The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-05-07
Free Masonry Exposed by a VIC
tim.

have joined the Masonic fraternity
Mr.. editor. am free and accepted son,
brother, or whatever it is, of that ancient
and mysterious organization. I have be.
longed to many secret societies in my time
| have been an Orangemcn, and Son Of
Temperance, and Fenian, and, if re-
member Alright, once belonged to- gang
of coiners but this Masonic arrangement,
this institution Of the compass and square,
distances them all. / have often wonder
ed in what respect he differed from an or.
dinary human being. Time and again /
pumped persons who I thought knew
what was what, with view of finding out
something regarding these remarkable
men, but it was no go. Mum was the
word. Those who could tell wouldn't, and
those who would couldn't; for further IN
formation [ was advised to go and find out.
had vague idea of my own that Mason
was sort of supernatural being, a regular
ring-tailed roarer, with horns and hoof to
match, who could come down the chimney
or get in the key-hole, and disappear like
a flash of lightning chap that could
knock blazes out Of fellow wink of his
eye, and of whom the devil himself was
afraid.
There is one singular thing connected
with Masonry, of which perhaps you are
not eware, and that is, a mason never dies.
Occasionally it is given out that brother
has departed this life, and the fraternity is
respectfully summoned to do honor to his
remains, but it is all sham, big swindle
gotten up to throw dust in the eyes of the
uninitiated. The coffin is stuffed full of
bricks, and deposited with due solemn ty
in the cemetery, while the brothers and
friends are blubbering their eyes out over
the grave of the dear departed, and the
dead departed quietly enjoying himself in
the back room Of some hotel, preparatory
70 leaving for parts unknown. 1t is a
fact, Mr.. editor, Masons never die They
may change their appearance and move of
to other spheres; but as for dying, they
don't do it. 1t is supposed by some that
after they have transacted wickedness
enough on earth, they are transformed in
to comets and meteors and go wandering
through space, kicking up shines, and rails
ing the devil generally and great many
people suppose that the last meteoric dis
play was nothing more nor less than free
fight between some rival lodges that had
crossed each others path; the different
colored lights betokening in the different
degrees they had acquired while they were
iI the flesh.
Free Masonry is of ancient date, as prov
en- by the fact that during the wet season
Noah used to hold meetings in a corner of
the ark. He was obliged to give it up,
however, owing to the curiosity of Mrs.
Noah, who, Notwithstanding that her hus-
band placed a couple of lions ond big
crocodile at the door as outside guard
came pretty near finding out the secret and
starting female lodge on her own hook
must tell you of the perils and trials [
had to undergo to become mason. On
the evening in question ] presented
myself at the door Of the lodge room
No. $4,000, sign of skull and s-bones.
[ was conducted to the ante-room, where
five or six melancholy chaps in sashes and
embroidered napkins were waiting to re-
ceive me- On my entrance they all got up
and turned back somersaults, and then re-
sumed their seats. 4 big fat fellow. who
sat in the middle, and who seemed to be
the proprietor, then said: "Sinner from
the outer world, advanced" advanced
"Will you give up everything to join US?
"Not if know it," said, there's my
wife and fourteen fine -" Another
party here told me to say yes, as it was q
mere matter of form. SO [ said "yes.
will give up everything" The fellows in
the towels then groaned, and said, " It's
we'll" Do you swear never to reveal any
thing you may see or hear here this eve.
ming to any human being, nor your wife p
[ said '''pon my word / will not" Then
they examined my teeth and felt my mus
cles, and made me put out my tongue and
then groaned and sighed. 1 said, eli
you don't feel well | have a gottle bottle
here that" The fat man here took
the bottle from me aud told me to shut
up. He then in voice Of thunder, said
rs Bring forth the goat" Another fellow
then came up with big cloth to blind
fold me. "No you don't Mr.. Mason, -
said / !; ono tricks on travellers, if you
please I don't believe in playing blind
mans buff with goat. I'll ride the devi
if you like, but don't go it blind. STAND
back. or I'll knock you into smithereens.' y
They were too much for ME, however, SC
| had to submit and be blindfolded The
goat was then led in, and could hear him
making an awful racket among the furni
ture l began to feel that 1 was urgently
wanted at home. But was in for it, and
could not help myself Three or four
fellows then seized me. and with demo
niacal laugh pitched me on the animals
back, telling me at the same time to look
out for squalls. have been in good
many scrapes, Mr.. Editor; | have been il
an election fight; I've been pitched out O.
a fourth story window; I've gone down il
a railroad collision, and up in steamboat
explosion; but this little goat excursion
was ahead Of them all. The confounded
thing must be all wings and horns. L
bumped me UP against the tables and
chairs, and the stove and the ceiling, bu
hung on like Trojan. l turned from
somersaults, and rolled over till though
it was all over with me. | was just OF
, H. l~.s~ <la.~1