The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-26
AETNA FIGHT OVER
Insurgents Garry the Day and
Win Point.
Fitzpatrick, President, and
Royce, Secretary, Out.
MIR. DOLLEY FAILS.
Commissioners Plan for Re-or-
ganlzation Not Followed.
End OF Long and Bitter Contro-
Yersy Over Management.

Following three weeks of the hottest
fighting the Aetna Building & Loan as
ISOLATION has ever known the insur-
gent wing Of the corporation this week
won every contention when they forced
the resignation Of President T. ~ Fltz-
patrick and accepted from John <.
Rovce a promise not to We candidate
for reelection as secretary With the
defeat of Fitzpatrick and Royce, the
Dollev crowd surrenders control OF the
official board of the Aetna and restores
to the former depOsed directors the Dus-
mess management OF the associo ' ~
When the deposed DowpeS ana al
ter began a crusade 80 days ago against
the men in power, there came from Tue
office of J. N DOlley, state DanA COM
missioner. charges that certain men Ell ~
the association were crooks dn1 -
guilty of misapproprlatloh o.
Aetna+s funds He promised tne IN
mediate arrest of DOWnes on a STATE
-oT3D1aint ard for a day assumed con-
troll of the fight. In newspaper l Illei
viesvs-vithcut just using D oMn-
nan.e-he branded the ouSteC III
as an eulbeZZler. VINO was StIlN -,
,lisr11n4 and undermine the ASSOCIATION.
Then Downes and his stenosrdp ~
spent a busy day What Do~l! is.,' -
The hank commissioner was VII Iusi-4'
this. Won must now have me aiHest-
- and nrove my guilt, or you must
wear the brand of the WaDauNsse cottH
~ blnffer.o That ended the Downes-
Dolley controversy 4-.4.,+
Two davs later the DOlley-Fltzpdt-
yiclx-Rovce forces went before Judge I
Pollard in Kansas City TO meet the /
charges of the Downes- Ea stnan-Ca t
ct al following. What happened III nan
sas CITY was practically just what the
insurgents asked for. They had charged
that Dolley, as bank commissioner, had
invaded the sanctum of the Aetna, put
his assistant w T. Watson on the dl-
rectorate at 800 a month; had branded
certain men as crooks and proven his
charges to the satisfaction OF the asso-
citation at a subsequent meeting Then
he is said to have endorsed the very
men his former report denounced Not
stopping here, it is charged that the
Dciley- Fitzpatrick compact used the
associations money to gather proxies
for the ostensible purpose of perpetual
ing themselves and their friends in
office They refused to permit the OPP
position to investigate the proxies OF
stockholders. Because of the alleged
high hand with which the men in
charge of the association ruled the ap-
preaching election, he insurgents
asked the appointment of a master.
Win Preliminary Slzirmish.
At the hearing in Kansas City, prac-
ticaIly every demand of insurgent
members was granted Judge Pollock
appointed Judge Sluss. of Wichita, to
take charge of the election, which was
% to afford time for an Investigation
and an examination of the records
One of the first points conceded by
the Dolley forces was the dropping of
Royce from the secretaryship. Hoyce's
resignation was rot demanded 1t was
just agreed that the former bank com
missioner should gracefully step down
and out and the little transaction would
eOrpnrfpn in election Of
cessor.
That transaction occurred some three
or four days ago. But in exchange for
the cOnprG1nlSe on Royce. the F-itzoat-
pie foundry. They demanded that
Raines and Macferren should continue
on the board and had not the least
idea of surrendering the presidency
kirkpatrick organization could
still control the affairs of the Aetna
and ". H. Eastman, who was to be
ROyce'S successor, would not seriously
infringe on the harmony plank that
had suddenly eclipsed the embezzle-
ment charges in the Dolley repertoire.
BY this time TIE insurgent wing Of
the Aetna were feeling sure of their
ground. They had found it necessary
to fight every inch of the way and
victory never tasted sweeter to a body ,
of men than to the little flock that had
started the fire under the Aetna's bust
ness management. These men counseIed
and concluded that it would require
little more effort to win all the stakes
than was the task of removing Royce
from the secr6taryshIp. Then they
fairly shocked the regular forces when
hey politely but firmly requested the
scalp of President Fitzpatrick Just
what pressure, if any, was brought to
bear in convincing Fitzpatrick that his
health would not permit another year
IN the presidents char, is not stated
1t is only known that in something
ike As hours, Mr.. Fitzpatrick concluded
that he did not care tor his old lob
The thousands of proxies which he and
MS friends had gathered at no small I
expense. were in that moment rendered
The laudatory notices con-
aimed in thousands of circular letters
we're now of no avail Fitzpatrick was
,ut OF the running
Trained on Directors
Then the guns were trained on the 7
board of directors. which is claimed to ?
have been named from a slate made or 7