The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-27
PREPARING FOR A Fight
Mutual Fire Insurance Company
Controversy May Be Renewed.
Election of Officers Drawing Near
The ssOuts'' to Make an Effort to Be
Installed AEain-CIaims Made by
the Ex-Prexfdent and His Friends
MIR. Walkers Special Notices.

The annual election of the Mutual Fire
Insurance Company is drawing near
decision Of the Court of Appeals in the
case of the present officers Of the company
against Samuel H. Walker, Nathaniel VIII
son, ct al. is expected to be handed down
in a few days. perhaps next Tuesday or
the Tuesday following. Already the Wal
ker party, the outs have prepared an
immense amount of ammunition and have
begun to fire of secondary battery small
arms in the shape OF special notices :"
At the same time the present officers OF
the company though they refuse to talk,
are known to be making arrangements for
q most interesting move In the near future,
or as soon as the outs" have made any
important step.
1t is understood that Mr.. Walker. the
former president Of the company, and his
friends charge the present management
with gross mismanagement and intend to
carry the next election on this platform,
and failing in this to go to the courts
again. The present officers deny the mis-
management and point to the fact that
they carried the election last year as an
evidence that the stockholders of the COM
pany have confidence in them
The officers of the Mutual are the fol-
lowing: W. A. H. Church. President; L.
Pierce Boteler. Secretary: Nathan r. Mac
gill, Assistant Secretary; G.. T.. bearing,
Treasurer. and Franklin Barrett, Asses
sor. These officers were elected or claim
to have been elected year ago after
fierce battle Of ballots and words at the
office OF the company 902 Pennsylvania
Avenue, which at one time became so ex-
citing that the police were called in to
preside.
The contesting faction. headed by Mr..
Walker, then president, had made a great
effort to corner majority of the votes.
After the election il charged the winning
gal methods in securing proxy votes and
running the election machinery.
Mr.. Walker and his friends entered suit
against the officers to restrain them from
counting the ballots, technically, though
It was well known without a count which
had won according to the votes cast. The
suit for an injunction was denied by the
District Supreme Court The "outs" then
took the case to the Court of Appeals,
where it is now. All the arguments have
been made and the court is expected to
hand down its decision when 1t meets.
Mr.. Walker refuses to discuss his in
tentions regarding the Mutual Company
affairs except to refer to his special no.
tees" He states that he is restrained
from talking in difference to the Court OF
Appeals, which now has one of the Mu-
tual Company's troubles under consider
alton. He was seen by a reporter last
night, but refused 10 make any statement.
AT the Offices of the company yesterday
it was stated that nothing was known re-
garding ex-President Walkers intentions,
but that no attention was being paid to
him or his special notices.
II is generally understood that the outs
wish to be reelected. The charge made by
their friends is that when they attempted
TO make reforms in the management of the
company the present officers, who have al
ways held large interest In ii, secured
their dismissal by fraud. II is stated by
these friends that the present methods OF
the company ere inequitable TO stockhold-
ers. giving old policy holders great pc
cuniary advantage over later members.
One of the printed statements put out by
Mr. Walker recently is as follows:
'-The above named gentlemen 1.-THE Of
fcers Of the company have been offered
500 reward to reconcile the methods used
with ordinary bookkeeping and strike a
correct balance of the books. This offer is
still open to any expert accountant"
Another statement made by him is that
"some members of the company get more
than double the profit on their money that
others do