The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-06-05
HOW Ike Reubsnstein Jo1net1
"Secret Society"

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Austin. "Den l be brothers NIT lots of
peoples already, und it will helup my
Freshness. l reads in dose bapers apout
a Mason vat vas going to half his head
cut off by a Turk, ven dot Mason some
signs made, and dot Turk did not dot
Mason's head cut off, but he took him
home und made him shustis off de
beace und married him NIT a gouble off
young womans for wives. 1t vas a
nice ding to be a Mason, don't it? l
will join Won off dose societies"
Ike was recommended to join the Or
der of the Arctic Circle, q new society
lately started. He sent in his applica-
ton. A night was appointed for his in
itiation. Ike was much embarrassed
when he was admitted to the ante-room
of the Lodge to find that besides the
door keeper who was in his shirtsleeves,
there we're six men who we're dressed
in blue gowns, tin helmets on their
heads, masks on their faces, and drawn
swords in their hands. The door-keep-
err put green flannel night-gown on
Ike, blindfolded him with a handker-
chief that smelled of tobacco and made
his eyes smart, and then one of the
knights took Ike by the arm and led
l,~, .~ko n InrInrnI aho ~ hor uyhnrn hN
was marched around eleven times, while
Grand Marshals and the Past Pluperfect
Chaplain read all manner of wise adj
monitions to him out of a book, and the
knights swords clanked as the process
sion moved around. There was an air of
L4Jstery surrounding everything, and a
premonition O something dreadful yet to
come took hold of Ike.
He sincerely wished that he had nev
er heard Of a secret society, and he reg
istered a solemn VOW in his W mind
that if he got out Of this with his life he
would never join another.
His guide made him kneel down on
the floor, and with his right hand on his
throat and his left hand IN a human
skull made him swear that he would
never divulge the secrets of the Order.
The bandage was taken from his eyes
and he was conducted out to the ante
room.
A gray Mother Hubbard dress was
put on him and he wa escorted back to
the chamber of mysteries. Here, after
some preliminaries, ne was led In front
of a small circular saw that was reyolv-
ing with extraordinary rapidity. A
walking zane and a piece of stove wood
were successfully sawed in pieces that
Ike might see how effectively the saw
did its work. He was then marched
around the chamber, brought up in front
Of the saw again and informed i n a Sc
p~ulcral voice, by the Grand High Past
Something brother, that, as a test Of
ais courage, he would be required to
place the index finger of his right hand
in front of the saw and allow it to be
cut off at the second joint.
II viii not any such dings do"
said Ike, his hair standing on end with
terror. "Vat sense is dot for seegret
societies to cut a man up? OFF / had
been acquainted mid dose dings you
seegret society men does, / would not
had holdings to do NIT you already. !
want to go away from here und stop
does foolishness."
The Past Grand Guardian of the Post
srn Gate now told Ike that he was act
ing in a tanner that if he persisted in
would draw down the dire vengeance of
the Knights of the Arctic Circle. He
said that by likes lack of confidence he
had already incurred an additional pen
atty, and it would % be necessary ac-
cording to the laws and bylaws of the
Order, that he put two fingers to the
saw TO be cut OF before he could be adj
mitted to full fellowship, and the p.
G.. G. of the p. g., advised HIM as a
friend to proceed at once and saw them
of.
Ike said, 81 want no such fellowship.
1t would be q tam fool fellowship to cut
off my fingers to please You fellows NIT
tin watering pots On. / tells you / wants
to go from this blaze away.
Brethren, it pains me to use harsh
measures, but as this candidate refuses
to obey the orders Of the Lodge he must
suffer the penalty. / command you to
take him, bind him. and hold his wrist
against the saw until his hand is cut off.
See that q doctor is in attendance Four
knights caught Ike. He struggled and
howled, but it was Of no avail. His legs
were tied, his left arm was secured to
his waist, and he was brought in front OF
the saw. He begged for mercy, but no
mercy was shown him. One Knight
suggested that q vote be taken to de-
termine if il was not better to saw the
candidates. head Of. Then they brought
his right hand closer and closer to the
revolving saw, and the closer it came
the louder Ike begged for mercy. There
was no mercy for him. Atlast his hand
was pushed violently against the teeth
nf the saw and the KNIGHTS YELLED az