The Omaha guide., 1946-12-07
NATL NEWS
REVIEW
Little Napoleon of Elkdom
Ordered by N. Y. State
Supreme Court to Hold
An Election in ImpriaI
TndUa Casa

Lodge Case
NEW YORK, N. Y. Global-
Automatica ally lifting the sus-
pension of Imperial Lodge No. 127
IBPOE of w of $50 West 10th st
in New York City. and holding
the j. Finley Wilson-directed cleo
ton of a group of alleged insur-
gent members which was held on
August Goth in the Lodge Home.
Illegal, New York State Supreme
Court Judge James B. M. McNa1ly
ruled that Imperial Lodge No. 127
of the Improved Benevolent and
Protective Order Of Elks of the
World should hold another cleo
ton at which all Of the members
Of the Lodge would be present on
December 8, 1916, at which the
District Deputy Of the Grand LODI
ge must be present, and to be su-
pervised by Judge John r. Davis
another Judge Of the New York
Supreme Court.
The ruling was made on Nov
ember goth.
Court. Ignores j.. Finley Wilson's
Plea for Dissolution Of
ImperlaI's State Corporation
In dispensing his Court Order
for a new election, which would
be representative of the entire
membership of the Lodge, Judge
James B. M. McNally tacitly ig-
nored the frenzied pleas of j. Fin
ley Wilson and his co-Counsel,
Attorneys Perry Howard and
Watts, that Imperial Lodge break
down or dissolve their N. Y, State
Corporation Immediately and turn
ed over the members property to
Elkdom's Grand Lodge. Instead,
he made the above ruling and adj
journed the case until December
18th. Imperial Lodges property
holdings, which are owned eXclu-
sively by the members, r listed
at approximately 100000 with a
yearly revenue of over S100, 900.
Case Began When Wilson Was
Served Summons in Buffalo
At the EIks Convention
]. Finley Wilson, Grand Exalted
Ruler of the IBPOE Of w started
the present legal wrangle when he
according to Mr.. Arthur Brisbane
exalted ruler of Imperial Lodge,
arbitrarily and dic~tatorially sus-
pended the Lodge January 8, 1916
for failure to break down the
Lodges Corporation and turns the
members property over to the
Grand Lodge. When he failed to
pay any heed to J. Finley Wilson's
suspension order.
The court fight was initiated
when Leonard r. Bell, public re-
lations officer and board member
of Imperial Lodge No. 127, served
Mr.. Wilson with a Supreme Court
summons on August 9th in Buff
falo toward a court injunction re-
straining Mr.. Wilson and his dual
lodge from interfering with I'M
perial Lodge property, after VIII
son had held an election in Imper-
ial Lodge among the members,
whom Mr.. Bell contended were an
insurgent group and that the cleo
ton was unauthorized.
Imperial Lodge No. 1877 Asked For
an Election on 1st Hearing of Case
Mr.. Brisbane revealed that at
the first hearing of this case in
September. before Supreme Court
Judge Ferdinand Pecora. who re-
ferred it to Judge John r. Davis
for meditation, Imperial's Attorn-
eys, Sidney Hirsh and Edwin Lad
den, had offered a suggestion that
all other issues be set aside and
a new election be held to decide
just who the membership wanted
for their leader. But Mr.. Brisbane
declared, this proposition was
fatty rejected by the Grand Ex-
allied Ruler and His Counsel,
Perry Howard and Watts. who in
their refusal to accept this pro-
position, stated that they first
wanted the property turned over
to the Grand Lodge and the Cor
poration broken down after which
they would be willing to consider
anything"
Mr.. Brisbane feels that Imperial
Lodge No. 127 and the Elks LODI
ges throughout the jurisdiction
have won a complete moral and
technical victory over a dictatorial
leader, j. Finley Wilson. and an
arbitrary power-mad Grand Lodge
who have hpnn iS p0uvar foo IorCv