Rutherford Exposed: The Story of Berta and Bonnie

by Farkel 747 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  Leolaia

  It is a possibility but one should bear in mind that there were many other people also named "William P. Heath". Here are some examples from the 1930 census:

  William P. Heath, born about 1920, living in Los Angeles, CA
  William P. Heath, born about 1918, living in Santa Clara, CA
  William P. Heath, born about 1875 in Indiana, living in Denver, CO
  William P. Heath, born about 1876 in Georgia, living in Buckhead, Fulton, GA (this is our Heath, Sr.)
  William P. Heath, born about 1877 in Georgia, living in Dug Road, Pickens, GA
  William P. Heath, born about 1928 in Georgia, living in Dug Road, Pickens, GA
  William P. Heath, born about 1872 in Kansas, living in Neosho Falls, Woodson, KS
  William P. Heath, born about 1902 in Tennessee, living in Newport, Campbell, KY
  William P. Heath, born about 1871 in Kentucky, living in Durbin, Edmonson, KY
  William P. Heath, born about 1877 in Vermont, living in Rockland, Knox, ME
  William P. Heath, born about 1916, living in Fryeburg, Oxford, ME

  This is only about a third of them....and this is not even counting those just listed as "William Heath" but who may have had "P." as their middle initial.

  To disconfirm your hypothesis, try to find if this William P. Heath was born between 1930-1939, and if he was born in South Carolina or Georgia. If not, then he would clearly not be relevant to our Heath, Jr.

  I was also thinking of contacting the Coca-Cola company if they have an institutional historian. William P. Heath, Sr. was the Vice-President of Coca-Cola. Surely, there'd be stuff on that!
• 

  Kenneson

  Leo,

  I did a search for the Heaths in Zion's Watch Tower. Found nothing.
• 

  Leolaia

  MerryMagdalene....That's a magnificent timeline. And how much of that did anyone know before this thread got started?

  I found Albert Ernest Eckols with ease on the 1930 census. He lived at 4181 35 St., San Diego, CA, with his wife Meriel and his 6-year-old daughter Joanne M. Eckols. He was 26 years old, born in Illinois on March 9, 1904, and worked as "doctor -- Chiropractic". His wife was two years younger than him, born in New Mexico, and they had been married for 7 years. Since Joanne was born in California, Albert E. Eckols had been a California resident for at least 6 years. He died on May 10, 1940 in San Diego.
• 

  MerryMagdalene

  I am so hooked on this thread and the amazing contributions made to it. It really brings to light the secret history of the WTB&TS and fleshes out the characters of those involved in its governance and evolution. I can hardly wait for the next piece of the puzzle to be revealed and put into place. Who knew Berta & Bonnie would kindle a fire this big? I feel like I have learned so much through this investigation. My heartfelt thanks to everyone here!!!
• 

  Leolaia

  Okay, I think I just tracked down some info on William P. Heath, Sr.

  I thought I'd take a look at the WWI draft cards. As you may recall, August H. Balko Jr. exempted from the draft on the grounds of being a "Millenium Dawnist". There is no such exemption for Heath, Sr. His full name was William Pratt Heath, and he was born on July 17, 1875, so he was 43 years old when he submitted his registration on September 12, 1918. His address was 255 Ashby Street, Atlanta, GA. This is a different address in Atlanta than where he lived in 1920. The name of his wife was Mrs. Susie Heath, and his occupation was Vice President & Secretary of N. P. Pratt Laboratory at 90 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, GA. Considering that "Pratt" was also his middle name, this company was likely his own -- or his family's own. As posted earlier in this thread, a WP Heath was the chemist for Coca-Cola, and William Pratt Heath was indeed a chemist. Here's something form a newspaper article I just found:

  "N. P. Pratt, a sulphuric acid manufacturer from Atlanta, and W. P. Heath, an expert chemist, are at the Washoe smelter as special agents of the Government to investigate the feasibility of establishing a plant for the manufacture of sulphuric acid" (Wall Street Journal, April 23, 1909, p. 2).

  So I wonder how much of Heath's fortune was from Coca-Cola (who I guess was originally one of his clients) and how much is what he built up from the earlier success of N. P. Pratt?
• 

  MerryMagdalene

  Excellent, Leolaia!

