Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-02-01
SATURDAY FEBRUARY I, 1919
Sae4sRIS FORCES GET BODY BLOW

MO. Ferguson. Issues. Order Ro
St&Nning AutoCracy OF Present Mem
bcrs OF S. G. NJ. Cannot Sus
pend or ENpcl Members.
(By Richard Il. Warncr)
Philadelphia, Pa, Jan. "a The
act Of what is considcrcdsthc great
ost legal drama in the history of the
Grand United Order Of Odd Fellows
was brought to its close last Friday
afternoon at 5 i. NJ. with the ulti-
mate result that Edward II. Morris
and the full board of tho present
sub committee Of management wcro
dealt Il solar plc&uS, which almost
took the old sage and his colleagues
off their feet, and for II while had
them completely daZcd. Beginning
Sunday, the Morris forces on the ono
hand and tho Noel followers on tho
other kept pouring into tho city,
and on Monday, the officers elected
at the b. NJ. G.. held at Manhattan
Casino, N. Y. last September, head
cd by Grand Master John S. Noel,
went to tho headquarters at 18th and
Spruce SITS, TO be installed, but met
with opposition Of the most bastard
~ nature. This started the ball rol
ling, and Morris and his colleagues
wcro at once cited to appear in court
in Equity proceedings Friday, Jan.
II. The case came on in the Court of
Common Pleas ut 9 p. NJ. and was
heard before Judge FERGUSON
Morris and his followers were rep
rcScntd by cXJudgc Bctlcr, while No
cl and his supporters were represent
ell by Tho9 Stokes of the firmof Hen
Horny Pepper, Bodinc and Pep
per- Tho trial lasted fully two
hours. Among the witnesses for
tho plaintiff, were w. II. Fran
els. Henry Lincoln johnson, James
ii. Anderson, Perry w. Howard and
Richard Il. Warner. It was Warner
who's set tho court in a uproar, when
IN the course of testimony, he said,
that among his many objections to
w. David Brown sitting as a Nom
bcf OF tho trial committee in the New
York proceedings, was due to tho
fact that MS Il member OF the S, C. M.
on appeal it would be like going to
hell for Justice while the devil sat
rs Judge" which brought forth laugh
tor from every person in the court
room. Warmers testimony and the con
Vtncing plea of Perry w. Howard.
grand attorney for the Order, resulted
IN the judge issuing IN order, re
straining Morris and his cohorts from
snspcnding or oNpclling anyone until
tho quo Warrnnto proceedings. shall
nave been determined. The order fol
lows:
Order OF Proceedings .-Common
Picas No }, December Term, 1915
No. 3033-- Robert T.. Davis VS.. Tho
SuD-committcc of management of the
Grand United Order OF Odd Fellows
IN America Ga corporation and Ed
ward II. Morris. |. L. Roberts, James
f.. Nocdhnm, w. David Brown, T., b
Baranco, j. II. Johnson. George w
lays, Jesse Nichols and 4. r. Shirley.
IL Is agreed that pending the quo
warranto, appeals taken to tho sub
committee OF management, or proceed
lnGa at present taken before that com
mlttcc and instituted before it, or any
othcr proceedings originating before
the subcommittee Of management or
any otchr Appeals ti.at nav be taken
growing out OF charges based upon
tho participation of the brethren
charged in the meeting in New York
III september. 1918, shall not be dis
posed OF until after the quo warronto
case is finally disposed of, saving only
that there Is no stipulation that pro
coedlngs may not be taken against 10
soy and Cornelius on charges other
IMAM for participation in the Septem
bcr I9lS, meeting.