The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-11
AUSTIN HAS
A MEETING
Fails to Get aVote
of Confidence
Through.
WILL TRY AGAIN
THIS MORNING
Ills Tale About the Missing Books
is Humbus-his Political
Scheming Exposed.

l
FRANKLIN Austin called a meeting Of
the trustees of the Francis Murphy As
sociation yesterday afternoon for the
hour of four There were present, be-
side Mr.. Austin, w. D. Bancroft, secre-
tary and treasurer; Mrs ]. M. Whitney
and Moses Nakuina. ]. P. Cooke was
J absent on one of the other islands and
W. H. Bradley did not attend Francis
Murphy, who is greatly chagrined and
disturbed by the Austin affair, was also
on hand. The exposure in the Adver-
tiser was theme of inquiry which
divided comment with this letter ad-
dressed by the directors of Murphy
Club No. /.
Editor Star:-In yesterdays Star 1t Is
said, on the authority of Mr.. Austin. that
| his desk had been broken open during
his absence, and that his books have
| been stolen. We desire to give a most
emphatic denial to that sweeping and
| serious accusation.
No desk has been broken open. and
L
of Francis Murphy Club No /, for the
very simple reason that the drawers of
said desk have never had any fixture to
lock them, and consequently have been
| always open, and books have never been
stolen for the still simpler reason that
Mr.. Austin has never been In possession
of any books, as president and manager
of Murphy Hall
The books that Mr.. Austin found
last night are nothing more than SUM-
dry bills, which Club Secretary Noyes
mad considerably taken away from the
investigation of prying eyes.
In justice to our. janitor, in whom we
place the greatest confidence. and to the
members of the board of directors we
respectfully ask you to publish the above.
| The BOARD OF DIRECTORS on
| FRANCIS MURPHY CLUB NO. /
| September 10, 1901.
| Austin was urgent to have no re-
porters at the meeting. Early in the
day he said to an Advertiser reporter
that the presence of newspaper men
was not desired; that, if any business
or Importance was done he would use
his judgment as to giving or withhold
ing the facts. AS soon as the trustees
got together he pushed a resolution
| through excluding the press and then
| launched into a philippe against the
Advertiser which. he said, had sand
| bagged him for personal reasons and
In an effort to kill the Murphy move
ment. AS to finances he may have
erred here and there as he had already
admitted; but that was a matter for
the subscribers to the fund and not for
| the Association to deal with. He be-
/ fieyad the S1bapriharc would onoarH
with "his Judgment and go on sub
scribing.
Rev. A. E. Cory wanted to attend the
meeting but was not admitted. Reply
ing to a suggestion that the clergy
should be invited to enter the Associa-
ton and help it out of trouble, Mr..
Austin objected strongly unless they
should agree to put in their time rails
Ing funds. The movement" did not
need more leaders; it did not need pray
ing for; but 1t did need cash.
Then the meeting reached the object
Mr.. Austin had in mind. He wanted q
vote of confidence from his directors to
''hurl in the teeth" Of the enemy. The
request led to considerable debate
Bancroft, who appears to be "cahoots'e
with Austin and who Is the Treas
urer' who keeps no accounts, was over
flowing with confidence in Austin and
Nakuina wasn't sure. Mrs. J. M. Whit
ney asked for time to deliberate and 80,
a consideration of the matter was left
until this morning at IL O'Clock when
Austin hopes to win Mrs. Whitney over
and make Nakuina solid.
After the meeting one of the Murphy
men remarked that pledge-signer had,
IN his disgust at the situation, returned
to drink and that Austin had threaten
ed If he was not indicated. to follow
suit
Another interesting fact came out
during the day. A clergyman reported
having heard of Austin saying that
when he got the Murphy clubs organ
lied throughout the group he would go
into politics with them as candidate
for senator. With such a backing at
the polls no party could refuse to give
him anything he wanted.
A great ado was made by Austin
over the discovery of his "books"
There were no books at all as the let
ter from the club directors shows; mere
ly few bills which a member of rhe
club had removed from Austins open