The Jehovah's Witnesses began to emphasize their trademark house-to-house preaching in 1922. In spite of these efforts, attendance at their yearly Memorial dropped from a high of 90,434 in 1925 down to 17,380 in 1928, due to the previous power struggle, the failed predictions for the year 1925, and a number of significant doctrinal changes that alienated those who sided with Russell's views. By 1933, the year 1914 was reinterpreted as the beginning of Christ's presence and therefore the start of the "last days" rather than the terminal date in their chronology. Under Rutherford, the downward trend in membership would soon reverse itself, and the movement's membership grew to about 115,000 at the time of his death in 1942.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jehovah's_Witnesses
I was just reading this page and I recall when I was studying back in 1970 talking about this time period and they said on a few left and they were all apostates following Russell. But if you look at the numbers 70,054 leftthe Bible Students as they were then known as. The witnesses that studied with me didn't tell me the numbers and dumb me I never really checked it out till now some 40 years later. It is is obvious from the numbers that the majority of Bible Students never bought into Judge Rutherford take over of the organization back then. Of course I caught JW's in other delusions & lies since 2001. I' just glad to be out. of this religion, like most religions today they all have hidden secrets because of the leadership over the years of operation. But soy hows how they cover up the negative information about themselves just like they say other religions do. I've been out now 9 years and I'm still finding out stuff on that darn religion I devoted myself too for 30 years. Learning all this can sure make us feel like losers when we finally awaken from the dream.