Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-18
CLAIM JENNINGS
is GETTING EVEN
Modern Woodmen Directors
Reply to Injunction Suit
Brought in Court Here.
FAILS IN A BOND BID
Complainant, 1t Is Stated, Loses in
Recent Award by BOard-Pads
Casualty Company Salaries.

e. E. Murphy and R. R. Smith, mem
bers of the board of directors of the
Modern Woodmen society, who have
arrived in the city to attend the month
ly meeting Of the board, characterizes
the injunction suit of Thomas G. Hen
nings of st. Louis, in which they are
made the objects of charges involving
violations of the laws governing their
official positions, as an action inspired
wholly by malicious motives. Messrs.
Murphy and Smith expect, in due
course of time, to have prepared a
statement addressed to the member
ship of the society in which they will
explain fully their defense and also
show the. causes prompting the latest
attempt to bring odium on the direc-
torate of the order.
Fails to Secure Bond Contract.
Hennings, it is claimed, is in the in
surance business in ST. Louis He
happened to be one of the agents dis
appointed when the board of directors
of the Modern Woodmen let the last
contract for the bonding of the camp
clerks of the society. Messrs. Murphy
and Smith state that Mr.. Hennings'
proposition did not meet the require
ments of the board and for that reason
was not considered. They declare that
he was greatly piqued by the refusal
of the board to accept his bonding
proposal, and since has been search
ing for an excuse to seek to bring dis
credit on members of the directorate
of the society, selecting as targets the
members of the board whom he looked
to as the ones he believed should have
supported him.
Salaries $50; Not $500.
Hennings, in his application for an
injunction filed in the circuit court
here, seeks to have the board of direc-
tors restrained from paying the sal
aries of Messrs. Murphy and Smith on
the alleged grounds that they are not
devoting their undivided time to the
business of their official positions, as
it is required they shall do in The by
laws of the society. He points as a vio-
lation that they are both Office hold
ers in the Woodmen Casualty COM
pany, Mr.. Murphy as vice president
and Mr.. Smith as treasurer, and that
from the latter society the two are
each drawing a salary of $500 per
month. Messrs. Murphy and Smith do
not deny that they hold offices in the
Woodmen Casualty company, but they
claim that they receive but $50 per
month each, and that any time they
devote to the business of that company
does not in the least interfere with
their work as directors of the Modern
Woodmen. They claim that they do
not give over few hours each month
to the casualty company's affairs.
Mr.. Byrns and Legislature.
Director c. J. Byrns is attacked also
in the bill for injunction. 1t is charged
that in 1905-07, while a member of the
Michigan legislature, he drew pay as
legislator and as director. Mr.. Byrns
claims that in either session of the leg
islature he was not present to exceed
II days for the reason that he was ex-
cused, although permitted pay for the
entire sessions. Mr.. Byrns further
states that the Woodmen society ben
Gifted considerably through his mem
bership in the Michigan assembly
through the attention that he gave to
insurance legislation in that state. Mr..
Byrns admits that he is seeking fed
eral appointment in Michigan just now,
and reminds Mr. Hennings that be ex-
poets to land the plum in the bargain.