Was Rutherford a good lawyer? Or was he Bluffing?

by VM44 28 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  VM44

  Was Rutherford a good lawyer?

  This is a question I have asked myself several times.

  The facts are tha Rutherford took a course in shorthand, and worked in a law office for a time, and then became a lawyer (passed the bar) by passing an oral examination given by a panel of lawyers.

  Does that qualify for an education in law?

  Rutherford, as it is well know, filled in for the travelling circuit judge a few times, for a total of FOUR days.

  Years later it was published that Rutherford was a member of the "New York Bar", but there is a question if that group even existed.

  There is no record that I know of indicating Rutherford ever won a case in court of law.

  When CT Russell sued the Brooklyn Daily Eagle for libel over a cartoon of him that they published, another lawyer instead of Rutherford was used (although Rutherford was there and involved in the case, he just was no the lead lawyer)

  So there is indeed a question about the real qualifications of Rutherford as a lawyer.

  From Walter Salter's 1937 letter to Rutherford[1]:

  "Two years ago last summer you made the statement to me and another that you had bluffed all your life. I believe that was one of the truest statements you ever made..."

  That Rutherford was a lawyer is not in question, that he was appointed to be a fill in "Judge" is not in question, with regards to his abilities as a lawyer, there are questions, and whether he indeed "bluffed" his way as a lawyer.

  --VM44

  [1] Walter Salter's letter to J.F. Rutherford, April 1, 1937 http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/salter.htm
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  VM44

  Here is one example from Rutherford's legal career:

  From: About "Judge" Rutherford http://www.exjws.net/aboutrutherford.htm

  Rutherford was cited for contempt of court on at least three occasions. Proof of this is found in Morgan County Book 13, page 251 for August 8, 1894 and Cooper County Book 2, page 376 on May 15,1895. His worst known impropriety in law during the Missouri years was recorded in Permanent File #5113 of the Cooper County Circuit Court dated February 4, 1896 and involved a case heard by Judge Dorsey W. Shackleford. Rutherford was representing the National Cash Register Company against David Nicholson of Boonville.
  
  After Nicholson had levied a writ of attachment on a cash register machine that had been used at the saloon of Charley Merstetter, a deputy constable named Wright went to seize the machine but Rutherford met him at the saloon, held papers before Wright and told him that if Wright would go to see William Muir Williams the attorney representing Nicholson and who later became a state supreme court judge, then Williams would confirm that Rutherford held possession of the machine. Wright left the machine to speak with attorney Williams and upon returning found that machine gone. Rutherford then lied that the machine had been sent on to Sedalia, Missouri, for deputy Wright found it "concealed" in a second office of Rutherford beneath some papers.
  
  The court ruled against the National Cash Register Company which had the case appealed but it lost on appeal too as is shown by examination of Missouri Appeal Reports Volume 68, page 441 c.p.447. And of course, the Watchtower history, Proclaimers, never even hints at this early scandal.
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  VM44

  In this one example, you can see Rutherford was bluffing, and the deputy called his bluff and caught Rutherford lying!

  This was how Rutherford practiced law?

  --VM44
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  skyman

  Thank you for posting this. I think he was a mad man that needed power.
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  VM44

  How much interest is there really about "Judge" Rutherford?

  Would there be enough interest in a book about him?

  Would anyone buy it?

  --VM44
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  stev

  I once spoke with a prominent JW historian. I asked him what he thought of Rutherford. Was he an evil man? He said, Oh, Yes - he was a "thug", "drunk", "womanizer", "fornicator", and more adjectives that I forget. I got the picture that he didn't think much of him! He said that he would like someday to write a biography of either Russell or Rutherford. Why he'd want to write on Rutherford I don't know! Russell would seem to be the better subject. He seemed to have many redeemable qualities, there are so many rumors about him, but it is difficult now to get a feeling of what he was really like, he was a public figure and there are differing opinions about his character., and he is becoming more of an historically important American religious figure. There is no scholarly biography on him.

  Rutherford seems to be a classic textbook case of the spiritually abusive leader. From that standpoint a biography might be interesting. But I wonder if he had any redeeming qualities about him, that would make him more palatable. Is it true that only four showed up at his funeral? Was there anything lovable about him? Did he start off good and go bad? Was he really that evil, or are some of the stories about him apocryphal? The only good adjective that I have read of him is that he was "jovial".

  Steve
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  stev

  One story I have heard about Rutherford that I wonder if it is apocryphal:

  He was found dead in the basement of the mansion in Calif. He had fallen down the stairs in a drunken stupor. and was being eaten by rats.

  I guess I just don't believe this. It sounds too much like Jezebel.

  Steve
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  theinfamousone

  the facts are that the man was an alcoholic, womanizing, lying, power hungry bastard.... aka a lawyer!!

  the infamous one
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  TheOldHippie

  "I once spoke with a prominent JW historian."

  But who, when, where you of course will not tell ?
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  stev

  I am afraid that I might not get the quote exactly. After all the conversation was not on the record. I also recall being told that Rutherford after a public debate went and punched his debating opponent and his followers followed suit and it became a brawl. Is this just a rumor or this written somewhere?

  Steve