Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-06
COLLAPSED.
The Mutual SeIf-EOdowmcut and Be-
nevolent Association Of America
Suspcnds Payment.
History Of nm Organization which In
Four Years Attained Mem
bershIp Of 10000.
Intelligence ,ha, WIN saddrn the Heart.
81 rohcy.iioiders All over tho
south nnd west.

- n'f'iN N''ht past fhiuufh adverse
90 lho financial Integrity of the Mutual
Spit Endowment and Benevolent Aasoola.
llon OF America, which has la home Once
III tnls city, have been IN circulation.
several suits were illed aRalnBt The or.
ganlaailon last week In the district aud
county courts ~ dissatisfied members.
We Rhrnlahmcnts were run on the
ollletfs Yesterday by Barbara j. stokes
anu John NJ. Cook for the amount OF
lhalufcd and unpaid coupons lngcsti.
CATIONS by HAstftE Reporter at lhe
olllco Of The Institution yesterday even.
lhR developed thai im nftalrA arc holp.
lesslf Involved aud that there II no
possibility OF th meeting outstanding
obligations
tNitiYn.w WIN fitH WCprrNtY
MI y. NJ Macy, secretary OF thc aaso.
ciaiion, consented 70 an interview III
which he stated The origin and extent Of
~ troubloai
"Our failure TO pay matufcd coupons, 4"
said he, "ls the result ut d heavy decrease
Ia the membership, brought about by 40
Increase In the number " assessments
within the lasl six months the member.
snip has gone down 20 pur cent. Tho ma.
iurlty OF coupons neecssltnied more ffo.
qncht RsHoHHmontst these Induced n
large number OF foficlturcs, loly.
ing smaller membership upon
which 10 draw, thus cutting against Us
both weys, The Atlantic ana Pacific
divisions of The association, which in.
clndc oneshnll It's memberships, haye
socedcd, refusing 20 levy assessments
under Instructions from the national
oflcc, nRppayailng IN large degree The
difficulties of The nhsoelAtiunn
"Do you c0ncedc The principle " SELF.
endowment 20 bc fniluro2"
mo, ar was the response, worry ON,
phRtlcully; "we Win got demonstrate rs
! feasibility Az The meeting Of the nn.
tlonnl board recently held here, this
whole mnttcr was thoroughly considered
aud u new plan adopted, which was sun.
United 20 tho inombors, advising
them at tho same time ot Tie
embHrrAymonls under which wc IRbpred
| quite apumbCt have already Transferred
90 this plan, aud believe that within The
next two months 20 per cent, 81 our
mcinbrrhlp WIN eGpfaerfts' ,-hd6f m I.
whlchis called the 'dividcnd plan, ihe a4-
gpssmrnia arn fixed la number, aud tlic
proc eds prorlicd among bcnotieidtier
"What Is the nlnuunl Of your aAaett -
"a the Tins OF the Inauguration 81
| legal proceedings, we had on hand sG100
Acting under the ndvloo Of counsel, we
did not open money packages received
subsequently, holding them for the bon-
Cit Of the rcmittcfs, but, more recently,
our attorneys concluded that, az officials
Of the association, we were bound 10 dis.
pose OF all receipts Rs provided by The
constitution, Consequently we outertd
| up these romlttals, amounting o.sl0O0,
on the books To-day we received forty
registered packages, which probably con,
tain $4,000 or $4,000, All IN
all, the cash assets viii ng.
grogatc between $4,000 aud $1,000.
The only property of the association ia ite
Office llxtnros."
"What do you anticipate as n result Oi
tho litigation commenced by como Oi the
lncmberh T"
~ understand TINT application will be
made for the appointment ~ receiver,
which n certainly tbs only WY IN which
10 secure m equitable distribution of the
Assets"
IiIsTohY or 1lir 0RDEn
The Mutual Endowment aud he.
ncyolont Association " America was or.
aanizud and Incorporated NJ LOnRvleW,
June ~ 1881. IN May 1894, tho head.
quarters OF the order were Transferred to
Fort Worth, Capt, Samuel Cnndln, NOM
her Of the Eighteenth Legislature IRON
Gregg, was ~ Ilrsi prcHdont, Mr., y. NJ
Macy, secretary OF The orderiro ltH birth,
was IN fact lls founder, and has always
been ~ moving spirit Tho fundamental
praCipl0 Of tho association was 10 fur
nlsh Insurance which The bODcllolhfy, Ia
| hOmoly yet foiciblG phrase adopted by
ltneli, "wo1ld not have To dl0 10 get ia
other worGs, n proposed system OF self,
endowment, by which the Insured realized
ON his policy during lifetime lDslcnd ui
after death. There was an ordinary
death benefit plan attached, but the ante.
norton benefit was the great feature Of
! the organization. lls originality aud
scductiycacsa gave the order Il boom az
the outset, and Win wonderful
rnpidity Il spread nh over the South and
| West Departments were established N
ynrous siutcs, and these wuro followed
| by The Atlantic aud Pacific divisions wllh
separate organizations ol their own, but
nmcnnblo ~ tho national 0iito, 49, The
Grand lodge ~ MnsonH W the Aupreme
lodge. The ONCE Of The Atlantic dlylsluh
~ NJ Gftenyillt, h. g., aud Of The lhtllic
division Nc San frnpeiseo, Cal The
| total membership " tue nFtoein
lion N about 10000, ouc.haii
Cf whlAi belongs 70 iba
home 0tilco, lnoludlngthe states Of ToAas,
I.oulsiana, Arkansas, IenncHsef aud Az
nbama. aud the balance ID equally az
yldud between Tho Hooediug divisions
over g, 900 certificates have been ieenftl,
but ially $50 per cont. mpsed on account
of failure 20 pay asscssmepts' hinca
Us inception tho organization has collect
ed aud dlsbufaod $4,000.
uipuiNNfN0 ~ Tnr tNp,
The hrst complaint aHalnri me hssi'
citation came from sherman, A inembcf
whose coupon fclI due some three 0f -four
months ago presented y and received
time uoic 10 part payment similar
paper was subsequently itt1ed IN mum
ber oi instances FROM this grew dis
trust Of tlio eol,oucy u The cOnegfii.
Rumorn ihichencd ami the members took