The Detroit times., 1908-10-09
MRS. R|TTMAN IS
WINNER BY JUST
ONE VOTE
WRISTS OFFICE OF HIGH CHIEF
RANGER OF woMEN's cATHo-
Lie FoREsTERs FROM MRS.
RODGERS AFTER HARD BATTLE.

BY the slender margin OF a single
vote. Mrs. Rose d. Rittman. OF Min.
neapolis, defeated Mrs. Elizabeth
Rodgers. of Chicago. for the ofiice OF
high chief ranger OF the Women's
Catholic Order OF Foresters. The
count showed that Mrs. Rittman re.
ceiyed 400 votes to 500 for her oppon'
ent Nineteen ballots were thrown out
as being improperly marked.
Mrs. Rodgers Is called the founder
Of the order. ana nad been Its chief
for IL years. Her followers are heart.
broken and threaten to take measures
to upset the election. They claim that
1t Is invalid on account of the infiu-
ence exerted by number OF priests
who have used their advisory powers
to oppose the administration party.
II would seem. from the bitter feel
ing evinced. that whichever side gains
power II will have difnculty to prevent
the disruption OF the order. partisans
OF each side threatening to withdraw
n case OF final defeat.
This Is due to the manner In which
the priests Influenced the country del
egates representing the small courts,
declared one OF Mrs. Rodgers friends
Friday morning. They inundated
4 great many women. FIR. Foley
threatened to curse them and their
families IL they voted for Mrs. Rodg-
ers. Two .Paulist- fathers, who are
supposed to be out on mission work,
have been here for two weeks talking
10 delegates"
Women Remain Up All Night.
There were nearly 800 women pres
INT when the count was finished, most
If them having remained up all night,
While others had taken a short sleep
md then returned to get the final re-
urns 1t was o'clock and the sun
ght streamed in the windows Of the
Wayne casino as the final ballot was
,pread out and read OF.
Early In the night Mrs. Rittman had
/ big lead, but this diminished and
then Mrs. Rodgers was ahead after
Midnight. Many of the Rittman fac
ton gave up and went to their beds
so that the administration forces were
present In greater numbers at the
,inale.
Mrs. Rodgers took defeat gracefully.
She was very tired and her face was
1rawn and panied, but she accepted
the condolences of her friends quietly
md then made her way out Of the hail
accompanied by her daughters. Her
partisans stood about and talked quiet.
~, but with Indignation. while the
Rittman faction held very quiet Jubi-
lation.
Mrs. Mary Timmony. Of Detroit. was
defeated for high vice-chief ranger by
Miss Tessie Murphy, Of Chicago. the
after getting 433 votes to 366 for her
opponent. Miss Murphy was a sup
porter Of Mrs. Rittman. Two members
Of the present high court, Mrs. Julia
II. Mcdonnell and Mrs. Catherine F.
Birmingham, Of Chicago, were re-elect.
ed to the Offices of high secretary and
high treasurer, respectively. They are
of the Rodgers faction.
Detroit Gets a Place.
Detroit secured one place in tn,
high court, Mrs. Mabel Galway being
elected as one of the seven trustees.
Other trustees elected are: Mrs. Felip,
Mrs Anna Cannon, Mrs. Jacoby. Miss
Katherine Goggin and Mrs. Anna j.
Korzienewski, of Chicago. and Mrs.
Mary Quirk. of Chicago Four OF these
were opposed to Mrs. Rodgers. DR..
Anna Dryer, Of Chicago, was made
chief medical examiner and Mrs. Anna
Duffy, Mrs Kessler and Mrs. Mary A.
Brannon were named as high audi.
tors. All officers are elected for three
years.
The number Of defective ballots il
charged to the fact that the oppOsi-
ton would not allow Of instructions
as to voting from the platform, fear
Ing that advantage would be reaped by
Mrs. Rodgers.
Nearly five hours were consumed In
casting the ballots.
Mrs. Rodgers voted first. amidst
cheering Of her followers. Her op-
ponent, Mrs. Rittman. voted next and
there was cheering from her partisane.
other officers followed In their rank
and then the delegates from the
lodges, voting by number. A furry
was occasioned when Mrs. Katherine
Phillips, who was deposed as high
auditor and later reinstated by the
convention, was not allowed TO vote.
A number Of priests were present.
FIR. Mueller. OF st. Albertus' church
came in with FIR. Renaud, these two
being the only local priests who have
visited the convention since FIR. Demp-
sey attended the first session to be-
stow his blessing. FIR O'Callaghan.
FIR. Dolphin and others remained and
talked with delegates. Detectives
Steinhebel and Sullivan were present.
Bitterness Subsidies
n Al.
convention, seemed to have largely
subsidized when the delegates gathered
for the afternoon session. At 1870.
when the convention was to have
started its deliberations, the situation
had not entirely cleared, however.
Only about haff the delegates were
In the hall at that time. A caucus of
the leaders of the Rodgers faction was
held In one Of the parlors- OF the
Wayne, and Il was given out that nj
decision had been reached as 70
whether the election would be con.
tested.
Other supporters OF Mrs. Rodgers
declared. however, that the defeat had
been a fair one and that they would
not fight further. Early in the morn
ing Mrs. Rodgers made short al
dress TO some OF her followers In
which she thanked them for their ef
forts but did not declare her course.
Suppressed Divorce Suite.
Suppressed suits for divorce wers
died Friday by Matte W.. william De.
Pung; Margaret VS.. Joseph II. Bar.
ringer and John w. Margaret Dyer.