Heterick Memorial Library Ohio Northern University

Contact Us Library Hours

Literary Society Quarrels - Continued

October 27, 1905, V. XXIII, No. 23

CHAPTER 65.

The spring term of 1877 there was another serious society fight. The Faculty now consisted of H.S. Lehr, M.J. Ewing, who represented G.W. Rutledge, Mollie Schoonover, who had been representing J.J. Wood; J.G. Park, and as Fred Maglott had bought an interest in the school, he was added to the Faculty while sitting as a kind of supreme court. I will first give the charge against the Philos.

Ada, Ohio, Mar. 31, 1877.

To the Faculty of the N.W.O. Normal School;

Gentlemen: We have strong evidence to believe that Mr. Philip Smith, Mr. Geo Bradshaw, and Mr. Timmerman were elected as members of the Philomathean society without their consent. Is this the policy by which the societies are to be governed in the future? Is it right? We demand an investigation.

Atty. J.M. Hamsher
Pres. J.W. Zeller

Decisions.

I. From evidence given by Mrs. Smith and others that he (Smith) was not a member of the Philomathean society on his first election. As to he being a member, at present, will depend upon whether the constitution of said society will permit a legal vote upon members as a called meeting.

II. That from a preponderance of evidence, Mr. H.G. Bradshaw did not give his entire consent to become a member of said society, and therefore, at present is not a member of said society.

III. That from the conflicting testimony, in reference to Mr. Zimmerman, I as one of the judges, am unable to decide whether his name was obtained legally or not. As the solicitor wrote his name, without obtaining his special permission, and he not recalling it, places it beyond my jurisdiction.

J.G. Park.

I think the solicitors are largely to blame, but I do not think them guilty of falsifying intentionally. I do not think Mr. Bradshaw gave consent to forward his name, but I do think Mr. Zimmerman gave consent. Both sides agreed that Mr. Smith was elected illegally by mistake.

M. Jay Ewing

Decision made after attending the investigation of the charge against the Philomathean Literary society, concerning the illegal election of certain person's membership.

1. No evidence was given in the case of Mr. Philip Smith. From his assertion I judge his election illegal.

2. The evidence given in the case of Mr. Bradshaw induces me to decide his election was illegal.

3. The evidence in Mr. Zimmerman's case was conflicting, but the preponderance favors the decision that his election was legal. I decide it so.

Mollie Schoonover

In reference to the charges brought by the Franklin society against the Philomathean society judging from the witnesses, I give as my decision; 1st. that Philip Smith, first time was not elected illegally. 2nd. that H.G. Bradshaw was not elected legally and therefore is not a member of the Philomathean society. 3rd. that C.F. Zimmerman was legally elected.

Frederick Maglott
April 5th, 1877


Decision of H.S. Lehr, principal N.W.O.N.S., in the case of F.L.S. versus P.L.S.
1st Charge. That Philip Smith was elected a regular member of the Philomathean society without his consent.
Decision. By the testimony elicited Philip was elected a member of said society without his consent, which is further shown by his reelection as a member of said society. As to the way it happened I can not decide as Mr. Smith refused to testify to that matter.

2nd Count. That Geo. Bradshaw was elected without his consent. I shall here rest my decision on the preponderance of evidence. The testimony of Geo. Bradshaw is positive that he did not consent; that of C.F. Zimmerman is the same, also of John Bowland and the testimony of W.H. Ferrell is indication of the same. On the other hand the solicitor, Miss Myrtle Maxwell, testifies that Geo. Bradshaw did give his consent, but can not give the language in which the consent was given. I therefore, in consideration of all the testimony decide that Geo. Bradshaw is not a member of the Philomathean Literary society.

3rd. Charge. That C.F. Zimmerman was elected without his consent. The testimony in this case is very conflicting; that of Geo. Bradshaw and C.F Zimmerman coinciding in the fact that he did not give his consent, while that of Myrtle Maxwell, Minnie Manning, Mr. W.H. Ferrell is to the effect that he gave his consent to join and the evidence of L.D. Wisener and several others would indicate the same. Therefore judging from the preponderance of testimony I would decide that C.F. Zimmerman is a member of the Philomathean Literary society.

H.S. Lehr

The Franklins had elected Philip Smith legally and the Philos at a called meeting elected Mr. Smith a second time. Smith wanted to be a Philo and Zimmerman a Franklin. I proposed that the societies make the transfer, to let Zimmerman be a Franklin and Smith a Philomathean. All agreed and peace was declared. This war resulted in a new Faculty law. The Faculty now declared that in future the societies must prepare printed membership cards, on which was to be printed--I solicit regular membership in Literary society. For honorary membership there were to be special cards. The person soliciting membership had to sign the card. If the solicitor would sign, it was illegal and the election was void. The societies said they could not afford the printing expense. We paid the printing fully one year.

The members of the Faculty of 1877 can now call at the Herald office and get the decisions handed to me twenty-eight years ago. The judges and all the witnesses but two are still living. Miss Maxwell later Mrs. Stanley Woodruff died many years ago and one of the Bradshaw boys died some years ago. All the others as far as I know are still living. Have not heard from Mr. Hamsher for about fifteen years.

Sometime during the winter term '76-7, Will S. Cunningham, S.A. Post, J.C. Harvey, Will Kelly, R.M. Kelly, a Mr. Wynn, J.W. Culberson and several others whose names I have forgotten, took my cow out of my barn and pasted paper all over the poor animal and put her in a store box stall somewhere downtown. On some of the cards they told of my imperfections, on some of my partial society decisions, and other hits. None of the jokes were expressed in insulting language. There were also some complimentary expressions. The next morning I went to see Mrs. Lynn who had charge of Poverty hall and asked whether any of the boys had been out during the night. She said that they had piled wood against the kitchen door and that she caught Culbertson and some one else in the act. She begged me not to tell that she caught them. I called at Culbertson's room and told him to come and see my cow. He could easily see that she was badly injured, and that she was worth $50. He said he did not help to drive her down street. I said I promised not to tell who gave me his name. He said, "I know it was Post." I replied, "But Post did not help to watch my door." He replied, "he and Cunningham and Harvey and the Kelley boys drove her down town." He named others but I don't remember their names. I called to see Mr. Post and told him that he, Cunningham, Kelleys and others had taken my cow down town and that I feared she was seriously injured; that I wanted pay for the cow. He wanted to know how I found out.

I called a meeting of all connected with the affair. Post and Cunningham gave the names of the others connected. When we met they begged to give them my informant. They blamed David Stoll, of Wooster, my nephew. Mr. Stoll, they said, saw them go out and must have followed. Stoll had said not a word. The boys themselves gave me their own names. Many times has that been the case. But they blamed Stoll and to punish him they got up a crowd to got to the edge of town to steal chickens. One of the number was concealed and when he was in the coop came up, caught him and gave him a good trouncing. He did not dare to complain. But it got into the Philo paper. The editor, I will not give her name, told the joke and intimated that to screen my nephew I had cracked the truth. I let the matter drop. I got a letter from her son yesterday asking for a position and a recommendation.