Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-03-06 | Page 2 | Asked to Account for Cash Paid Out

ASKED TO ACCOUNT FOR fflPI OUT President of Coal Operators Association Accused of Squandering Funds. KANSAS CITY, March 5. Charges of making unwarranted payments amounting to "not less than $10,000" of the 'funds of the Southwestern Interstate Inter-state Coal Operator' association, are contained in u suit in equity Mod .in tho circuit court here today against Charles S, Keith, president ot the association. The action was brought by four coal companies of Port Smith, Ark., known as the Bacho-Dcuman interests. . The petition of the coal companies, all of which are members of the Operators' association, aska that t resident resi-dent Keith be ordered to account, to the association for tho funds, and states that thev were "unwarranted payments; pay-ments; that the association received no consideration therofor nor benonts therefrom: that, they were iorcigu to tho associations purposes ana wnoii unauthorized by it.t" ... ., , The four companies bnngingno suit aro the Prairio Creek Coal Mining company, com-pany, the Mammoth Vein Coal com-panv. com-panv. tho Coronado Coal company and fhoKali-Iula Coal company. P. Bncho of Port Smith is head of all four. Mr. Smith is president of the Central Coal & Coko company of this city, and lives here. The association of Cool Operators, which ho heads, covers the states of Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Concerning the suit Mr. Keith said. "Prior to the filing of this wit Mr. Bachc was accorded and himself ot tho opportunity to mako as thorough au examination ex-amination of tho books of tho association associa-tion as he desired. Further than this 1 havo nothing- to say." Four specific payments amounting to a total of $8000, which it is alleged Mr. Keith paid out without tho.authonty of the association nrc cited in the petition, pe-tition, and the general statement is mndc that "other amounts" bring the total of alleged unwarranted payments up to $10,000. . . Through his attorney Mr. Keith said the specified amounts were repayments of fniids advanced to the association on notes indorsed by tho cxecutivo committee commit-tee of the association. Mr. Keith has been president of the Operators' association since Juno, 3011. He ia rated as a millionaire