St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-22
A Lone Widow Files q New
Suit Against the Iron
Hall.
Park Congregationalists Rev
gretfully Accept the Res.2
ignation of DR.. Seaver.
Judge Villas Throws Out of.
Court a Very Compli-
Gated Case.
Funeral Of the Late S. S. Tay-
lor, superintendent Of
Public Schools.

Late yesterday afternoon Eta Bor-
nash ct al. filed suit in the district
court against The Supreme Sitting of
the Iron Hall, corporation of the state
of Indiana, to recover $500. The suit is a
peculiar one, In that it affects one of the
most pretentious and powerful of. the
assessment endowment schemes that
have lately thrust themselves upon
public notice in the guiSe of secret So
cieties. The summons and complaint
were served upon Thomas Scorah,
deputy supreme justice and agent of
this State. In the bill of COMPLAINT
plaintiffs allege as follows:
That Abram BrOnaSh in March. 1886.
became member of Local Branch No.
1872 of the order in this city. obtaining a
certificate emitting him or his benefici-
airy heirs to the sum of $1,000 at the
end OF seven years, and total disability
benefits OF S25 per week, for which he
agreed to pay regular assessments of
$3.50 each; that he always paid assess
mentS in conformity with the conditions
set forth in said certificate; otherwise
complied with the constitution and laws
of the order; that ON the 9th
OF June, 1888, he was totally disabled
notice of which disability was duly filed
with the accountant of his branch-and
that such disability continued for a
period of three weeks. Proof of dis
ability was duly verified by his attend
ing physician and filed with the officers
of his branch on the 9th day of August,
1888, which claim amounted to SIS, and
was never paid, nor no reasons assigned
for not doing so. That the said Abram
Bornash died in Chicago on the I'd De-
cember, 1888, proof of death being duly
furnished to the supreme officers. They
still refused to pay the said
claims or any part thereof. and
refuse to allege any reason.
The complaint sets forth two counts, viz:
SIS and 1925, as showing that by an en-
actment of the order, a member at death
Is entitled to a benefit of half the
amount OF his certificate or policy. %;
Mr.. Ross, a former accountant of the
order, was interviewed ON the subject,
and he stated that there is now a suit
pending before the district court, where
number of members assign to one
Stockhowe. who brings suit against the
order. MI. Ross produced copy Of an
affidavit, in which the alleged
agent of the order, Thomas
Scorah, swears that he is not NOW.
and never was the deputy supreme JUS
tice, or agent of the order. Mr.. Ross:
also produced letter from the Office lof
the supreme justice of the order, for
warded to him in the course of corre-
spondence, in which is clearly stated
that Scorah is the deputy supreme JUS
tice appointed by the supreme head of
the order. Mir. Ross also stated that
Scorah had produced at branch meet
ing of the order his commission as such
deputy, duly signed by the supreme
Justice and attested by the seal of
the supreme sitting, and that he (Ross)
had read the same to the members,
several of whom have filed affidavlts
in the court. Reports of the supreme.
sitting were also filed, and in them3it
appears that Seorah is in fact deputy su-
preme justice and agent for this state.
Mr.. Ross further states that the order
tranSacts its business throughout the
country in the name of the Iron Hall
which is not incorporated, but every
act of the local branches are controlled
by the supreme sitting-SO per cent of
all assessments are sent by the branches
to the supreme sitting, and 20 per cent
is held by trustees of the local branches.
Such reserve is entirely under the con-
troll OF the supreme sitting and must
be forwarded by local trustees
to the supreme cashier of the
supreme sitting when so ordered.
The assessments have become numer-
Gus, averaging two month. La some
instances five have been levied within
two months, and many persons in ST.
Paul, including factory girls, have con-
tinued to pay until the increase of as
seSsments has compelled them to drop
out and lose their hard-earned money
This order claims to be benevolent
order, but its business seems to be en-
doWmant insurance. payable at the end
of seven years. The sick benefits are
simply advance payments on the en-,
dowment. The order claims to make
up the amount 10 pay matured certif-
Gates by lapses, but the lapses in this
city show that the order loses by such
lapses large sums of money, as the laps
ing members take out great deal more
than they put in. Their agent in this
city is uLder arrest for soliciting insur-
ance without complying with our state
laws.