Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-31
Young Muskogee Millionaire,
Exempted by Board, Now
Wants to Go.
WAS VICTIM OF HIS FRIENDS
Prominent Men Pleaded His
Case and Got Him 'in Bad
All Over State.
(By staff Correspondent.)

MuSEOGEE, okla. Aug go
James +. Whitesides. % year-old
Muskosee millionaire. whose kemp
ti"n from military service by the dis
trict board of appeals in this city last
week has created a stir thruot the
state. is willing To bear arms for his
government and II the board Will re-
oTsn the case lie will waive exemption
and take his medicine.
This inform alton was obtained to-
night by World representative from
unimpeachable sources. Whitcsides
reached his decision yesterday after
conference with friends and business
associates lasting far into tho night.
former Muskogee newspaperman'
now located AT Tulsa, Is said to have
been delegated to release the news at
the proper time, but the release date
is not known.
Friends Too Active.
Whitesides feels deeply the humIl
iat,on that has been forced upon him
by recent events, 1t is said. and is
anxious to show the world that he is
loyal ard willing to do his bit He
has been the victim of his friends"
When it was known that he mad beer
includel in the FIRST draft quota he
announced that he would not claim
exc mpuon ana was ready TO go.
Later a plea for exemption was filed
with the local board en- the ground
of having dependents. The local
board turned II down. The plea was
filed by II. W. Gibson. capitalist and
banker.
An Industrial exemption plea was
then filed with the district board. II
was claimed that Whitesides was in
dispensibe to the conduct Of his ex-
tensive properties and could be more
valuable to the government In that
. capacity than as a soldier. Well-kniwn
bankers and business men here pushed
his case before the board. Fred Bran
son, attorney, went to Washington in
Whitesides' behalf. Then came a let
4 ter from Senator Robert L. owen,
I stating that he believed Whitesides
should be exempted on industrial
grounds. Malcolm Rosser, United
States government Representatives.
procured the owen letter from the
district board. He Immediately con-
demned it and wrote a letter to Sena-
tor owen, reprimanding him for his
interference" in the case. owen. in
his letter stated that he did not know
Whitesides personally. The next sem
sational development was the an
nouncement that the owen letter had
been lost" To date it has not been
found.
a Newspaper Angle.
All sorts of rumors have been afloat
lately. Many of them were ridiculous.
For instance, the one that Eugene
Kerr. chairman of the board. had re-
ceived $4,000 as a fee" in the case.
Kerr is editor OF the Times-Democrat
here and n state senator. The Musko-
gee Phoenix bitterly assailed both
Whitesides and the board, as well as
the men who had Interested them
selves in the millionaire's behalf.
Whitesides claims that the reason for
the Phoenix opposition was the fact
that his attorneys in the matter were
enemies of the Phoenix.
Now that WhNesides has made up
his mind TO submit to the draft, re-
gardless of his friends activity, 1t
looks like the whole affair would be
Strengthened out to the satisfaction
of the public
Ono thing is certain-when Jim"
Whitesides goes to war, a whole lot
Of people who have been making n
big fuss over 1t will not have any
thing to talk about.
And jim Whitesides will feel much
more at ease himself
Ho is a fine young fellow" every
body says here, and mighty valu-
able citizen. That's why his influen e
tial friends went so far to keep him
al home. And Jim" was the victim,
OF 1t all. The worst blow, of course,
was the hot Goals that were heapcd
on his head by the dear public. APP
parently he feels that il is much bet
ter TO carry n rifle for Uncle Sam
in the trenches of Europe than to
bear white feather that has been
thrust into his hat against his will,
Justly or unjustly. by the folks at
home.