under oath. re-
pied as TO the correctness OF this
quotation from the letter written bv
him to the head OF the Burns agency:
! think that was the language
substantially. according to my
recollection as contained in the
letter to Mr.. Burns
So far as the record shows Mr.
Well has never attempted to recon
Gle this statement contained in the
Burns letter read in court on Thurs.
day with his sworn statement in
court made on Wednesday that he
mad not authorized Biddinger In anv
way. shape or form TO make any kind
or proposition" and that he would
not stand, nor would the companv
stand for any kind Of payni ents OF any
kind or character"
Was there ever n case In which a
man on the witness stand more clearly
convicted himself OF authorizing an
attempt 10 bride a public officAI. and
then Of having perjured himself in
denying under oath that he had ever
authorized such an attempt?
The National Municipal Review may
regard its "vindication" OF Mr. Well
as complete. but the courts OF West
virginia are not yet through with him
nor with the corporation for the en-.
richment OF which ne has endeavored
10 discredit the agency OF government
through which the sttae regulates the
conduct OF public service corporations.
The vast wealth OF that concern Is
backing Mr.. Well and is resorting to
every known device to invoke the
laws delay in the trial Of the indict.
ment found by West Virginia grand
jury against this INDICATED municipal
reformer. When in the course OF hu.
man and legal events that case does
come 10 trial. Mr. Well may need an
other vindication from the Review.
European Russia possesses the
HIGHEST birth rnfa IA