The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-10-20
IMPUDENT
AND FALSE
Boise, Idaho, October Z, 1916.

Boise, Idaho, October z, 1916.
Dear Sir:
The article in the Idaho Falls Times
concerning the Coffin claim is both
impudent and false. 1t was upon Gov
ernor Alexander's own initiative that
Tom Coffin was paid $3.50 for his work
as attorney in the collection of the
mortgage foreclosures in the land de-
partment.
Briefly, the story of the Coffin mat
ter is as follows: In December Mr..
Coffin, it was announced, resigned as
an assistant in the attorney gener-
ais office There is no such thing
as an assistant" attorney general
no provision for such an office by the
law, and the clerks in the attorney
generals office are known as assist
ants in the office.
One James Bogart had been en-
ployed by the governor at $40 a day
to secure evidence in the treasurers
office upon which to base the suit
in recovery against the surety COM
pany which wrote the bonds for AL
len and Coleman Bogart did not So
cure sufficient evidence to satisfy the
attorney generals office and Fred
M. Coleman appeared before the de-
pository board and stated that he
would make full breast of the sit
uaticn and would go over the books
in the trCasurer's office and indicate
the entries showing the loot of the
treasurer. He stated that he and AL
len had secured interest upon war
rants and that there were many other
items which would greatly increase
the total of the defalcations over the
amount that was shown in the cash
when Alex Ramstedt made his re-
port In as many words as the gov
ernor could, without saying so direct
ly, he promised Fred Coleman i'm
munity if he assisted the State in
making good it's claim.
The matter of bringing the suit and
securing the legal evidence in the
treasurer's office against the surety
company was referred to the attor-
ney generals office and the attorney
general employed T. S. Coffin to do
the work Coleman made a full coll
fession and gave to Mr. Coffin the in
formation upon which the State re-
covered the large amount from the
surety company.
The land board upon various oc-
casions turned over to the attorney |
generals office a 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
all State officials were out of the
city, lien was attempted to be filed
in the sum of $14,500 in the name Of
T. c. Coffin against the judgment rem
dered for the State, in Judge Nc
Carthy's court 1t is stated on good
that T. c. Coffin never
filed this attempted lien but that
brother of his filed the lien claim
while T. c. Coffin was out of the
city.
Governor Alexander was the first
Of the State house officials to return
home after the attempt had been
made to file the lien and he rushed
to the newspapers with the story that
he was standing between the people
and this exorbitant claim. So far
as that is concerned, Governor Alex
ander could not be of any service
20 the State in holding up the lien
claim as the lien was filed in court
and of course was matter for the
judicial department of the State gov
srnment, and was in no way connect
I'd with the executive department OF
The State government. Mr.. Coffin
lad never placed claim for services I,
n the Allen case before the deposit
ory board or the board of examiners.
When Attorney General Peterson
,ame home, Mr. Coffin appeared be-
ore the depository board and made
statement that he would not accept
payment for his services in the Al
en- case unless the payment was made
o him by the unanimous vote of the
depository board.
However when the money was turn
ID over by the surety company to the
ttorneys for the surety company to
,e paid to the State treasurer, Mr.
coffin renewed his attempt to place
lien upon the judgment and at that
ime added to the original claim for s
ervices as attorney, court items to
he amount of several hundred dol {
ars. Governor Hawley, as attorney {
or the surety company, desired to