Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-30
YEOMEN'S FIGHT
TAKEN TO COURT
INTERNAL DISSENSI0N TO BE
FOUGHT OUT
CONTEST MAY INVOLVE HEAD
CASTLE AT DEs MONIES
Alleged That Members of Los Angeles
and lvanhoe Homesteads Were
Not Consulted Before
Consolidation

Refusal of Arthur L. Eaton, corre-
spondent of Los Angeles-Ivanhoe
homestead No. 141S, Brotherhood of
American Yeomen, to permit an exam
ination of his books by Robert L. Lane,
a member of the order, has brought to
head one of the bitterest fights ever
engaged in between two bodies of the
same fraternaI organization in Los An
geles, a fight that bids fair to extend
TO other cities and involve the head
castle, located in Des Moines, Iowa.
Lane, through his attorney, Thomas
Lee Woolwine, filed a complaint against
Eaton in Police Judge Chambers court
couple of days ago, accusing him of
Withholding an examination of the
books of Los AngeleS-Ivanhoe home
stead, representing the Los Angeles
homestead and the Ivanhoe homestead
as consolidated October 2. This refusal
to a member and contributor to the
financial welfare of the organization,
it is claimed, is a misdemeanor under
the law.
The troubles began some time ago,
when, it is said, H. A. Miller, field
agent for the Yeomen, appeared in Los
Angeles and endeavored to GUST L. M.
Storey from the organization deputy
ship of, Los Angeles homestead No.
947.
Two Homesteads Conducted
Until October 2 two homesteads,
Ivanhoe No. 141S and Los Angeles No.
947 We're conducted in this city. The
total mebership of the two branches
is about 500, almost equally divided.
Following the arrival of H. A. Miller,
contentious arose, the first person to
be attacked by Miller in his alleged
efforts to secure control of the work.
ings of the two branches being L. NJ.
Storey. organizing deputy or field man
for No. 947 Baked in this, it is
claimed, Miller brought charges against
Storey that he was derelict in the per-
formance of his duties. A trial of the
charges resulted in Storeys acquittal.
Undismayed, it is claimed by Storey's
friends, Miller and several other MEM
bers held a secret meeting and decided
that Storey was guilty. An appeal was
taken to the grand foreman, William
Coke, Des Moines. who poured oil on
the troubled waters by removing Storey
to another city.
The plum sought to be secured in
these conflicts was the authority to
write insurance and procure member
ships, both affording a generous money
return in the way of commissions.
Miller. according to members of Ivan
hoe homestead, next directed his ef-
forts to securing this plum for him
self and his deputies, and when he
found 1t out of reach decided on the
consolidation of Ivanhoe with Los An
geles homesteads.
Consolidation Effected
This consolidation, it Is stated, was
also effected at another secret meet
ing at which only ten members of the
former and five of the latter branch
organizations were present. The by
laws of the Yeomen provide that con-
solidation cannot take place except by
a tWo-thirds vote OF the members be-
longing to the respective bodies, and
it is on this bylaw that many of those
affiliated with the two homesteads will
seek through the courts, to break the
tie holding them together. These pro-
testants against consolidation claim the
first information they had of the join
ing together was when they received
notices containing the announcement,
accompanied by instructions to pay
dues and insurance assessments to
Eaton, who was chosen correspondent
of Los Angeles-Ivanhoe homestead No.
141S, the name by which the united
bodies is known.
Lane, on the other hand. denies that
Eaton is the proper officer to receive
and that all members of Los
Angeles homestead should pay their
to him by the first of the
coming month or see their policies
lapse. He is backed in this assertion
by the opinion of his attorney, Mr..
Woolwine. who says the alleged vio-
lation of the bylaws at the time Of the
reduces the matter to
legal proposition, proving no consoli-
dation was ever effected and that the
respective bodies should transact busi-
ness without reference to that step.
Attorney Woolwine also stated Re
had filed charges with the board of
directors against Miller and his asso-
ciates and that these will be carried
to the castle at Des Molnes, If neces-
sary.
AS a result of the complaint filed
against Eaton, it is stated he and Mil
Ter produced some of the books in their
possession. while, it is claimed, others
are still missing. In these books the
names of the members are written and
these will be copied for the purpose of
communicating with every person con-
nected with the two homesteads to
learn their views with reference to the
The production of the
books yesterday and the probability
that others will be forthcoming makes
1t likely that police court proceedings
may be dropped