  I just googled NP Pratt Laboratory and came up w/ 2 articles of possible interest:

  1) a quote from booklet titled "Ford, A Business Utility" circa 1920..."N.P. Pratt Laboratory of Atlanta, Ga., uses Ford cars and is well pleased with the results." http://www.mtfca.com/books/Ford_business.htm

  2) The Filter Press Newsletter of the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society lists Mr. W.P. Heath (Pratt Laboratory) as an organizer of the Georgia Section in 1903 and J. Meisel, N.P. Pratt and W.P. Heath of Pratt Labs as among the Original 22 Founding Members of the Association of Georgia Chemists. It also gives a current list of the Georgia Section Officers and Board where there can be found, under Councilors: Lihong D'Angelo of The Coca Cola Company. http://www.spsu.edu/chem/FP/FP_11_03.pdf
• 

  Leolaia

  W. P. Heath was a founding member of the Association of Georgia Chemists.

  And here is something about Heath trying to figure out in 1902 how much cocaine was in Coca-Cola:

  By Heath's calculation, the amount of ecgonine [an alkaloid in the coca leaf that could be synthesized to create cocaine] was infinitesimal: no more than one part in 50 million. In an entire year's supply of 25-odd million gallons of Coca-Cola syrup, Heath figured, there might be six-hundredths of an ounce of cocaine.
  http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/cocaine.asp

  I am also wondering if Heath Jr. did have a son with Dorothy S. Heath named William S. Heath. Curiously enough, to this day there is a scholarship in South Carolina "for employees of the former [South] Carolina Coca-Cola Bottling Company". Note:

  http://www.yourfoundation.org/scholarships/heath.aspx

  William P. Heath Jr. in 1930 was manager of a bottling company in South Carolina, and his wife had "S." as her middle initial. Might be a coincidence, but it is interesting.
• 

  Leolaia

  Coca-Cola Consolidated And Carolina Coca-Cola Sign Letter Of Intent.
  PR Newswire, Oct 22, 1998
  CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 22
  

  /PRNewswire/ -- Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated (Nasdaq: COKE) and a majority of the shareholders of Carolina Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Inc. today signed a letter of intent for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated to merge with Carolina Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

  "The trend in this industry is toward consolidation to improve efficiency. We are pleased that a professional organization like Coca-Cola Consolidated will be owning and managing the Coca-Cola franchise in this area," said William S. Heath, President of Carolina Coca-Cola.
  http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m4PRN/1998_Oct_22/53113271/p1/article.jhtml

  Whoa, so William S. Heath was "President" of one of the Coca-Cola companies as recent as 1998? Could a present President of a Cola-Cola company be the son of a former Watchtower Board of Directors member??? Well, I don't know, really, but if "William S. Heath" was born in, say, 1935, he would have been 63 years old in 1998 -- which sounds quite plausible. If this guy died recently (hence, the scholarship), maybe we can find an obituary with his age and family info.
  

  That would be funny if true.
• 

  MerryMagdalene

  WOW, Leolaia!

  And check this out-- we may have a lead here on who Dorothy S's father was:

  Mendel L. Smith, South Carolina legislator, lawyer and orator

  born: 1870 July 5, Smithville, SC

  married: 1895 April, Anna Dixon

  4 children: Mendel Jr., Benjamin M., Mrs. WW Bates, and Mrs. WP Heath, Jr.

  died: 1934 June 15

  http://www.sc.edu/library/socar/mnscrpts/smendel.html
• 

  Leolaia

  LOL!!! Well, now check this out.....
  

  In the 1930 census, Mendel L. Smith, age 59, employed as "Lawyer -- General Practice" was stated as living at 516 Chestnut Street, DeKalb Township, Camden City, Kershaw County, South Carolina with wife Anna D. Smith (age 52), and son Mendel L. Smith, Jr. (age 29, and employed as a real estate agent)!! In the same census, William P. Heath, Jr. (born in 1904 in Georgia) and Dorothy S. were living at, you guessed it, 1505 Hampton Avenue, DeKalb Township, Camden City, Kershaw County, South Carolina. So Heath, Jr. and his wife Dorothy lived in the same town as the Mendel L. Smith you mentioned. Although the streets no longer exist with their old names (as far as I can see), the following map of the area shows that the town itself was quite small:

  So that makes it extremely likely that Dorothy S. was actually originally Dorothy Smith and the daughter of Mendel L. Smith, who as we also know, had a daughter with the married name Mrs. W. P. Heath. Great find!