sci:
Paintsville, Kentucky,

w December 19, 1958

R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Attention: Mr. P. Frank Hanes

Referring to your letter of December 15th regarding Earnest Wallen
of Blue River, Ky., I first went to see Mr. Forrest D. Short, Attorney,
Prestonsburg, Ky. He did not seem to know very much about the case,
and he asked me to see the claimant. Mr. Waller showed me the tobacco
in question, which is a ten cent cut of Day's work. It had been handled
so much that I could not see any place in the tobacco where any foreign
body had been imbedded in it. However, he did have a Small object about
the size of a ten cent piece that looked like the head of a spider or
some other insect, which was covered with tobacco licorice, etc.

Burl Spurlock, merchant at West Prestonsburg, said when he cut the
tobacco open there was about two forked pieces in it that resembled the
legs of some insect, about one inch long each. He also said that the.
claimant cut a small piece off the corner and within five minutes he was
trying to vomit, and was pretending to be very sick, and wanted to be
taken to the hospital. Mr. Spurlock took him to Dr. J. G. Archer,

, Prestonsburg, Ky. This doctor told me he did not recommend sending him
to the hospital at that time, but Mr. waller came back to see him the
next evening claiming he was in a critical condition, and Dr. Archer
agreed to take him to the hospital. He went to the hospital on December
2nd and left December 6th. 1

I saw Dr. Vernon, head surgeon at Beaver Valley Hespital, Martin,

. Ky. He said he was not at the hospital when claimant was admitted for
medical attention. He and Dr. Archer said they could not truthfully say
it was something in the tobacco that caused claimant's illness. They
also said that it could have been this. ,

The claimant has been working on the W.P.A. for about three years.
His salary is thirty cents (50¢) an hour, averaging about thirty two
dollars ($52.00) each month. He is thirty years of age, and lives on a

« small farm which he rents from Samuel Hale, Blue River, Ky. This is a
small place back in the hills of Floyd County about six miles from
Prestonsburg, Ky. He is now back at work on the W.P.A. He said this

, illness has affected his heart, nerves, and stomach, and he does not
think he will get over it. However, he looks healthy to me, and both
doctors told me they could not see how this illness could affect his
health in the future. The claimant wants a settlement of fifteen thous-
and dollars ($15,000.00) and disability. '

I went back to see Mr. Short, the attorney, and he was very much
surprised at the amount claimant was asking for settlement. Mr. Short
is the County Attorney of Floyd County, Ky.

BurlSpurlock, West Prestonsburg, Ky., said that the foreign substance
was in the tobacco when claimant cut it open.