The Caldwell tribune., 1916-10-13
BARKER REPLIES TO THE
ALEXANDER CLAIMS
ON COFFIN

BOlSe, luanO, oCt. /.-DcaT OF ne
article in the Idaho Falls Times con-
cerning the Coffin claim is both inn
pudent and false. 1t was upon Gov
ernor's Alevander's own initiative that
Tom Coffin was paid $3.50 for his
work as attorney in the collection OF
the mortgage foreclosure in the land
department.
Briefly, the story of the Coffin mat
ter is as follows:
In December Mr.. Coffin, it was an
nounced, resigned as an assistant in
the attorney generals office. There
is no such thing IS an assistant attor-
ney general-no provision for such an
office by the law, and the clerks in the
attorney generals office are known as
assistants in the office"
One James Bogart had been en-
ployed by the governor at $40 day to
secure evidence in the treasurcr's Of
flee upon which 10 base the suit III
recoverey against the surety company
which wrote the bonds for Allen and
| Coleman. Bogart did not secure SUI
ficient evidence to satisfy the attor-
ney generals office and Fred M. Cole
man appeared before the depository
board and stated that he would make a
full breast of the situation and would
go over the books in the treasurer's
office and indicate the entries showing
the loot of the treasury. He stated
that he and Allen had secured inter-
est upon warrants and that there were
many other items which would greatly
increase the total of the defalcations
over the amount that was shown i'll
the cash when Axel Ramstedt made
his report. In as many words as the
governor could without saying so di-
rectly, he promised Fred Coleman i'm
munity if he assisted the state in max,
ing good its claim.
The matter of bringing the suit and
securing the legal evidence was re-
ferred to the attorney generals office
and the attorney general employed
1T. c. Coffin to do the work. Cole
man made a full confession and gave
to Mr.. Coffin the Information upon
which the state recovered tine large
amount from the surety company.
The land board upon various oc-
casions turned over to the attorney
generals office number of fore
closures upon overdue loans in the
land department. After Mr.. Coffin
had finished the work of obtaining his
evidence in the treasurer's office. Mr.
Peterson turned over to him the fore
closure collections.
In the latter part Of July, while al
state officials were out of the city, a
. lien was attempted to be filed in the
, sum of $l4,500 in the name of T. c
Coffin against the judgment rendered
for the state, in Judge McCarthy's
court. 1t is stated by good authority
that T. c. Coffin never filed this at
, tempted lien but that brother of hi:
{ filed the lien claim while T. c. Coffir
, was out of the city.
!, Governor Alexander was the frs
of the state house officials to return
home after the attempt had been made
} to file the lien and he rushed to thu
= newspapers with the story that he wa
t standing between the people and thi
exorbitant claim. So far as that i
concerned, Governor Alexander coulc
8 not be of any service to the state il
, holding up the lien claim as the liel
was filed in court and of course was
matter for the judicial department o
the state government and was in NJ
: way connected with the executive de
!, partment of the state government. Mr.
Coffin had never placed claim TO
" services in the Allen case before th'
depository board or the board of ex
aminers.
When Attorney General Peterson
came home, Mr.. Coffin appeared be
!, fore the depository board and mad
:, statement that he would not accep
!, payment for his services in the Allel
case unless the payment was made t'
him by the unanimous vote of the de
e positorv board.
f However, when the money wa
: turned over by the surety company t.
D the attorneys for the surety compan.
to be paid to the state treasurer, Mr.
Coffin renewed his attempt to plac
e lien upon the judgment and at tina
4 time added to the original claim TO
n services as attorney. court items to tn
: amount of several hundred dollars
S Governor Hawley as attorney for tn
company desired to turn over tn