The San Francisco call., 1910-11-19
SOLOMON CITED
BY SEAWELL IN
SILK DECISION
Court Settles Culture Society
Feud in Favor of Mrs.
Murphy'S Side
Opposing Faction, Headed by
E. Nj. Kirk and Mother,
Meets Defeat

Citing d judgment of King Solomon
IS his authority. Judge Seawell yes
terday decided the long existing fued
thst has rent the Ladies' Silk Culture
society Of California into TWO fac
tions in favor of the side led by Presi-
dent Mrs Mary A. Murphy, Mrs Thomas
Morffew and Ella Jebb Rolker. These
women are legally elected directors Of
the society. the court ruled, and are
entitled TO the handling Of the $4,000
realized from the sale Of real estate at
Fruitvale. The opposing faction
headed by Z. NJ Kirk, who claimed 70
be president ami his mother. Mrs. NJ.
T. Kirk-were declared TO be without
status in the society.
The predicament in which solomon
found himself when called upon TO de-
eide between the two women, each
claiming TO he mother of a baby, was
something like that in which Judge
Seawell said he was placed in deciding
this case.
IN SOLOMON'S PREDICAMENT
7 am in somewhat the same position
Is Solomon was" said his honor in the
course of his oral decision. 'One set
Of directors. headed by Mrs Murphy.
merely asks for justice and prays that
whatever is due the society shall be
left intact. They are more anxious
that the society remain in existence
than they are that the money be
awarded 10 them. The other claimants
seem 10 want the money, irrespective
of what else happens. Them I compare
TO the false mother. while those who
are desirous that the society be pre-
served are like the true mother"
The contention between the two fac
tions was based chiefly on technical
ties Last year Mrs. Kirk called a
meeting at Oakland. at which her son
was elected president. The objection
raised TO this proceeding was that the
bylaws require that all meetings be
held in San Francisco.
On their part. the Kinks contended
that Mrs. Murphy could not be presi-
dent because she was behind in her
dues a. the time she was chosen. They
also asserted that there was not present
at the meeting a quorum of members
whose dues We're fully paid up and that
there was no record Of her election.
MRS. MURPHY-S SIDE WINS
All these disputes were resolved by
the judge in favor Of Mrs. Murphy and
her side. Mrs Murphy had presided
at many meetings and the mere alb
sence of record Of her election was not
sufficient to overcome the presumption
that she was president afforded by the
fact that she acted as such, said the
Judge He also said he was not able
TO accept the testimony Of Mrs. Kirk
that Mrs. Murphy was behind in hel
dues iuasmuch as Mrs. Kirk was "aT
unfortunate invalid whose memory j:
not 10 be depended upon.
The suit decided yesterday was be
gun by the Wells Fargo Nevada ma
tional bank. the court being asked tC
decide between the rival sets of claim.
ants as to the ownership Of S1,450
There is about $4,000 in other banks
and following the decision it is ex-
pected this money viii be paid to the
society on the demand of Mrs. Murphy
The Ladies' Silk Culture society was
established in January, 1885. Among
the incorporators We're George c. Per
kins. ID. O. Mills and Leland Stanford