Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-17
CHARGES AGAINST PowpERLY.
sensational Statements Made by sec-
retnry- Treasurer Hayes


According to the Philadelphia Times yes
terday's session of the Knights of Labor "a
Philadelphia was an exciting one. secre-
tary-treasurer Hayes charges against Gen.
eiaI Master Workman Powderly and the ex-
ecutive board were read and discussed with
Nigor- Mr.. Hayes charges that the three
controlling members of the executive board
Messrs. t. V. Powderly. A. W. Wright ana
John Devlin, established and printed and
circulated and solicited advertisements for
a publication known as the Labor Dav
Annual" printed for the personal enrich
ment of those three members
Every other page of this publication con-
tained an advertisement, and not one 40
cording to Mr.. Hayes report, had been ac-
credited on the cash accounts of the
knights.
Mr.. Hayes report asserted that the An
nual. which was not authorized by the
knights. was intended to produce a yearly
and perpetual dividend TO the three in con-
troll OF the executive committee.
1t was further charged that the adyer~
Using man of this Annual was the notor1-
Gus H. Granville Gray, who ha. already
been in prison, his latest known criminal
act being the robbery Of two women, one
of whom he had made his second wife
The report further showed. according to
an interested delegate, that checks had
been forwarded from leading politicians OF
the country, ostensibly for advertising fn
the Journal, which advertisements had
never appeared.
These checks footed up $1,000 The names
of the politicians who forwarded them are
stated TO be in Mr.. Hayes report
The report further alleged that ali the
time that the majority of the members Of
the executive board, Messrs. Powderly.
Wright and Devlin. were getting up this
Labor Day Annual the first was drawing
$500 per annum and expenses from the
knights of Labor and the latter two 81 per
day and expenses from the order
IL was moreover shown that Messrs. Pow
DERBY and Wright were prominent members
OF an institution. now defunct. known a.
the Accident Claim Association. This cor
poration once had it's headquarters In the
DreNel building. Terrence V. Powderly and
A w. Wright. both of the executive COM
mittee, X. of L.. were respectively director
and treasurer. 1t was shown, according TO
the report. that this organization was es-
pecially gotten up. in vulgar terms. TO
work the knights"
The next exposure was that OF the colony
scheme named by Mr.. Powderly in his ad-
dress, The Homestead Plan"
The plan, in the language OF a delegate.
is to furnish each member with "a doe
| house and a lot of wind in some southern
| swamp in return for an assessment Of 90
| much per member and a release Of the
Knight interest IN the orders property.
Another money-making scheme of the
executive board is one by which the MEM
bers agree to buy provisions to the extent
| OF 500 from certain dealers named by the
| board and get in return a lot Of land and q
| life insurance policy.
1t was shown that the official printing
| office of the knights was used to run of ali
| the letter heads envelopes circulars &c,
| necessary to these outside schemes ana
that no charge was made for the work
| Congressman John A. Davis at the close
OF the reading Of the secretary Urea surer's
report. is said TO have had a severe attack
| of nausea.
| Congressman Davis" said knight 'fs
| an honest man, but a member OF the ex-
| ecutive board. He is too busy a man to
bother with its details. and the report made
him sick"
| There were twenty-one charges I'm Mr..
| Hayes report besides those named
| The rest of the session was a lively one.
the friends of those accused doing their
| best 20 refute the charges, their efforts be-
l ing greeted with alternate jeers and cheers.
| The ieers were, according to the Times,
In the majority, and a leading knight lsss
| night said:
! The knights are not dead. Don't You
| believe II. There are brziny men in the
order as PoNderly. The order was before
Mr.. Powderly and will live after Mr.. Pow
| Derby"