The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-02
A F00L-CATCHER'S VICTIMS.
A Masonic L0D0B That WAS NOT
ON THE SQUARE.
DeIudcd Dostonians Riding the Goat at $40
Apiece French Professors Ingenious
WAY of IteplcuisliinH hts Excheaucr.

ffou ne B9stOu Her1df, Dc. 30
Ono Of the boldcst and best laid schemes
for vrHmizng the unwary was brought to light
Yesterday through the aid OF the st te Police,
the victims,n 'in,beling no loss than TWO score
ahC ten iudtviIu IL, VIM, IN their aux city 20 he-
come mastcfs In Masonry, took tho cheapest
wav OOen TO them to re- liz their hopes. rne
"A. e0od sw tndler Ia Mousse eur Gu lrlcs A. dc H.
n"riicrs. 'cnteel- Pc ring aud wei informed
u tie Frenchman, whose suavlty Of IN inners
and pleasing address would be sufficient TO
imrrcss most people favOrlbly. Mon ieur d.
Lagtrere IL II n,tive Of Fc,nco, and some
nine or ten years AGO camc to Boston, and
for some three wears nlled the position of Pro-
fcssor OF the onch linRu igc at the English
HIN school From some unknown cause the
Professur left his position IN tho hign school
soon Hftor the death " the princlpai, thomas
Sherwiu, SIX years ago, and the next heard of
him he was employed "a teacnor In ,mnridgc.
Until his appcarincc In the f0lo Of a swindler lac
has enJuved the confidence and respect Of manv
Of Out uest citllens, with whom he nas come In
sumcd that Ne has not been as fortunate IS ne
could nave wished during the na-t vsir, and to
re lensh his depleteI exchequcr struck novel
plan.
ORGANIZING THE roDop.
Tho Professor !. undoubtedly acquainted with
Masonry and knowing to tns desire Of many
men 10 JOIN the ordet VI tneir means could Only
allow VI. lie soon found these men, aud de.
cidod at once e. begin Operations. lie proposed
that tho position he occuuied In Masonry gave
him tue power to organ ~ - lodge OF United
Friends OF Bioarty. Equality aud Fraterni "
How TIE Professor went To work II only told 10y
the brethren whose depleted wallets undoubt.
edly brought about the revelations made as to
the doings IN their lodge. 10 all Appearances,
the Professor q At glt tvs good tru.ty
and the way he went about TO increase
the member hp Of tue Organization ctn-
not but be astounding to all good MgsOns.
According to the records of the lbIge,
the first members were int lied about Sept.
a. These members were alloV To ride the
goat at the urice of $i5, ana then were invited
to bring their frienis to JOIN. rheu-ual form
Of inquiring into the cnartcter- 81 the appli.
Giants was dispensed with. The rules ad1p.cd
ny tue Professor iu this regard were something
att or those OF the landlord of a boarding hul-e
on the Europe n plin, the trero quisite ueing
sinpy tine payment II their mUueY and no
questioTs asked. In October AZ the lodge hat
Increased IN numbers Gum tent To hire n hall,
which Wa finally got at n bSscX street, a short
tune ar. Tue nall was pplled with turui
ture appertain'nl 10 lodg' room. Daring
the last tvu weeks the applic tons for mem
b~rship have come III such numOers as 90 re-
quirc initial ms a. 'ry meeting. Tue prpi"s
sor Il u understood Ia twnen tn" lndee num-
hered lVl e Chartet - To ne given the lodge
nut m tua me nwntlV he, the Professor, claimed
the mlh privilege OF conttrrins The irst ~ &C.
DEGREES, which made "A Master NasUn. Among
the trefhrcn who were led away wee two 3D.
mlrer. of the ancient solomon, wno, alNcr l-tfn-
ing zoo the oily aud soothing VOICE u the plo-
fes-Nr, began to lcct sonnet tug was WRONG.
THESE men were d ivii q. Vel ,ths coudl TOR IT
TIE MINT cM on ne fremont street Inc, AMI
ated the urat ul<nt they app 'arei IN the nnl
now IT VA. GOvEtSGD.
The way the bogus lodge was governed hy the
Professor was asst ~ -iiux go most vt th' ia lie
lHlcs OF Mds lnrn t"' eNtf'thnI To-, ~ 'h'oi
that tho French IAN told tnoul. The Professor
was Grand Wortuv OF the ludse-,s f-con-u-
tuted honor and appointed toe o her NJ r.,
and at all meetings claimed us ice 10 ret Z 81
the IN Jointly lie was secretary aud treasurer,
and nisn m"gul generally. To increase tho luvo
aud respect Ut the brethren tor uiu, lac instiilcd
iuto their souls, by the Va ~ lectures on It.
