I contacted the Knights of Pythias organization. When I have an answer I will let you all know.
Did you know that J.F. Rutherford was part of the Knights of Pythias? There's PROOF for this!
by ILoveTTATT2 78 Replies latest jw friends
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slimboyfat
I think it's interesting but not terribly surprising or scandalous.
I'd be astonished if it was a different J F Rutherford. It's safe to assume it's him.
Times like these we need Leolaia around.
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rebel8
This stuff is interesting, and maybe there are some people who would be moved to leave the cult based on this info. I wouldn't have been one of them, but it's plausible somebody, somewhere, would be.
I knew the org was full of "pagan" stuff back in the day. I always knew that even when I was (trying to be) a faithful jw. It is not difficult for a jw to come across that info. Golden Age era publications are available in print. I can only imagine how exponentially this availability has increased now that the Internet has arrived.
It was always explained as proof the org was fulfilling scripture about old light and new light--if anything, faith strengthening. (As crazy as that sounds.)
Back then, the average jw knew they celebrated Christmas at Bethel and had a cross as their symbol.
Masons were very common back then. Even if thee Rutherford was one, it has never struck me as important, for the reason I described.
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steve2
"I'd be astonished if it was a different J F Rutherford. It's safe to assume it's him."
Except that, as an earlier poster or two pointed out, there were several J F Rutherford living at that time in that district. As far as I am aware, none of Rutherford's contemporary enemies spared any effort in exposing the man, both before he converted and certainly after he became one of Chuck's Bible Student.
Yes, Leolaia, we miss you!
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ILoveTTATT2
It is most likely him.
Here's another time where he appeared in the same newspaper.
http://truthhistory.blogspot.mx/2012/12/j-f-rutherfords-first-book.html -
ILoveTTATT2
Population of Boonville, MO in 1900 was 4377 according to Wikipedia. Two J.F. Rutherfords among 4377 people?
I highly doubt it.
I need to get more clippings from this newspaper. -
ILoveTTATT2
I only pay for access to UK records, so unfortunately not able to check US censuses, but to give an idea, listed in the 1871 UK census, there are 17 different Joseph Rutherfords born around 1869 and 64 John Rutherfords . If anyone has access to the US Ancestry website, you will very likely find similar results, including the Joseph and John in question.
So we have 5 J.R.'s in Missouri. How many J. F. Rutherfords though?
The free Latter Day Saints website lists 71 Joseph Rutherfords alive in the 1880 census, including 5 in Missouri.
We have confounding info #1 which was a John F. Rutherford, but he was in Arkansas.
Confounding info #2 is J. Rutherfords, but not J.F. Rutherfords.
Same first name and middle name initial, and last name, in a small town of less than 4400 people?Safe to assume it's him. But now I want a "smoking gun" proof.
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slimboyfat
I'd say there's a lot about Rutherford's life that isn't known. Like the founder of the Mormon's once boasted: "no man knows my history".
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ILoveTTATT2
I am looking through dozens of newspapers, and every single time, when they mention J.F. Rutherford, of Boonville, MO, you can tell it's Joseph Franklin because they associate him with something related to law.
The newspapers seemed to always say "J.F. Rutherford, of Boonville" in the Missouri Newspapers.
In Arkansas Newspapers, they mentioned "J.F. Rutherford, of Pine Bluff".
But they're two different places in two different states! -
Jeffro
ILoveTTATT2:
It is most likely him.
No, you want it to be him. For someone who supposedly 'loves truth', you're not really that interested in actual truth. There is a J. (John) F. Rutherford who was from Missouri and was later in Arkansas who was president of the Bluff City Lumber Company and that company has many Knights Pythias members, and many of those are also Woodmen members, which is also obviously associated with Lumber. But you want it to be Joseph Franklin Rutherford, and that is essentially the limit of your 'research'. Your threshold for 'truth' is appalling.
Arkansas is one thing, and Boonville, Missouri, is another.
But they're two different places in two different states!
Ha ha. John F. Rutherford was in Arkansas around 1910, when he was president of the Lumber company. Joseph F. Rutherford was in Pittsburgh at the same time. Neither were in Missouri then. Hence your assertion that "they're two different places in two different states" is completely irrelevant and your apparent excitement that Boonville is not in Arkansas is quite odd.
Same first name and middle name initial, and last name, in a small town of less than 4400 people? Safe to assume it's him. But now I want a "smoking gun" proof.
No. Blatant dishonesty. Joseph and John are entirely different first names.