The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-01-31
ORGANIZER THOMPSON ARREST.
ED ON CHARGE OF FALSE PRE-.
TENsE-RELEAsED ON BOND.
MANY MEMBERS FEEL THEY
HAVE BEEN VICTIMlzED
Heated Discussion at Auditorium Meet
Ing When Prospective Benefits" )"
Probable Receipts and Dlsburse-
ments Were Analysed.

Quite sensation was sprung here
Thursday, when upon an affidavit
sworn out by T. s. Cotton, charging
fraud and the obtaining of money by
false pretense, T. ]. Thompson was
arrested, while at the N. o. & N. e.
railroad passenger station with his
family, awaiting the arrival of the
train which they were to take for
Laurel, where he goes for the purpose
of conducting campaign of organ
ization in behalf of the Order of Owls.
The affidavit on which Mr.. Thomp-
son was arrested was prepared by Dis
trict Attorney Hall and County Attor-
ney Hill upon information furnished
by Mr.. Cotton, who swore to the docu-
ment before Justice of the Peace H. c.
Greer
Immediately upon the filing of the
affidavit, Justice Greer issued his war
rant for Tkompson's arrest and it was
executed by Constable Barney Doh
erty.
When arrested, Mr.. Thompson has.
tened with the officer to the magis
trate's office, where he asked that q
cash bond be accepted SO that he
might proceed to Laurel, where he
had planned to conduct similar cam
paign as that carried on in Hatties
burg.
Judge Greer named $25 as the
amount of the bond for his appearance
here on February 15 and that amour
was paid over to the magistrate ant
Mr.. Thompson allowed to proceed tt
Laurel.
Some objection was raised to thu
small amount of the bond, but Judg,
Greer said as only IS was involved s,
far as the record showed, he though
the bond ample. When his attention
was called to the fact that Mr.. Cottol
was only one of about 400 who ha,
paid a similar amount, the magis
trate replied that Mr.. Cotton was tn
only one Of that number who ha
made an affidavit before him, chare
ing any offense. If others had an
grievances, he said, they would hav
to present them in due form and the
would then receive due consideration
T. j. Thompson is one of the Thomi
son brothers, who for the past 81
weeks have had office in this city
where they, with lady assistant hav
been industriously engaged in secul
ing applications for membership in tn
Order of Owls, which it is claimed ha
been in existence for eight years an
has upwards of 100000 members.
Thompson brothers secured an o
flee in the Klondyke Hotel, and rel
resented that they were the state o
ganizers for the order. They did quit
a large amount of advertising, an
their work in securing members wa
quite successful.
It was announced that the chartt
roll for the local nest" as the lodge
are called, would close Wednesda
night of last week. At that time
large number were present and {
Thursday after that meeting Thorn
son brothers announced that upon r
quest" they had decided to stay hel
= for another week, with the intention
keeping the charter roll open, whiC
permitted the reception Of members
the charter fee Of IS for men and $3.'
for women.
They stayed the week out and m
Wednesday night with the nest, Il
attendance being so large that the
ditorium had to be secured for Il
meeting.
Considerable discussion arose
that meeting, so it is learned, al
something of factional spirit aro
which caused some to assail the b
sis of the proposed organization al
others to claim that it was all right,
The result was that the dissatisfi'
members charged that the nest hi
been organized on a representati'
that by the payment of so cents
month, each member of the nest you