Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-01-26
Dmnoroas 8eaaftg,
From the GAINESVILLE Aurora.
MS OF MALTA.

~.
AND MYSTERIES OF THE WONDERFUL
ORDER.
In almost every town and city in this
country there is lodge of the Sons of Nal,
ia. This mysterious order took its rise in
New Orleans some three or four years ago.
There are two accounts given of its origin.
1t is said, BY one account, to have origina'
ted with the army Of walker, the Filibus.
oer,' at the time that worthy was preparing
to take Cuba. Another account says that il
originated during the ravages of the yellow
fever, and was intended to divert the minds
= Of the frightened people, as we'll as to sup
ply a fund for charitable purpose-such a:
buyipg the homeless dead, &c. ....
However it may have originated, it is
not the order that outsiders take it to be, as
We shall presently show.
One of the brethren, who has been turn
ed out of the important and secret office,
the initials of which are &c R. j. A.,
has taken offence at the order, and COM
municated to us the whole proceedinss-
pass words, grips, signs, &c. ......
When about to become member of the
I. O. S. NJ. Independent Order Sons NAL
ta,) the candidate or candidates presents
himself or themselves in an outer room,
= where he meets committee of officers Of
the Lodge, who come to him out Of the
Lodge loom, with drawn swords in their
hands, and kind of three barred sheet iron
hats on, which hide their faces; the off,
GERS put test question to each candidate,
and any candidate who hesitates or falters
is allowed to depart in peace; those who
remain pay S. each; and the committee
returns to the Lodge room to report on
their cases and have them ballotted for.
The funds thus raised pay the rent Of
the room, and the balance is expended in
charities; there are no other dues, for rea-
sons which will appear hereafter.
After the candidates are ballotted for
and elected, the Grand Conductor goes out
to the ante-room and escorts the candidates
to the inside entrance door, where he
pounds on the door with the hilt of his
sword three times, the inside sentinel raises
little slide in the door-peeps out; and
the chief officer from the inside asks in a
loud voice:
What is the cause of this hub bub p
The sentinel answers, Strangers coming
into campp To which the Chief replies !:
Let 'em rip .... S.. ...-
What sight breaks upon our vision -
The room is nearly dark, and is only light
ed by lamp of alcohol, which sits upon a
coffin in the middle of the room, and
throws its blue Pickering light around up
on the scene. And such scene! The
members dressed as our citizens have seen
them upon the streets, are ranged round
the room thus: -.
One lies upon his back like corpse,
another kneeling upon his knee beside him
in the attitude of a mourner. All is still
as tomb around the room except in the
center, where the coffin lies upon the bier
and the pale lamp hickers upon the scene.
Besides that coffin, which is covered
with pail or black cloth, marches an old
man who carries musket and bayonet up-
on his shoulder-an old man whose white
locks Of hair hang in werid and tangled
masses about his neck. With his left hand
he snatches unmeaningly at his hair, and
then mutters to himself as he turns upon
his heel with military precision and march
es back and forth, passing and repasslng
the black paid coffin and fickeriDg light
At either end of the coffin stand fig
ure draped in white from head to foot,
with up!iited hand and upturaed eyes,
mutteriug lips from which no sounds issue,
and nothing of the face visible but the
eyes and mouth. At one end OF the room
sits the chief-blaziug in red gold cclors,
but motionless-at the other end sits a
skeleton with a gilded crown upon his
head with one bony hand pointing up
ward while with the other he clasps to
his feshless lips the figure of an infaut-'
at either side of the room sits the Grand
Chancellor and Recorder. Each and all
as motionless as the coffin or the skeleton.
Around the coffin the candidates march
in an oblong ring, passing farthest from the
coffin and nearest to the members and off,
cers-thus leaving the old man room to
pace to and fro up and down the room
The Grand Conductor marches with drawn
sword in hand, and the Grand Sergeant of
the sappcrs and ninuers marches also with
drawn sword at the tail OF the line Of can
didates for initiation. Three times round
the line marches-twice in painful silence,
through which nothing is heard but the
clanking of sword scabbards as they trike,
at each step, the legs of the Conductor and
Sergeant--during the third round an or
gan or melodeon strikes up a low, wailing,
tremulous, wild, hollow tune, which is
echoed back by the members in low,
death song, while the old man marches
more rapidly, and mutters louder and loud
er, until, as the candidates finish the last
round, the G.. G. Gas the chief is called)
says in deep voice, peace, venerable ia
ther Life is made up Of sorrow, and the
world is ripening for sorrow greater than
thine Peace Peace! Be still thou wound
ed heartv To which all the members re-
spond: peace Peace be still then
music stops, and the old man resumes his
quiet march.
The candidates are now arranged around
the G. R., who questions them as to their
motives and intentions. If the answers are
satisfactory Gas they always are) the candi-
3otss ora condrnted to the chair of the