The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-13
ODD FELLOWS ANGRY
ENCAMPMENT ANNOYED AT
TROUBLES BETWEEN MEMBERS.
MAY INVESTIGATE CHARGES.
SPECIAL MEETING WILL PROBABLY
BE CALLED TOMORROW NIGHT.

The Charges Van Bershot and
Grower Have Made Against Each
other VIII BE Given Hearing Be-
fore Magistrate-In Meantime the
Encampment Will Probably Take
Some Actfon-TrOubIe Between
Members Is Said to BE of Long
Standing.
The trouble between Odd Fellows
James Van Bershot and Frank Groov-
er does not appear to be near settle
ment and feeling in the order is high.
Odd Fellows, of whom there are over
a thousand in Savannah, are much
wrought up over the matter. The
charges made by the two members
against each other will be heard by
justice of the peace during the week.
In the meantime the question will
undoubtedly be taken up by the Sa-
vannah encampment at a special
meeting, which is said to have
been called for the purpose,
tomorrow night. It could not
be definitely learned last night whether
the meeting would be held or not, as
all the Odd Fellows approached upon
the subject were reticent and refused
to discuss it. One of them
admitted that possibly a meeting had
been called, but he denied any knowl-
edge Of it.
AS a matter of fact it is believed
the trouble will have to be passed upon
by the encampment at least as far as
Mr.. Growers charge of larceny after
trust, against Mr.. Van Bershot, is
concerned, for more reasons than one,
the most important of which is that
the encampment, as well as Mr.. GrooV-
er, is an aggrieved party if the charge
if true, as the money taken in for the
fair was the property of the encamp-
ment, and not of an individual.
A prominent member of the encamp-
ment, who was seen by Morning
News reporter, stated that the
members were very much exer-
cised over the squabble. THE trou-
BILE violates the spirit of the Independ-
emit Order of Odd Fellows in almost
every way" he said. "A majority of
the members consider it a very unfor-
tunate occurrence. and it is generally
regretted. 1 think that most of the
will agree with me that Mr.. Van Ber-
trust as has been charged.
AS to the other matter. the
blow that was struck. that
part of the proposition is admitted. All
of the members, I believe, will agree
with me- that the trouble was more of
personal matter than is apparent
from the face of the argument. We
hope that it will not reflect against
Oddfellowship as the order has done
8 IT, lit ~ l,o
sick and destitute, burying the dead
and lending a helping hand wherever
possible
Mr.. Grower called at the office of the
Morning News to present his
side of the question. He stated that
one of the main causes of the trouble
between himself and Mr.. Van Bershot
was the efforts of the latter to make
"A. P. Aism" a part of Oddfellowship.
THE Odd Fellows can have no con-
Germ in the settlement of whatever diff
| ferences exist between Mr.. Van Ber-
shot and myself" he said, "as these
| long antedate my connection with the
| order They cannot affect Odd Fellow
ship in any way, for neither Mr.. Van
Bershot nor myself is at present prom
inent in it's councils. AS far as the
! charge of larceny after trust / have
preferred against him is concerned, it
is hardly necessary for him to be
| fighting it out in the newspapers: he
will have an opportunity to explain his
conduct as to that matter in the
| courts"
| The differences between the two men
and their sensational outcome are but
| part of the squabbles and pickering
| that have occurred since the holding
of the bazaar. There have been charges
| and countercharges. Investigations
have been held, and CEN
| sure administered, and 1t now seems
altogether probable that all of this af-
| fair, in the inner councils of the or
| der, is to have a second airing in the
| courts.