The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-02

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celved from Judge o'Brien after pay
mcnt had been made:
"Buckhannon, W. Va.
November 2, 1913.
Hon. H. b. Hatfield,
Charleston. w. Va.
My dear GOVERNOR
II beg to acknowledge receipt OF
your favor Of the 18th ult. in rela-
tion to your satisfaction of the Bid
dinger claim. Business matters com
PEELED neglect OF correspondence. 1
assure you that l highly appreciate
the kind of things you said OF me
in your public statement, and that II
will be my highest ambition and en-
deavor TO command not only your
respect, but merit your commentator
as well
Il. too, regretted that circumstances
appeared to demand your Interference
in this matter, but when saw that
the enemies Of substantial purity
and integrity in official affairs were
taking advantage of the differences
of judgment between the court and
the auditor and were so playing upon
public sentiment as to cause these
trials to lose salutary force and ef-
feet, felt 1t public duty TO call on
you to intervene.
Il am sure that all we'll meaning
men will commend you for your ac-
tion in this matter, especially when
the exigenncies of the case are more
generally understood.
Again, my dear governor, / thank
you personally and commend you Of
iclally for what you have done by
your act in the protection of the pub
lie veal.
II remain,
Yours very sincerely,
"(Signed) WM. S. O'BRIEN."
These letters, together with the ac-
tlon of the legislature of 1915, / am
sure will be sufficient explanation to
satisfy the most skeptical as to my
duty in this regard and refute Mr..
Cornwell's lying inslnuatIons that the
amount was paid for shadowing state
officials.
We'll Case.
Mr.. Cornwell further inquiries as to
a requlsition dated February II.
1915. for $4,000 paid out of the con
tingent fund for the expenses of in
vestigatlon in connection with the
criminal prose tlon of A.
Leo Well in the intermediate court
DP Eanawba cpupFr o1J atta,,zt. l..
show that 1 have been guilty of mis-
representation in this connection. The
$4,000 that was paid Mr.. Townsend
was done 80 upon the recommends
ton of a special committee raised by
the two houses Mt the regular SEES
sion of the legislature. The parties
who comprised this committee were
Messrs. Warren Miller, Wells Cody
koontz and ]. l.. Hatfield, of the SEN
ate, and Messrs. NJ. K. Duty, G. w.
McCauley and w. w. Hughes, of the
House.
This expenditure was likewise re-
ported to the legislature and was
made the subject. at my request, Of
a special investigation conducted by
special committee appointed by the
House Of Delegates consisting of three
Republicans and two Democrats. Mr..
Cornwell strongly implies that this
money was paid out by me for my
personal use or for other improper
purposes. For the purpose OF show
ing the utter disregard of Mr.. Corn
we'll for the truth wish to quote the
following statement contained in tho
examination conducted by the special
committee appointed for the purpose
Of investigating this expenditure. Mr..
I. G. Townsend. prosecuting attorney
of kRnawha county, on the witness
stand was asked under oath as fol-
lows:
THE Chairman: Mr.. Townsend,
WAS any part OF the $4,000 covered
by the warrant to which you have al
luded used by the governor himself
Answer: Not one penny OF 1t: every
dollar of 1t was turned over to me. !"
What Committee Found.
This committee. composed of
Messrs. NJ. X. Duty. Republican; w.
7. Talbot, Democrat; Charles A..
Slnsel, Republican; James r. More
land, Democrat, and ]. L. Wolfe, Re-
publican, after a thorough investiga-
ton into the expenditure, submitted
its report, which sustained the ex-
penditure IN every particular, and a
part of the report as adopted by
unanimous vote Of the House OF Dele
gatees as follows:
"C5) Your committee finds that
no portion of the said four thousand
dollars has been misappropriated or
used by the governor of this state
for improper services. but on the
other hand. we believe that under the
law and the circumstances then ex-
listing that tho governor was war
ranted In making the requisltion for
the said sum Of four thousand dollars
and causing the said money to be ex-
pended for the purpose of properly
protecting the states interests in the
cases pending in the intermediate
court Of Kanawha county against the
said A. Leo Well. wherein he ia
charged with attempting to bribe two
members OF the public service COM