The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1916-05-19
NM LETTERS PROVE tlltYs
COMPLETELY m COUPON DEALS
Facing Imminent Exposure, Lily Makes Carried
.Confessioa Covering His Irregular Transac-
tons Directed His Cenfeaerates and Drove
Close Trade in Many Instances Get Busy
and Do Business" He Wired HUNTINGTON
Traffic Manager

In the State Auditors once. vas -
terested In the deal and wrote q letter
/ to Darling concerning the coupon deal
Just how many Of his clients Coz
pons Lilly and his agents purchased
below nifty" u not known The anal
decree under which the C. 4 o. rebate
coupons were redeemed was entered
in the Circuit Court Of Kanawha eoun-
, ty on July 81. 1919. II Was on that day
that Lilly wired Darling. who was then
1t Cass. Pocahontas county. to get
, busy" and do business" - shown by
telegram herewith reproduced. Yet
Lilly. In his speech at Huntington. II
quoted as saying that he purchased no
coupons after the case was decided.
the deal being made purely on . gam
bler's chance"
The decree was agreed to BY coun-
sci. the plaintiff and the said Attor-
ney General. A A Lilly. In his o6icial
capacity. agreeing and consenting
thereto" The decree created q CON-
mission consisting Of Mike r. Matho-
ny. B. H. Oxley and w. e. Deegans to
audit claims for coupons and OF which
Matheny. Lilly's close personal and 20
litical friend. was chairman az The
decree 1t was provided that the cou-
pons shall be presumed to be primo
faeie valid. and shall be held to BE-
prin,a facIe evidence of debt. and shall
be payable to the party holding and
presenting the same for redemption"
| With such q decree Lilly was certain
OF his game and therefore wired Oar
ling to speed up before II became gen.
orally known that . commission Was
ready to begin approving claims for
payment Of coupons.
The next day. August /. 1913. Lilly
cast a few bouquets in his own direc-
ton In a statement given out to the
press In which he said the litigation
had been settled TO the satisfaction
Of the citizenship Of the state" He
believed the plan Of redemption lust
and fair" and that II afforded q full
measure OF protection to the travelling
public" He closed by saying that any
further service that this ONCE can rem
der to the people will be
gladly rendered"
Further service," Why not say:
IF the people desire to be further plum
dered." or. III my constituents have
any more property guaranteed BY the
courts 1T full value which they are
willing to let me have below nifty!
II the Attorney General n 90 generous
with information he might advise his
clients the amount of prqrt - Rsds
Letters written Darling BY LiIly on
Notember IL. 1913. and on December
10. 1913. shows that the commission
was slow in auditing the Lilly-Wilkes-
Darling claims and that creditors were
pressing them. A letter written Do
cember 26. 1913. shows that one claim
amounting to $3.1s195 had been order
ed paid.
letter to Darling a. late ~ May
81. 1914. shows that there WAS some
disagreement over the division OF the
spoiis.
In the records Of the once of the
clerk Of the Circuit Court of Kanawha
county are the reports Of the connie
sion showing the amounts paid to cou-
pom holders. In those records appear
the following items:
Wesley Wilkes. Beckiey. s3.1s1.Ss;
same. 1910: ID. q. Lilly, Charleston.
Ss2S.so; A A Lilly. assignee. $3.50:
Gen A A. Lilly. S31-05.
From these letters and telegrams Il
can be plainly seen that Lilly. not
withdrawing his denial to the con
trary. not only did deal in the c. 4 o.
rebate coupons-that he transcked in
the property OF the clients he repre-
scented to his own financial gain and
their loss-after the case was decided
by the Supreme Court Of the United
States and by the Circuit Court Of Ka-
nawha county. bu that he was appar-
emily guided In those purchases By r.
vorable decisions and DEGREES entered
In those courts.
Counsel for the G. 4 o. asked that
the coupons be redeemed only from
the original purchasers OF tickets. LII
ly made the final decree especially
strong In this particular because 9th
erwise he would have been unable to
collect on the coupons OF which he and
his agents plundered his ciients-
The question for the Republicans OF
the state TO consider IL whether or not
a public oficisi. elected By the sovsr.
eign voters Of the state. Who takes a.
vantage OF his once. and the informs,
ton gained by virtue OF that once. for
his own personal gain to the dstrfmsnt
and loss OF the people Who elected him.
and who were hts clients In this suit,
IL . safe man TO elect - Governor q
the state.
n nominated and elected covernor
would Lilly use that once for his Own
financial gain regardless OF the rights
OF the citizenship OF the state,
Would he tip on TO his close psrsoa,
al and political friends ~sAvancs IN
formation" he might receive . Gov.
ernor I'm order that they niGnt make
money rather than protacf tn v<~ks~