Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-10-07

quiry were received and left'unan-
swered. Shortly thereafter another
letter from the Grand Master came,
containing very abusive and provo
king language and not entitled to an
answer, as l then thought, and | did
not answer it. Afterward l receiv-
ed two other letters from the same
person-one by private hand, the
other by mail-but | never opened
either of them, and l now here ex-
hibit them both to the committee,
still sealed and unopened. never
had any further communication with
him, but l prosecuted the business,
collected the first payment and one
years interest on the last, and de-
posted the same in the bank. The
purchaser, with a view, as think,
of avoiding his agreement to pay
the remaining membranes, sought
to have the matter taken from my
hands and opened correspondence
with the Grand Master, who was in
a condition to believe his state
ments, and the result was, the COM
munication by the Grand Master to
the Grand Lodge, upon which this
charge against me was first ground
ed. A committee was appointed to
settle the matter with me, consist
ing of the Grand Secretary, Il. S.
Parvin and Grand Master G. X.
Peek. The latter being taken sick,
was unable to visit me, and the same
was settled with Il. S. Parvin. Di-
rectly afterward he wrote me the
following letter, viz:
s'DEs MONIES, July p, 1866.
Hon. G. G. COLE:
S1R:-It is due you to state that
in reference to the matter set forth
in the Grand Masters address rela-
ting to the 'Cranston swindle' trans
action, that I have found you both
ready and willing to communicate
fully all matters touching the same;
that by your communications, and
others received from others, l have
been led to believe that some of the
membranes which it is alleged
the Grand Lodge should remove are
unfounded, and they have been
urged to your discredit. / found
YOU both ready to acknowledge and
pay over, with interest, all amounts
received but heretofore detained I'M
til the final collections should be
made, and that you promptly paid
to me all that | demanded, after Il
full hearing of all the parties in any
wise connected with the transaction.
7 will further add that, aside from
your neglect to report your acts and
doings in the premises to the Grand
Lodge at the proper time, believe
YOU have acted in good faith and for
the best interests Of the Grand
Lodge in the transaction aforesaid.
T. S. PARvIN,
One of the Committee to adjust the
Cranston Swinde matter"
This letter is endorsed and APP
proved by Campbell X. Peck, Grand
Master Of Com, dc.
It will be observed that Mr.. Par
win was satisfied that the incum-
brances should be paid off by the
purchaser, and that he does not
disapprove my 'detaiuing the mon
ey until the final collection should
be made" but thinks l should have
my acts and doings to the
Grand Lodge. This much, howev-
er, is conceded and true, to-wit: l
took stale claim belonging to the
Lodge, upon an insolvcnt man, and
to unearth an equitable IL
tie to real estate, and so manage it
as to collect and pay over the whole
debt and interest. l understand
that the purchaser managed, after
the matter was taken from my hands,
to induce the lodge to remit the in
terest OH the deferred payment as a
of his claim for the in
which was unnecessa-
nv. In conclusion of this matter l
wish to say that / never managed
claim for any client with more dill
gence, good faith and success, than
did the claim Of the Lodge against
Smith.
1t is proper for me further to state
that l was, with other members of
my Lodge, in the spring Of 1866, |
believe, suspended for non-payment
of dues, having, by reason of alb
sence from home, failed to receive
notice of the time for payment. But
the dues were paid, and the order
of suspension set aside. | am now,
and have been a member of lodge
for about twenty-five years, and no
charges of any kind were ever pre-
ferred against me therein by any
one.
In the evening the committee had
session at which was pre-
pared and adopted the following re-
port: -
The undersigned members of the
Republican State Central Commit
tee, met in the city of Dubuque on
the lst day of October, 1870, at the
call of the chairman, for the pur-
pose of investigating the charges in
circulation concerning the Hon. c.
c. Cole, Republican candidate for
the office of Judge of the Supreme
Court. Our time being necessarily
very limited, the entire committee
were unable to attend, and the MEM
bcrs present therefore determined
upon such informal investigation as
the circumstances would admit. The
only charges were based upon the
action Of Judge Cole in collecting
and adjusting certain claim for
the masonic grand lodge of this
state. After hearing the statements
of Mr.. l.. L. Ayres and Judge Cole,
and reading the official records re-
lating thereto, the committee pro-
cceded to question Judge Cole in re-
gard to other matters which are in
circulation concerning him. In the
course of this investigation free
reference was made to such legisla-
tive documents as bore upon the
points at issue, particularly in refer
ence to the Soldiers Orphans Home.
After eliciting all the information
in our power, we have unanimously