The age-herald., 1900-11-16
KNIGHTS OF LABOR
 WRITE THE PUBLIC
The Hayes Convention Gives Out a Letter-ParSonS Faction Elects
 Officers and AdjournS

The Knights of Labor held their two conventions yesterday but transacted no business of general interest to the public. The Parsons convention elected officers and adjourned to meet in Washington at such time as the general master workman may call them together. The Hayes con- yention will be in session several days longer
 The following statement, signed by every delegate to the Hayes convention, was given out last night:
 An Open Letter.
 ''To the Public-As a representative body, coming from nearly every section of the Union, to meet in the city of Birmingham in annual session we feel chagrined thatfor the first time in the history of the order of the Knights of Labor a period of thirty three years we are compelled to give req sons why we are here, and to make a pub lie statement, such follows:
 When the general assembly of the Knights of Labor met in Boston year ago, letters and telegrams from various commercial bodies, and city and State of ficials from Alabama, were read to that body by a citizen of Birmingham inviting us to meet here. We accepted the invita- ton in the spirit it was offered in those invitations.
 "Since our arrival here we find eight men who have heretofore been expelled from the Knights of Labor at various times, attempting to impose on the news papers and the general public of Birming ham by advertising themselves as Knights of Labor. It is therefore necessary to in- form the public of the facts. These eight men are reported to be John N. Parsons, who is an expelled ex-officer of the Knights of Labor, and represents no organized body of our order.
 of ,,,r1,or oil known here, and who is not a member of the Knights of Labor, nor has he been for some years, but who by misrepresentation foisted himself upon the general order as representing the Knights of Labor of Bir- mingham, but who has since been fully exposed and effectualy disposed of by the organization. OKeefe was expelled by the Knights of Labor of Alabama State Assem- bly, some years ago.
 Patrick McMahon, T. M. Healy. and M. Fitzgerald, eXmembers of the Knights of Labor, who purport to represent District Assembly 49 of New York. District Assem- bly, 49 is represented in the real assembly in Birmingham by MT. J. s. Holey. "E. E. Burley assumes to represent Ma tional Trade Assembly 135 Said Trade As semby has not a sufficient number of local assemblies to be represented at this gem eral assembly.
 w E. Carr of Washington, was ex- pelled from the order at Chicago two years ago under the auspices of MT. Parsons, with whom he is now associated in trying to prevent the organization from pursuing It's work. He appealed to the United States District Court in Washington before Judge Barnard, but that justice sustained the eX- puson of that gentlemen
 District Assembly 66 of Washington is represented in the general assembly in Birmingham by Henry c. Traphagen.
 "John Fernau, of Pittsburg, is a member or what was District Assembly No. 5, which was suspended some time since from connection with the order "Thia comprises the body of men which has been for three days imposing on the newspapers of this city with long stories of what they are doing and propose to do like the Three Tailors of Tooley street. They Erepresent only one district assembly In Pittsburg of less than 1,200 men, and the half of another district assembly. These men sometime during the past summer sought out an injunction in the United States District Court in Washington in an attempt to tie up the organization and get the property of the order from the hands of it's legal representative. Judge Barnard, of that court, refused their several applica- tions for injunctions and virtually, so far as 1t was at that time possible settled all the controversies in reference to the Knights of Labor. But not satisfied with this failure of their nefarious scheme they a short while since, attempted to prevent the general assembly from meeting In Birmingham by applying to the same court for a receiver for the order. That attempt also failed because Judge Barnard said that he would not take up the question until after the general assembly met Tn Birmingham. In spite of all these inJunc- tions, applications for receiverships false statements given to the press, and other things too numerous to mention, the gen eral assembly Is to-day in session in Birm- ingham, Ala, the home of District Assem-