Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-10
A. N. P0|IER'S DEFENSE
Former President OF Ancient Or.
der OF the Red Cross Makes
a Statement.
Declares Downfall OF the Order
Due to His Incompetent
Assistants.
-----
Also Denies the Claim That He
is observation-disclosures
Blamed.
Special to Times Republican.

Waterloo, Sept. 1O.-Hon. A. NJ. Pot
| Order of the Red Cross Society, with
| headquarters at Waverly, makes a
statement of his side of the controver-
sy which has arisen between members
| of the order and the Bankers Union of
Omaha, Neb with which Mr.. Potter is
now connected.
In his statement Mr.. Potter goes over
| the history of the Red Cross, showing
| it's early struggles for existence, and
| declaring its downfall due to incom-
| potency of men whom he assisted, but
| whom he charges grated the order
right and left. He denies the charges
brought against HON Of attempting to
wreck the Red Cross and characterizes
them as lies. He also detieS his aSail-
ants to find any sign of a criminal act
on his part, in his connection with the
order or any act which was not fully
justified To the claim that he is de-
faulter Mr.. Potter gives the lie direct.
His statement is sensational in the
extreme, and strenuous in its language.
He says in part:
II am styled a defaulter. If so,
should be prosecuted. I came from Ne
braska to Waverly to be on the ground.
and can be had at any time. The ma
liciousness with which these charges
have bene made is equalled only by the
cowardice of the conspirators who in
spired them. I frankly and willingly
admit that my accounts with the Red
Cross became mixed. My all sufficient
excuse is that If my detractors had
fairly shared with me the burden of
successfully organizing and developing
on rorder, for which they were receiv-
ing munificent salaries, / might then
have had time to attend to the details
of office bookkeeping. But they did not
And l. not the order,was the loser there
by. The books had not been audited for
nearly three years. I knew my account
was badly mixed and at board meet
ing requested that expert accountants
be secured to audit the books and stat
ed that l wanted to know where / was
at, that of the order owed me anything
l wanted it, and on the other hand If /
owed the order anything would pay
1t.
IF l was defaulter, why was paid
$1,000 to resign as president? My rec
ord with the Red Cross is clean. or
ganized 1T and hoped it would be a
monument to my memory. The state
ment that said would wreck the Red
Cross is lie. have never said or
written q word against the order except
to say that in my opinion the present
officers did not have sufficient ability to
conduct the order. The statement tina
was forced to resign as president Is
another lie. l was not even asked to
resign. I characterize the call made by
the Vinton gentlemen upon the Red
Cross members for funds as an outrage
and nothing but graft game even il
one of the grafters is a preacher.
The reinsurance was conducted I'M
der the authority and with the approval
OF the insurance department of Iowa
and Minnesota. The Red Cross is a
thing of the past except in name. 1t
makes no difference to the Red Cross
members which way the suit goes. If |
Wightman and the yinton attorneys
are successful, a receiver will be ap-
pointed and Tobln and Nichols will be
the attorneys and Wightman the re-
oeiver if the slate goes thru.
TT is big fees they are after, and the
robbing of widows and orphans and not
q patriotic desire to be of use to any
one but themselves. They seek chance
to steal part of the Red Cross assets.
If receiver is appointed the order wilt
be wound up. If a receiver is not APP
pointed, ETC., the Red Cross will be re-
insured in the Bankers Union without
any expense to the membership what
ever, and the assets of the Red Cross
will be used in the payment of mortu-
airy claims"