Elias v. Elias

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Musmanno,

John Elias, with his three sons, operated in Philadelphia a rug business. Being a strong-willed man, John kept exclusive custody of the books and records, and, from time to time, paid his sons such sums as he felt they were entitled to. This ironhanded system seemed to work well and the business flourished. In 1950 he died and his eldest son, William, picked up the scepter of control and ordered his brothers around as the father had done in his lifetime.

One of the brothers, Thomas, objected to this patriarchal treatment, and he particularly grumbled that his…