The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-29
IT'S WAR TO THE HAIRPIN.
HOSTILE DOINGS IN A WOMAN'S
VETERAN AUXILIARY.

VETERAN AUXILIARY.
story That President-Genersl Lewis At
tempted to Tear . Badge From tho
er-GeneraI-New Haven Pc
lice to he On Hand ut To-day's Session.
NEW HAVEN, Conn.,. Sept. Is. Tho women
composing the national auxiliary Of the
National Army and Navy Spanish War
Veterans, got into a lively wrangle at the
spening Of the session to-day. Mrs. Flora
Lewis Of Warrington, the president-general.
sttsmpted to tear the badge Of the order
from Miss Cornelia Clay Of Washington. the
Encouragement. according to the latter,
who, in turn, threatened to put Mrs. Lewis
out Of business.
The trouble arose over the suspension
Of Miss Clay by the president general and
the District Of Columbia auxiliary. including
Mary Sherman Miles Chapter Of Washington
on charges of characterization. contempt
and failure to comply with orders issued
by the president-general. Mrs. Isabel
Worrell Ball, newspaper woman Of
Washington, is the acting president Of
Mary Sherman Miles Chapter, and she and
Miss Clay have come to New Haven to do
up the president general II possible.
Before leaving Washington Mrs. Ball got
out an injunction against President General
Lewis and her staff. restraining them from
preventing the members of the Mary Sher-
man Miles Chapter from entering the con-
vention here or voting.
According to Mrs. Ball, Mrs. Lewis e.
capped out Of the rear door Of the Logan. an
apartment house, where she was stopping.
In Washington. while an officer was waiting
to serve the summons at the main entrance.
She was driven rapidly to the railway sta
ton, where she boarded a train for this city
before Mrs Balls officers could head her
off.
According to the friends of the presi-
dent general, the whole trouble was pre-
cpitated by ,lrs. Ball, who was incensed
because as acting president Of District Of
Columbia auxiliary in the absence Of Mrs.
Margaret Castle, the president, she was
not hidden to a reception given recently
by DR.. Anita Newcomb McCue to Gen. and
Mrs Nelson A. Miles, at which reception
Mrs. Miles was initiated into the Mary
Sherman Miles Chapter by IA special dis
pensaton from the president general.
Mrs. Ball, according to the president
general, wrote a bitter alta ok upon her in
The newspapers, accusing her OF ignorant
and illegal procee lings, commenting on
the misfortune of the organization III hay
ing for president woman who did not
sarcastically adding: "As Mrs. Miles, the
member initiated, is the wife Of the General
Of the army, will myself. in my official
positi ion as acting president Of the district,
legalize an illegal proceeding
AS result of this trouble, the District
NJ nll ivv,tNi will Nxoa dyNnn 1nI
and charges are now preferred against
Mrs Bail to the number OF eighteen or
twenty.
Mrs Ball said tonight: "The whole
matter was stirred up by l.. G. Dyer, Adju-
tant-General of the national organization
OF Spanish war veterans, who, because
his wife was not elected president of the
Mary Sherman Miles auxiliary. proceeded
to stir up trouble in Nelson A. Miles Com
mand, No, !. He created the disturbance
for the purpose of getting rid Of the Mary
Sherman Miles auxiliary, stating that L
that the command did not rid itself of the
woman's auxiliary at his behest. he deter
termined to destroy the district auxiliary.
an this he has been aided and abetted
by the president of the national organiza-
d reasons. MRS Lewis disiikes me and
proceeded to exercise her spite on me
because, acting under orders from the
district president, Mrs. Margaret A. Castle,
presented decision to the auxiliary
which somewhat severely arraigned the
national president for illegal representa-
tions to a local auxiliary.
Mrs. Lewis and L. c. Dyer joined forces
and are trying to get me out Of the or
gna i1dz together With Mary Sherman
Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, the judge
advocate general of the national auxil-
larry, resigned to-day because Of the row.
Mrs. Mussey is dean of the Washington
Law College. and. according to Presi-
dent-ienera Lewis. the duties Of this
position are too exacting to allow Mrs
M,lssey to come to New Haven.
Mrs. Ball, however, says that the in
junction which was sworn out to restrain
the national officers from interfering with
her was served upon Mrs. Mussey and,
in order to clear herself and avoid being
placed in contempt OF court, she declined
10 come here and at the same time sent
her resignation.
The first clash between the two opposing
factions occurred this afternoon, when Miss
tornelia Clay, the expelled treasurer of the
where President General Lewis was in
session with some Of her assistants.
Miss Clay picked up ge of the order
and was pinning il on when, according to
Miss Clay, Mrs. Lewis exclaimed: by
what right do you enter these apartmsnts7'
90 so DS TlRiJ DIS a TleIIlDeT OF inc
organization, replied Miss Clay.
you are suspended and have no rights"
exclaimed the President General. Then,
seeing the badge, she reached out her hand
to seize it, exclaiming; "Give me that
bad &C."
Mss Clay escaped from the room with
The badge. She has preferred charges
against the president 6 sneral.
Mrs Ball his afternoon, during the meet
inr of tn, a lminstra ton council Of the
National Auxiliary, filed impeachment
papers against President Gene raj Lewis,
President General Lewis is determined
hat none Of the suspended members Of
The order shall he pre- sent tomorrow at
he executive meetings. She has appointed
Ulcers to guard the doors and admit only
hose who give the assword. The ex-
PEELED members learned the password.
Guf tonight Mrs. Lewis said new pass
or would be given out Tomorrow.
10 local police have been informed Of
The place of meeting and an extra lot of
men will be on hand TO preserve order in
case the expelled members insist upon
pushing into the meeting. Mrs, Ball has
avowed her intention of being present at all
hazards.
Mrs. Lewis, the president general, is the
wife Of civil war veteran and is promi-
nent Washington woman. She il COM
handing in appearance and speaks fuently
and with earnestncss. Much sympathy
has been felt for her because this quarrel
has arisen for il is said that she accepted