Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-27
ANTHONY GROUPS
FIGHT OVER ORDER
Parkhurst Adams Factions
File Briefs in Appeal of
Dissolution Writ.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


RICHMOND, Va, May 27.-Briefs
for both contending factions in the con-
test which has arisen over the legality
of the Virginia Corporation Commits
SONS dissolution on January of the
Susan B. Anthony Foundation, Inc,
have been filed with the commission.
The case may be decided by June Is.
The appellants in the case. a group
headed by Mrs. Virginia Peters Park
hurst of Washington, represented by
Elmer j. Binford, Washington attorney,
are seeking to set aside the commits
Sions order OF January 8 dissolving the
corporation on the grounds that the
application was not made in accordance
with the law. and that the officers ap-
plying for the dissolution were not
bona fide officers of the corporation.
Miss Adams Heads AppelIees.
The appellees, group headed by Mrs.
Mary Allen Adams of Washington, are.
seeking to sustain the dissolution order,
claiming that the application was legal
and that the corporation has outlived
its usefulness. r. Lynch Montague,
Richmond attorney, prepared the brief
for this faction.
The arguments apparently hinge
upon the legality of meetings held be-
tween December, 1927, and June, 1928,
when the foundation divided into the
two contending groups, each of which
now claims to have the bona f1de Of
flcers. The Parkhurst faction asserts
That Mrs. Adams, acting president Sc
coded from the board, and the Adams
group asserts that the other faction Or
gained contrary to law and was the
seeding group.
The Binford brief seeks to prove that
Mrs. Adams withdrew from a legal
meeting of the board in December, 1927,
and there after sought to break up the
corporation; further that the annual
meeting held by the Parkhurst faction
IN May, 1928, was a legal session and
that the board chosen at this meeting
Is the legal board. Irene Arnold was
chosen president, supplanting the act
ing president, Mrs. Adams.
Mr.. Binford further claimed that the
Adams faction did not conform to the
charter and the law in calling and con-
Quoting an annual meeting in 1923:
further that this meeting was not called
by the board or any official thereof.
The conclusions are that this action
by the Adams board to dissolve the
corporation were not legal, that nom
conformance with the law voids the
action, that failure to give proper notice
to the members voids the action, and
that any dissolution order obtained by
fraud" can be vacated.
The brief for the Adams faction pre-
pared by Mr.. Montague asserts that
10 Of the original charter members of
from the time the corporation was
chartered until 1t was dissolved. This
the other side denies.
Deny "Officers" Were Members.
1t is claimed further that "the per-
sons claimed by the appellant to have
been elected members on May "a, 1927,
namely Mrs. Ruby Lee Minar, Mrs. APP
pleton Clark, Mrs. Patterson and Mrs
Jessie Dell, were not even lay members
as no dues had ever been paid by
them"
It Is asserted in the Montague brief
that the original board continued in
Office with the exception of Virginia
Peters Parkhurst, Marie H. Heath, Clara
O'Brien McCrone, and Mate H. Lewis,
who resigned in 1927; Mrs. Nannette B.
Paul, who died, and Mrs. Grace Ross
Chamberlin and Anna E. Hendley, who
were removed by vote of the board and
their successors elected on October 20,
1928. Miss Mate H. Lewis later with
drew her resignation and rejoined the
Adams board, it is stated.
The only legal directors according to
the brief, are Luella Montgomery Nc
KEENAN,, Mary I. Thompson, Emily Rose
Snyder, Manolah c. Brennan, Grace r.
Osgood, Mary Allen Adams. Celine w.
Frizzel, Mary E. Heyler, Mate H. Lewis
all charter members-Grace w. Siebold,
Jessie F. Deal, Teresa Dean, Louise
Evans, Lille M. Walker and Mrs. James
Andrew Walsh, all elected october 20,
1928.
1t is claimed that the meeting at
which the other faction organized held
December 10, 1927. the meeting from
which Mrs. Adams withdrew, was not a
legal meeting, since it was called and
conducted by a minority of the then
existing board.
The conclusion Of the Adams faction
brief claims that the Parkhurst faction
is and always has been a minority group
without legal authority to transact bus
mess and that consequently, its actions
have been and are illegal.