The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-04
THE FACTIONS MEET.
Methodist Brethren in Controversy
Over Stock Issue
lin THE ORCHARD BEACH CAMP
MEETING ASSOCIATION.

ting On an Equity Ease helatlng TO tne
Recent Change of Controlling Interest
in the Old Orchard Camp Ground-se-
rious Allegations.
The inside workings of the organization
which controls the campmsesimg grounds
at Old Orchard were exposed to public
view In the Supreme court room yester-
day. An equity case, which materially
concerns the relative standing of the two
factions in the Orchard Beach Camp
meeting association, WAS the action in
hearing before Judge Haskell. The COM
man and Fred H. Pitman of Somerville,
Mass, representatives Of the Irving j.
Brown estate, and the defendants are
Rev. Israel Luce, president Of the assooi-
alton, Rev. DR.. D. B. Randall, its score
tary, and Moses G. Palmer of Portland,
it's treasurer The petition ia brought
with view to securing from the court a
degree annulling the action of the de-
PENDANTS in issuing of new stock In the
association, whereby the Irving Brown
heirs lose the controlling interest, which
they for several years held, In the affairs
of that corporation.
The attorney Of the complainants is
William II. Moulton, Esq, of Portland,
while Messrs. Il. and w. j. Knowltan of
this city are guarding the interests of the
defendants.
The association was incorporated In
1874, and its sole object, as set forth in
the preamble of it's bylaws Is: "To
provide, improve and maintain suit
able grove and grounds. with appropriate
surroundings, for the holding of camp
and other religious meetings. for the pro-
motion of scriptural holiness and the
conversion of sinners, according to the
doctrine and wages Of the Methodist
Episcopal church in the United States of
America. -
The capital stock of the CORPORATE on
was originally placed at $40, 600, divided
into four hundred shares Of the par value
of $50 each. Subsequently the capital
stock was reduced TO $4,000, and the par
value of the shares to $40 each. Less than
half the shares had been sold at the time
when the disaffeotion, now SO plainly In
evidence. first crept into the inner ooun-
ellis of the association.
The complainants. bill sets forth at
great length, these sensational allega-
tions:
That In 1894, the defendants, being a
partial board of directors, neglected and
rnP,ood to ouJ1 a rooulap animal pootiuo
of the shareholders, and thereby con.
tinued themselves In Office, they
managing the affairs of the corporation
for the year without authority and with
out accounting to any one.
That Messrs Luce and Palmer had
ceipts for shares without vote Of the as
ISOLATION; and notwithstanding this
agreemenJ, the three dsfendants, just be-
fore the 1855 annual meeting, without
any vote or authority from the corpora
tion, and without any financial excuse,
there being then a surplus in the treas
ury, fraudulently and for the sole pur-
pose of watering the stock, and thereby
continuing themselves in Office" issued
and distributed slndry shares of new
stock to these parties, who were in collu-
sion with the defendants, and voted with
them in the meeting. Fred /. Luce and
Arthur l.. Luce, sons of President Israel
Luce; franklin H. Hazelton, SON In. law
of President Luce; Mrs. Martha ].
Palmer, wife of Moses @. Palmer; Emma
Randall, daughter of Rev. Daniel B.
Randall; Wesley L. Lee, Julia G. Duran,
William A. Blackman, Rev. Hezekinh
Chase, Rev. John NJ. Woodbury., Anita
Chase, Lorena Woodbury. and Rev. True
P. Adams.
That committee of members inyesti-
gated the affairs of the association relat-
ing to the issuance of new stock. and
subsequently reported that in their
opinion the issue was fraudulent and
void, and recommended that action be
taken to cancel the new shares. This re-
port was adopted by majority vote of
the directors, but the secretary, Rev. D.
r Rainfall rafnsed tn record the vOta