Document 0gvDrYQnrZ2nNVbb6Q4VZ4NEJ

flOPt * '* -s- / v . : . / C w ; : ' / . - . ' - - . ; '' '. ` >' ' BTH3X* GASGLUJE CORPORATION 305 South Kenosha Avenue , - ' . ' ' . . - TULSA OKLAHOMA 1 )d ab o r 1 9 S4 * Mr T* E Ronatx Subjectt Advertisement la Okmulgee Tribune Sear Team* Hr Gordon Granger* superintendent of the Barnsdall refinery* Okmulgee* Oklahoma called my attention to the advertisement attached to this letter The substance of the advertisement* as you can see from the copy* is that C* W. (Bill) Bennett swore before a notary public that he had contracted tetraethyl lead poison ing and that recently an employee of a well known automobile service station at Okmulgee had died of tetraethyl lead poisoning The purpose of this advertisement appeared as a testimonial for the Model Drug Store at 215 East Main Street* Okmulgee* -who are pushing the sales of Flood* Ointment* as a skin salve I went to Okmulgee and called on Hr* Flood* a very elderly gentleman who told me that he knew nothing about tetraethyl lead poisoning and all that he was attempting to do was to promote the sale of his ointment Hone of the literature at the Model Drug Store makes any reference whatever to tetraethyl lead 1 then looked up Mr C. W. (Bill) Bennett*the district agent for the Deep Rook Oil Corporation at Okmulgee and author of this testimonial* and asked him. what the purpose of the ad was Bill told me he had nothing in mind at all except to do a favor for Mr Flood* He said that C. I* O 'Heal a notary came to him with the idea of oollecting testimonials on Flood* Ointment saying that if he oould get one he could sell some space in the! Okmulgee Tribune and evidently mske a commission on the deal* and all that Bill was trying to do was be obliging to'his friend . ' . i .. 'i ^ i Bill Bennett has a very good reputation in Okmulgee having been a former Continental agent* a Dialer obber a sponsor of the Boy Scott movement and a prominent Legionnaire in this CoaHtanlty* and a'such told me that he was very sorry the thing happened and was merely stating That soraebody had told him* Xn other words* in a moment of irresponsibility he had ust dictated the testimonial without reading it over or really being given an opportunity to read it over or check the copy that appeared in the newspaper . . ... .^ / ' With reference to the statement made in the article that **An employee of a well known automobile aervloeatatlonofOkmulgee had recently died of tetraethyl lead poisoning?* inquiries developed the fact that an individual by the name of Jimmie Chouse had contracted a fatal infection some four or five years ago and had been treated in turn by Dr E. D Rodda* who has offices in the Commerce Building at Okmulgee* The doctor Is a graduato of several medical colleges and gives the appearaaoe of being a very osapetent physician* HO confirmed the fact that Simml Chouse was a patient of his but told me that a pimple on his face had developed into a strentoooool.infeotion* which in turn had proved fatal Cultures were made of the e e m / -: which will provebeyond all doubt the oasse of Hr. Chouse* dtaise. js? gf Dr* Bodda also toldiae that h e w a s treating Bill Bennett for an infected hand* Sill evidently had an abrasion.Kt the akin which in turn became ccmtaminated, but Dr Kodda told as that on no condition oould it be confused -with lead poisoning. Dr, Eodda also told me that he knew the sgfgtca of lead poisoning t o b e similar to those of painter*a oolio and he is not responsible for any of the statements made by Bill Bennett : -, - '- ; As can be seen front ^ e newspaper clipping, the Deep Roclc Oil Corporation is also mentioned by name and Mr, Bennett is very apprehensive of the reaction to all of this by the Deep Bock* main offlee in Oklahoma City, 3s told ms that Flood would Immediately stop using this clipping to further the sale of hie ointaaeat, that he would lay the matter before his district superintendent and whatever the oil company deemed advisable to correct the xaisimpreaslon wouldbe oarried out, Bennett realizes that in a moment of irresponsibility he has pieced himself in an embarrassing situation and anything he can do to alleviate the situation will be satisfactory to him. Yours very truly, hb/ra (Signed) Harry Kuhe RA ' : . s- '' ... iifi. .1 ........ -V. ^ :'t- ' KB 0 o i ^ 14S ' . . < X;.'