Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-12-12
Knights of Honor.

| THE LEGAL LITIGATION-ITS ACHIEVE
MENTs-ITs CONDITION AND PERP ETU-
| IIY-sTATEMENT OF THE GRAND OF
FICERs OF VIRGINIA.
| An article is going the rounds Of
the press stating in effect that
Judge Breckenridge, late Supreme Treas
urer of the Knights of Honor, had defaul
ted in the sum of $1,000 of funds be-
longing to this order, and the statement
has been the cause Of some uneaslness on
the part Of the members in this State, who
are not informed of the circumstances
which gave rise to this unfortunate ru-
NOR. AS there are over 5000 members OF
the order in Virginia, and a very flour
ishing lodge in this city, we have inter
Reporter, whose headquarters are in
Stanton, with the view of ascertaining
the true state of the case. Grand Die
tator Jos. E. Rollins and Grand Repor-
ter VIM. Il. Bailie make the following
| joint-statement:
cat the last session of the Supreme
Ledge. held in May, that body refused to
re-elect Judge breckenridge, and succeed
ed him with JOS. W. Branch, of Missouri,
and at the same time designated st. Louis
as the permanent headquarters of the Of
| fees OF the order. Mr.. Branch was for
ma!ly installed as Supreme Treasurer,
having given the necessary bond, &C., but
WHEN be demanded surrender of
the property and funds II the hands of
Breckenridge he refused. and succeeded
in getting through the courts of kentucky
an injunction supporting hitn in his re-
fractory course. Tue injunction was
based upon tie fact that as the order was
originally Incorporated by the courts OF
Kentucky, the establishment OF its head
| quarters elsewhere than in that State
was illegal. Supreme Dictator, Gen. +
D. Sloat, of Hartford, Conn, immediate
ly had the order incorporated by the
| courts of Missouri, and removed the Of
fees and effects of the Supreme Lodge
from Louisville, KY, to st. Louis, Mo-
Supreme Reporter Nelson and Supreme
Treasurer Branch were placed in charge
of their respective departments and the
business of the order has been carried on
uninterruptedly since then, having dis
bursed nearly 100000 in the payment
of death losses in the meantime. at co st
of $40 the present year to each member Of
the order between the ages of 81 and As
years. Though the late Supreme Treas
| urer still holds in his hands about 500 600,
awaiting the final action Of the courts,
which will certainly be adverse to his
claims, he is heavily bonded, and his
bondsmen are responsible to the Supreme
Lodge for every dollar in his possession.
While Judge Breckenridge has caused
some confusion in the order, by his re-
markedly singular course. we believe that
he is man of too high sense of honor
to appropriate to his own use one dollar
of the sacred fund now in his possession,
but that as soon as the courts finally pass
upon the matter, he will be able to make
good the balance charged against him.
At the time that these complications
arose, and at every period of their details,
each Lodge in the United States and
| Territories, embracing a membership Of
about 10000 were fully informed by cir
cular letters from headquarters. Not only
generally, but the most minute details
have been given, so that the membership
have been informed at every stage of the
proceedings. The most patent fact is
that notwithstanding all Of these troubles
the locking UP in the banks of 100000 Of
the orders money, not an Interruption
| has occurred in the transaction of the bus
ipess of the order-all death benefits have
been as promptly paid since,. as before,
the machinery is unimpaired, and to-day
the order is stronger than it has ever been
before. Notwithstanding having passed
idemlc in 1878 and 10, in which it paid
nearly 5000 900 On account of deaths caused
by the yellow fever; the expenditure of a
large sum in the removal of members and
| their families from the scenes of the
plague; the disbursement of considerable
sum for the relief of sufferers by the floods
in the Mississippi Valley in 1882, and the
present litigation, 10 which 500 900 is
| locked up in the banks. the Knights of
| Honor emerge from all these difficulties,
the least of them more serious than was
ever before contemplated, Respondent in
Its glory and defiant of every obstacle
that may in the future present itself. Its
| record of misfortunes is unprecedented in
the history of any institution. 1t has
| passed through such series of difficulties
in so brief period. and survived them
all. Its misfortunes have only rendered
( 10 strengthen and unite it.