The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-03-22
A Woman Among the Sons Of
Malta.

few days since we called attention 10
that great excitement existing in Zanes
vile, Ohio, with regard to the disappearance
of Mr. Curtis, who it was said, had divulged
the secrets Of the Sons of Malta and he'd been
spirited away by the members of the Order.
to the great distress Of his family and the
astonishment of the public at large, who
scarcely knew what to think of the boldness
of the proceeding. 1t turns out that the ex-
pose which gave otfense to the Order. was
not written by Curtis, but by his wife, who
comes out with an avowal of the fact, and
gives it as her opinion that the Sons are not
to blame for his disappearance.
Mrs. Curtis writes very ammusng ac-
count of Mr.. Curtis and Mr.. Smith becom
ing Sons of Malta, and the natural curiosity
of herself and Mrs. Smith to find out the Sc
crets Of the Order The two ladies agreed
to have themselves proposed as members,
and got Mrs. Smiths cousin to attend to the
matt'r. 'Well,' Mrs. Curtis goes on to say.
we were proposed and elected, and Joe came
iown into the store where we were and told
uS, so we hurried through with the dressing,
and went up to the ante-chamber and sat
dor*n I'll in row. We hadn't sat there
long before two men came out to us from the
inside room, all muffled up in gowns, and
having kind Of tin hats on their heads
which covered their faces. They asked us
for S. each; and Joe handed over the money
for us and himself as we had given him
Nearly our amounts, and promised him the
rest soon. Then there came two other men
like the other two, who formed us into a
line (they call it sigle file) and tod us to
walk right along. They had swords and one
Of them walked before Joe, who was in front
while the other walked behind me. 1t was
dark, or nearly so, when we passed in, I
was glad of the darkness, because having on
suit of my husbands clothes was not sure
that they fitted very we'll"
She next describes some of the scenes in
side as she saw them, and says: Il was not
frightened, for am not one of your timid
people, being reared to ride colts, shoot pis-
tolls, akate and swim. So got through all
the maneuvers, previous that coat business,
pretty well. But when the conductor said
Can you swim, sirg said, yes Can
you swim in fourteen feet of water?' I said
Yes, the deeper the better" well, take
your coat and try yourself!' that scared me
because had put on a loose sack on purpose
for reasons you will see yourself
However, | thought a moment and then
said, No, sir; never heed the coat-I can
swim as we'll with as without itr Very
WELL said the conductor, your peril will be
upon your own head. Now hold up your
own head. Now hold up your right hand,
sir take this life preserver, and Here
he gave me push and went over back
ward, and as soon as alighted I went up
again tiying-then down and up in the
same way, until thought all my brains
were flying nut of the top of my he'd, and
then everything swan round and round un-
til did not know anything at all, for had
tainted.
The next place I found myself was in the
ante-chamber by two men, and was first
conscious that must have been sitting in a
bath tub with my clothes on. | think that
/ the cool air brought me to my senses The
two men looked very scared and sorry. I
looked about for Mrs. Smith and Joe, but
| they had gone as soon as they heard the noise
in initiating me. asked one of the men if
Mr.. Curtis was in the lodge. The man said
he was. I said would like to see him a
minute. The man went into the lodge-room
and presently out came my beautiful hus-
band, all mufiled up. | just whispered a
word or two in his ear, and maybe he
didn't pull off his gown and hood in short
order and walk home with me.
He left me that night in anger and mortifi-
cation, and have not seen him since But
then he had no need to be angry, because he
has always known that have been in favor
of 'Woman's Rights and have always held
that women are as capable as men, But
when it comes to the Sons of Malta, l think
'Woman's Rights, is failure, they cannot
do it, do not suppose any of the men,
bers reccollect my initiation, but they will
recollect the man who fainted, unless there
have been others who have tainted as well
as myseli-which last | think quite prob
able
Mrs. Curtis stops here. Her husband, we
may add, is yet missing, and not likely soon
to turn up, but she blames herself for the
whole thing.
EZG Alluded to Cows.