1917 Watchtower Bible Student Schism - A2Z.org

ovr mwtbncd were the managar, of the London oCce, con- llJdp~~n rampaging. He land1 Housden reizing .
duedag tJw worlc thcrc
mails and cash. ' Huten sealed uncella~on author-
'
that Brew Johnson had no authoritp to dis- ity. Cormack two. otherr rympathize with him.
cb ~mtbrs Sam md Crawford, and being doubtful Solicitor recommends Johnson's forcible ejection.
of% rbtb, ! U t the following cablegram to Brother Have placed embargo on bank"
Johnrsll:
After the commissioners were appointed and Brother John-
"Ram coatetdihg rides !gn agreed rhtement of rdn learned that they were to go to London to investigate
fdr and cblbd for iuy deasroan
the facts and report, hr vi~itrd rock on. of them prrsonally
Tlrea $ a few I left f ~ C@fornia. r Some time after and tried to influence them in his behalf. and against the
I r e Angdu I mtrved tnformatron from Brothers others. This fact b proven by the following letters from
Cnwfwd md Sham, alw from Brother Johnson, that the
Brother Crawford :
two broths merLhned had been discharged from the Lon- LETTERS FROM BROTHER CRAWFORD
doa o&e and the Lsadoo Bethel I appointed five able
Janua 30 1917.
bretbron i Great Brit& u a co~sion to invedgate,
%ancaster Gate, London, ~.%g.hb
mid then seat the fotlowbg cablegram:
M. J. F. R m m m
"Sheam, Hemery, Cnwford, ohmon, Londo :
and The Executive Committee,
"Sh. Crawford ditmiss J absolutely without
WATCH Tom Bxm AND
Restore them immediately. Must have
F%
- TMCT - - -S- - m .
Brooklyn, N. Y.
before my commi~ioners. Show cable WE& BA~EP~N Iy TEX bD:
commrsionur. Report awaited"
..... Briefiy, the circurnstancec are as fo!lows.
The next day 1 received a ablegram dated Liverpool, About a month or ro before our dear Bro.ther Russell
February 84. 1917. and reading as follows :
passed beyond, the Elders of the London Tabernacle .
"Ruthirford. Watch ~&ei Society,
-rulizin that the urngemenb then uu'!ting in the
Brooklyn, N. Y.
TabernaA were not grvmg complete ratrsfaction to
"Surprised at cablegram. 'Have you not ~ received
the members of the Congregation-unanrrnou~ly
my litters recond, '-eleven, twentpsne.
agreed to call a meeting and inquire into all the
Shearn, Crawford, leading s-ixth sif,tmg. Eze itauav 'el Nine
crrcumstances which lay at the root of the trouble.. ..
Bewarr Cablerm campaign engmeered Crawford,
"Shortly after, word came that Brother Johnson
Sheam, Ezra ehemiah Mordeai experience type
was on bis way, and we wondered if by chance he
mine hue. Since January Twen -eight am Steward had been charged by Brother Russell with the ex-
-
Matthew, Twenty, eight. ~hnrn,%aman then hanged
pression of his mind on the matter. When Brother
on gallows for me. Was then given Esther Eight,
Johnson arrived, however, hc knew nothing of the
Two Fifteen powers like Russell's. Cnwford, San-
correspondence and at once ret about, as he thought,
ballat, Sheam, Tobiah, Guard Senior, Giahen. Will
to set things in order in the Tabernacle We all
you be my. right hand Must keep my hands on.
wished him God speed and gave him every .assistw
J ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .
ance
"
possible. Judge, then, of my surprise ,when,
a few days later, I found all the eleven Elders condemned
by Brother Johnson, and myself with two
other brethren of the Office staff charged by him
(This, and rubs uent cablegrams sent out by Brother
.Johnson cost the 2 ociee hundreds of dollars for their
.transmission.) . .
Within the next two or three days I received the follow-
ing cablegram from Brother Hemeiy, dated London, Feb. 26th :
"Johnson claims full confml everything. I resist
u your repraentative Dispute with csmanagers
his, not minc Lor Angeles cable hu attention.
What are Johnson'! powers '
On the ~ t of h February I cabled Brother Johnson as
follows :
Your work finished London; return America,
imp~rtant.'~
Believing from the information that I had, aqd from the
language used b Brother Johnsor! in-his cablegram, in which
he stated that