Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-07-05
In Answer to the Queen of
the West Compact Lodge.

AS ]. was looking over the CHRONICLE last
Saturday, saw my name published as fol-
lows;
"NoTICE,--J. II. Northington, colored has
been expelled from the Queen of the West
Lodge for so years for gross unmasonic con-
duct"
For fear that some one may think that
have committed some great crime, killed
some one, stolen something OF divulged
some Masonic secret, Will state the charge
laid against me, they not having done so. In
the first place, they accused me of having
asked one of the brethren to leave the COM
pactand go to the free and accepted. Sec
ond, of persuading some young men not to
join the Lodge, said young men being James
Boyd and William BarkSdale. The third
charge made against me was this Saying
the Grand Master was not legal, although
he has the grand warrant. All three of
these charges are gross falsehoods. The
pembEr, and in QctQher fOlloWing there were
circulars scattered all over the city stating
that John Boyd, the Grand Master who or
ganlZed us, had been expelled from all Ma
sonic privileges, and we were organized by
him after his expulsion. That got most of
our members confused, and said to some of
them that, as there had been trouble in the
Grand Lodge with the Grand Master and
some of the delegates, we had better go slow
until the meeting of the Grand Lodge of
1879, and see what each party would do, as
they had organized a Grand Lodge and
elected a Grand Master, namely, George w.
Daniel, and only leaving us and two or
Boyd came up here and some one told him
that tritd to get the boys to leave and go
to the other Lodge, and Monday night, the
I'D inst, they went to work and appointed
night for my trial, which should have oc-
CURED July 4th, but B. Smith, W. NJ, held
my trial on the 25th, contrary to the time
appointed, and / was not notified to be
present; but he, with some ten or twelve
others, held my trial after those circulars
came out against boyd. The following is
the circular speak of
"NOTTCE! AND BEWARE OF THE IAIPosFoR.
"OFFIcE OF THE NJ. w. G. MASTERY
No. MADISON STREET, MEMPHIS,
Tenn, August 10th, 1878.
"John Boyd, Past Grand Master of Tennes-
see, (cOlored) who has been suspended from
all the privileges of Masonry And whereas,
John continues to travel through West Ten
neSSee deceiyfng the public by claiming to
be Grand Master, and decoying every man
who he happens to find with as much as
four or five dollars making them so-called
Masons, regardless of qualifications.
Know ye, now, that /, George w. Daniel,
Most Worshipfui Grand Master of the State
of Tennessee and its jurisdiction thePeuntp
belonging, do hereby pronounce the said
John Boyd an ignominious tmpostar, and
herewith warn the public of his imposing
and reasonable conduct. This process must
cease df needs be- under no less penalty
/ have called an extra session of the Grand
Lodge, TO convene at Memphis, on Monday,
August 18th, 1873, and hereby notify all the
WoTshipful Masters under d1spensation,
that they must report by letter or In person,
their Lodges, on or before the 18th day OF
this August, 1873 otherwise they shall stand
suspended until the next Annual Commu-
L fsignedI ' GEORGE W. DANIEL,
Grand Master.
S. P. PICKETT. Grand Secretary.
have not visited the Lodge but three or
four times since, and tried to get from them
a demit; they refused to give ii, and pub
lished me falsely. Respectfully,
JOHN NORTHINGTON, cold.
GAINESVILLE, Tenn, June 20, 1879.