The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-05-27
OWLS HAVE WAR
IN FAR WEST
CONTEST BETWEEN RIVAL OR
CARNATIONS PROMISES TO
BE A BITTER ONE.
CAIRO MAN IS INVOLVED
Sued For $25,coo Dams ges as National
Organizer For the Order of Owls
Order Of Eagles Also in
in tho Contest.

Spokane, Wash, MAY 26--What is
d clared to be the liveiest battle
ever wagcd in fretarnal or social Sc
cret circles Of The northwest, has
found its arena In Spokane, and the
result promises 10 be the eHtermina-
tion OF the brotherhood Of Owls, or.
ganla d at Walla Wala. Wash, last
fall. by Harry L. Ieayitt. formerly OF
Chicago Kansas City aad 81. JOS
eph Mo, by the Order Of Owls, which
was Instituted al South Bend, Ind, in
1909. The suit for $4,000 damages,
filed in the Spokane county superior
court by Ieayitt against II W. Nit
chel Of Caro-, Ill. national organ
izer, and John W. Talbot, supreme
president is look d upon as the open
ing wedge Of the exposure which the
defense will make. and Hon. Del Cary
Smith OF Spokane, past worthy grand
president. of he Fraternal Order of
Eagles. says that VIII n the case
comes to trial he will submit proof
there is no fc ndaton for the charges
made in Leadcts complaint.
"The whole thing is a bluff" he
added. @and may be looked upon as
the last desperate act Ct a man who
finds himself corn red. without de-
String to appear over confident or out
hingng what we intend to show, | may
say that we viii have ample proof,
outside that we will get enough from
some of Mr. LeaviTts own subjects,
tu turn the ide against him He has
told too many different stories Of tn
nrigin of the brotherhood, and we pro
pose to show that everything he q
except his ritual. which IA copy
righted and may be had by sending s.
to The librariaa ai Washington, u. g,
was copied from the literature dis.
fributxd By the South Bend order,
which was fiourishing society long
before sir LeaYitt came into the
northwest. The outcome should be
surprise to the men who have joined
he brotherhood
Mr.. Leavitt has this 70 say in one
OF the yePal statements given out
with reference to the case
Hearing of Mr. Mitchell's arrival
in snckane took the first train from
Butte. where | had iusi instituted
Nest No 16 of the Brotherhood OF
OwIs. have not be n in Chicago
since 1879, though | see II is claimed
thai | stole the literatHre In that city.
For years there have been little SOCIAL
ORGANIZATIONS called the owls among
tho railroad m n. but these have moth
ing to do with the brotherhood. II
was while was at my theater in Wa
n. Walla that | conceived the idea of
( artiug the Owls. | began it as
Joke but when ii got serious | went
TO work organizing.
"Until after the brotherhood was
well und way ! never heard OF snch
nm order as the Owls. and since that
time I have written 100 letters to lndi'
ana. Michigan and Ohio. but nave
failed TO find the order | had Con
gressman Cushman lcok up the mat
ter in the library at Washington ana
we found the order Of owls had not
convrieat a IFS ritual so we copy
r,gbted ours. We are also incorpora-
ted under the laws of Washington
onr ritual was written by james
wood now INJECTED with the James
,,w, exposition at Norfolk. Va al
thaf time managing ditor of the Sc
o.tle Times. who got 1t up with his
brother. Charles b. Wood. last fell.
Fl. w. Mi chell, who was sen. %
cpokane to fight what is claimed 20
he a counterfeit organization. express
90 himself as pleased with the tun
matters have taken. Said he:
II rather expected that SUIT
v,,sld be brought, and same PREPARED
,r it We desired to be defendant,
rather than p'aintiff, and are prep @el
~ fight. Nothing could suit rs bet
. ter than that the mater should pe
tsl,en into the courts. AS an usns'
nal coincidence. may mention tha'
before The c, ,mplaint was hied II
court man came to me from Mt.
I.eaviti and offered to double my sal
a,v If would quit the order anu OF
aanize for the brotherhood.
4of course. finally refused to con
cider the offer. which looked Gpen
ne a bribe. and soon afterward MT
e.vitt and a number of members OF
,a srokane nest came to my head
o,,arters. when. as | showed no desire
y entertain the proposition. }. }
Gleeson. an attorney connected with
tho brotherhc Cd. served notice OF the
| suit. Since then I have reeeivei OF
fers of legal and other assistance
frona various Darts Of the northwest
am also meeting with every encour
apemenf in my work and viii inst
fute the first nest OF the Order Of
owls in Spokane on the evening Of
lime 2. aith charter membership OF
f,or, 100 Ia I51.~