Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-08
STEALING SOMEWHERE.
The Disturbing Element in the
Modern WOOdmen,
Night---Rascaifties that Ought TO
be Unearthed,

There was an exceedingly large at
tendance of Woodmen at the special
meeting OF Cedar camp at Davenport last
night, made up largely from Rock Island,
Moline and several outside towns
throughout the county. The meeting was
under the joint auspices of Cedar and
Mapledale camps. Head Consul j. G.
Root, Head Clerk A. W. Bastisn of
Fulton, Chairman Of the Head Finance
Committee. L. Wade of Muscatine and
Deputy B. W. Jewell of Manchester,
Iowa, were present. The meeting was
for the purpose OF hearing an explana-
ton on the part of Mr.. Root and his
friends of the recent accusations OF
fraud, made by the deposed Head Physi.
clan. DR.. P. l.. McKinnie
Mr.. Bastian was the first speaker. and
he made a very fair statement of the
facts from the standpoint of the head
camp, acknowl edging the Bernum death
claim to have been fraud, but asserted
that it was made without the knowledge
OF the head camp officers who supposed
they were paying the money over in good
faith.
Mr.. Wade did not make as good an
impression. His attitude did not, it must
be said, help Roots case, If he represen>
ted him, hut upon being Intercepted he
gave the names of Dsvy and Pierpont as
the witnesses present when the amount
of the Bernum policy was paid over to
the alleged Amanda Bernum. Davy. he
said. was leading business man Of
Lyons, Iowa. This was the first time
that the names of these important wit
nesses had been made public. He was
finally reminded that remarks from Mr.
Root would be more acceptable to the
Woodmen present and he yielded.
Head Consul Root stated al the outset
that be did not propose to be interro-
gated, as he believed an effort was being
made to criminste him and to bring about
his arrest. He was present in the inter-
est of the order and TO explain the man.
neI in which the affairs of the head cam p
were conducted as pertaining particularly
to his office, and not in his individual de-
Tense. He produced a great mass of
documentary evidence. the tendency of
which was. to show that it was due TO
McKinnle's persistency that the comrlit-
teemen were removed and not because OF
any desire on his (Root's) part TO have
them ousted. As to the alleged contracts
with the Iowa Printing and the Pearle
Printing companies, he said his son was
both; that he had done certain printing
for the order but had never overchsrged
for it. In explanation OF the Bernum
fraud he acknowledged that fraud had
been perpetrsted on the order, but said
that the money had been paid by him in
the presence Of witnesses. in good faith
to a woman who signed herself Amanda
Bernum. but whom he now believed to
be an adventures who had de-
ceived him. he said she was
tall woman. and decided bru-
nette. whereas his brothers sister-in-
law, Helga Wilborg, who had been &C.
cused of receiving the money, is strik>
ing blonde. He said he had detectives
at work on the case and promised de-
velopments in a few days that would
strike leading members of the Woodmen
society. and 1t wouldn't be him. He
accused DR.. McKinnie of overchsrges
amounting to nearly $1,000 as head
physician, and held the latter had at
tempted TO intimidste him because be
would not allow the head physicians
spurious claims. He denounced Nc
Kinnie as ambitious TO get control of the
order and of pursuing n rule or rum
policy to accomplish that end.
Deputy Jewell made brief remarks in
defense of Root and declared his belief
that Root was innocent Of any missp>
preparation of funds.
That the order has been defrauded.
there is not the least possibility OF doubt
and il Is just possible that the members
have been victims OF systematic robbery
for some time. Who are the villains and
how successful and how far reaching have
been their operations remains TO be seen.
1t Is to be hoped the investigation now in
progress at Fulton will throw some light
on the subject.
The Fulton Journal is enthusiastic in
its defense of Head Consul Root, of the
Modern Woodmen of America, whom II
still contends has been swincled out of
5000. 1t states:
General G. W. Pavey, state auditor, J.
J. Brinkerhoff. of Springfield. and G. l..
Marchand, of Chicago, arrived Tuesday
morning and are examining the books of
the head clerk of the Modern Woodmen
of America. 1t is the duty of the state
auditor TO examine the books of insur-
ance orders annually. Tuesday, Novem>
Der 5. Judge John d. Crsbtree. at Morri-
son. issued an Injunction on the head
officers OF the Modern Woodmen of
America. restraining them from send
ing any of the papers of the or.
der, applications, ETC., that should
he sent the head physician, to DR..
Clendenin the present head physician,
and q msndsmus commanding them to
send such business as should be trans
acted by :he head physician to p. Leon
McKinnie. The papers were served on
F. e. Brayton. head clerk. but have no,
been served on the head physician, DIR.
Clendenin. II the papers are served il
virtually restores p. Leon McKinnie to
the Office of head physician. OF course
the Injunction and mandsmus is only
temporary, but will be in force till dis
solved. No one at all familiar with the
| Woodmen troubles can surmise who mad,
the complaint aud swore out the injunc,
ton and mandamus. P. Leon McKinnie
NJ. D., ex head physician, is the indi
| vidusl and there were only seventeen
pages Of type writer manuscript of hi
complaint.
1t seems apparent that the ex-heat
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