-unry, the vcnerati N required u tnCm bN the
society Of no1lc men TIA tnld ttl.en them mo
their fold. lie also instructed them ~ TIC
mysteries ~ the order, urOlvrsing also to give
pl a III a
explained the u-c Of tho vartOus NJ some
symbols, side arius, sheep aprons, and o her
para hCrnalIa he htd IN the hail 10 impress
his del Id-d vicums nut with all ms ingenuity
and ccv,rne-s to deceive. the Professor iuadc a
mistake, winch bruusnt upon hun the slspi-
ciOns OF Felt aud Appleby. AT the sunday
| evening lectures II MONSIEUR he quite Of, en- iu-
| 81 ted members-a thing watch Fsit found out
! from Trend VINO was Mason not Goa
/ ssient with haiOnry. The Professor thought II
was consistent, $ - was PRIVILEGED bein. IN
| the fraternity. Things grew worse a. each
meeting, many Of lhs members becoming pos
se--cd Of ala idea tnat ~ Wa not risht that ne
| should constitute himself the majority ~ all
tier deliberations. Tue manner la walton
/ monsieur conducted the nnances OF The
Lodge VS. another mater tnat Felt
/ found that the Professor, nf the $lj taken from
eacn new momher, put INTO his pocket a., winch
/ sum he Ciaimod he was entitled ~ 10y N'rtue II
mis- position IN The order, wni,e q more went 10
two Of MS " intimate friends." 10 TINS misery
/ OF thr members was added the Tact that the
Grand Worthy Frenchiuan WAS also treasurer
Who're the funds went Is only known T. De
IA
ascertained that, although a large sam was sup
posed To De M tie treasury, there were oils out
new carpet which ,nsieur h q purchased fDi
$40, on " uich bat Sln nad been y Id The Fro
fes-Or contracted other ellis, which are yet uD
paid.
Messrs Felt and Apology few days ago de
term ned In their own minds that Monsieur wa
a fraud and impOstur, ami accordingly tool
steps 10 learn enough of Masonry to y. owe e
their follow menUers bat they were correct II
their ideas. Mr.. Felt visited Grand MUrtnl
Everett OF the Grand Lodge. anu ascerttine'
that the Grand Lodge bad not recognized tn
Professor ~ his work, and was ignorant Of th'
existence Of the Essex street org Anization. 1hei
Felt decided the lime had come To Uriug tu'
Professor to his Just punishment. Ia compan
OF Aupleoy be went TO the headq quarters OF tn
state police, and after telling tue story Of thet
grievances, Detectives Knox and Wen WORT
were deputed 10 work mp the case. |
was arranged that the officers SHOULD
ne admitted into the lodge room. Ine time Sc
f'r the excursion was last night. when lrs
meeting Of the dlsconsOlAte brethren was held
Tue meeting was extremely amin tied. tn
Professor In all the grandeur Of Grand WORTHY
occupied the throne, aud after Initiating a mem
Der ana pocSetng MS usual siipeno, got up l.
explain certain financial questions. MT. Eel
WIS also on maud and takin1 the door, dellvere
speech IN which he publicly denounced tn
/ Professor as an impostnr and swindler III
Professor, dancing ABOUT IN a lively way, retorI
ed by calling Feat lar ana 'ckaHs. q he
inuuendus were thrown out when, IN the mos
Of the greatest excitement, 10 the suryrs
OF all except Felt and Appleuy, tn
detectives suddenly put IN an appeal
ance. Their business vas soon made known
and the Professor was taken 70 the Office In PEN
berton square, md thence 10 the rOmns.
Inc Irott seemed 10 take MS iniaiortun
CALMLY He SAID thIt lie had no reason 10 fea
anything, as he had done nothing that WI
wrong. A. a Mason, he claimed tnat he had
right TO form lodge, and That his arrest on
charge OF obtaining money was due 10 the Al
upathy Of the Grand Lodge. The officers OF III
lodge, he said, were jlCkasses, Ignorant
Masonry, and that lie could te ch tue Officers
regard to their business. OF the Drethre
OF the bogus lodge, ne said tnev we're "A set
ignorant Dlorkhedds and jackasses. whom !
thought ne would teach the true principles
Christianitv aud brOtherly love. lie said TIN
after getting out OF his present aim ulty /
would start another lodge In defiance OF II
Grand Lodge. On the person OF the Profess,
Vas found a loaded billy and 500 in money.
THE VICTIMS.
The names Of the members Of the Professor
lodge, as taken from The records, are:
Gideon Joy upho sterer 80 Vinton street, South Bc
tons Henry chester, palntef 80 Newman street; Jan
T. Pratt, engineer n klrN land street; Abram Suit
or, "a OAK street EDWARD y. smith, raider, o. Ia
seventh street; Henry Andrews, l7S street Marsh'
llnnett, trader. ~ Causeway street, Amos l.. Ange
rear captain, ~ Pnckny street, InuH. Iimmun+ ma-u
IL Crescent plnce Michael +. Herrin, lumpr de Her,
OK street; O. j. Raymond, merchant. am AleAand
Bowarow, saloon Keeper, AlHon street, Geo.
Rollins, trader 3 Grey avenue, J. B. Guthn boo
keeper, II Harrison aVeuus; joan eger saloon kee
err 40 MelrOae street Moses ID. Nalentin tamrter,
, | Lawrence streets ID. q. Fell conductor Is EdnDp
street; " y. eanpsOn, mason, 423 Third street Ipl
j, DIAMOND, whitener go BrIAdNayi ID, +, Brkne
! 10 AFiA y.