The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-20
BERRY DENIES
USING FUNDS
Pressmen's Suit to Be Called
Before Judge Sanford
Here Tomorrow.
COMPLETE FILE RECEIVED
Four Additional Unions Have
Joined in Federal
Prosecution.

CHIEF Clerk George IL. Gresham re-
ceived Friday morning from II. ID.
Milligan.. deputy clerk at Knoxville,
the complete file in the case of VIII
liam l.. Haas ct al. VS.. George L.
Berry, president of the International
Printing Freshmen and Assistants
union of North America, and Judge
f. T. Sanford has approved the re-
straining order, setting the case for
hearing Saturday morning at 9
o'clock.
The bill charges Berry and others
with misuse of funds OF the inter-
national union and asks for receivers
for the international union, its home
and defendant corporations in which
Berry and others are alleged to be
stockholders.
The papers forwarded by Deputy
Clerk Milligan include the bill of
complaint, constitution and bylaws of
the pressmens union and financial
reports for various periods between
Sept. /, 1916, and the present date.
It Is understood that complete de-
nial of the Incorporation or mis-
use of funds of the international
Freshmen and Assistants union will
be entered by Berry and ]. C. Orr,
John M. Brophy, William H. Nc
Hugh and S. 3. Marks both as indi-
viduals and as officials of the union.
Any and all other irregularities
charged against them in the bill filed
against them in federal court at
Greenville by Chicago union No. 3,
be denied.
Other Charges.
Word was received today over the
Associated Press from Knoxville
that four additional subordinate
unions of the International Printing
Pressmen and Assistants union have
Joined with Chicago union No. in
the suit against George l.. Berry and
others. The four are Web Press
men, No. 9, of Pittsburg; Web Press
men, No. 2, of st. Louis; Franklin
association, of st. Louis, and Frank
lin union, No. 90, Of Philadelphia.
The bill prays that the individual
defendants be enjoined from cxer-
cising further functions in the union,
they they be removed from ONCE and
that receivers be appointed for the
organizations and institutions in
volved.
Berry is now in Atlantic City, at
tending the convention OF the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor. Mr.. Orr
Is in Cincinnati on business, and
other individual defendants are
elsewhere. none being at the Press
mems home. Judge Bowen, of Knox
vile, will represent the defendants
at the hearing Saturday.
Allegations In the Bill.
The bill alleges that Mr.. Berry has
loaned the sum of $4,000 to the
Clinchfield Hydro Electric Power COM
pany, and that he claims a first mort
gage for that sum. the mortgage bear
ing per cent. interest. The bill re-
cites. however. that the county register
of Hawkins county certifes that no
such mortgage is on record in his Of
fee.
Another allegation is that the finan-
cial statement shows a loan OF l2.-
900 made on real estate. but that the
record does not show to whom the loan
was made. nor what property is held as
security for the loan. 1t is asserted
that Mr.. Berry later claimed that 1t
was on some land in Trigg county.
Kentucky. but that Investigations de-
veloped the fact that Mr.. Berry has al
ready received another loan on that
property, giving first mortgage, ana
that the second loan is not recorded
and, even If it was registered. could
not be a first mortgage on the property.
It is related that the constitution OF
the pressmens union provides that
loans can be maze only on IrSI InOIl-
cages or on government bonds.
Hauled Crosstles.
The defendants, Messrs. Berry and
| Orr, are alleged to have hauled cross
| ties from land belonging to the Press
| mems home, and with a tractor be-
| longing to the Pressmen's home, and
| that the Pressmen's home received nc
| compensation for the work. Another
| charge, in regard to hauling, is that
Messrs Berry and Orr. with the knowl-
edge of other defendants, entered into
a contract for hauling supplies to the
| Pressmen's home. This was done. II
| is claimed, by Messrs. Berry and Orr
| as officers of the international Press
| men and Assistants union, with them
selves, as representing the Clinchfielt
Land and Lumber company. 1t is re-
lated that the latter named company
has no facilities for hauling, and thai
| the contract was sub-let at still
| greater profit. to Berry and Orr.
The bill alleges that while the inter
national union was represented as beint
in financial embarrassment, and wa
calling upon It's members for additiona
| assessments, the defendants. Messrs
Berry and Orr diverted $10,812S8 to tn
Clinchfield Land and Lumber company
in which they were stockholders. /
is alleged that this transaction wa
without any authority and in violation