The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-15
THE iron HALL.
Secret Minutes Of the Supreme ST.
tings Read.
SOME SENSATIONAL FEATURES
THAT INTEREST MAINE PEOPLE.


Standing by somerby for the Good Of
the Order-Five Thousand Dollars
Needed to Fix Maine.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. August 13.-Judge
Taylor adjourned court today in the
Iron Hall matter until next Wednesday.
Supreme Adjuster Sayre of Philadelphia
was on the stand today, but nothing be-
yond testifying to a certain paper agree
ing to stand by Somerby ''for the good
of the order'' was shown. A sensational
feature of the case was the reading of
the minutes of one of the secret meetings
of the supreme sittings, at which Somer-
by told of the difficulties he encountered
in managing state legislatures.
His address started out by eulogizing
the order, which the supreme justice de-
clared was prospering under its present
officers, and he predicts great future
for it.
"But," it continued, ''if new set of
officers were to take hold of it, would
give the order just two months to 60 into
the hands of a receiver"
legislation adverse to the order, and
cited instances in the states of Maine,
New Hampshire, New York and Massa-
chusetts where different insurance
orders had combined to down the Iron
Hall. Then came an extract as follows:
II have found it necessary to spend
great deal of time at the legislatures and
to expend large sums of money. The
task is becoming too arduous for me. 1t
is also dangerous work, often entailing
arrest and imprisonment. have my
family and my reputation to care for,
and cannot undertake to do this work
longer. wish to present for your con-
sideration the fact that
In the State of Maine
we have expended nearly $1,000 during
the year past in keeping deputy there
who has been very vigilant, very active
and has succeeded in getting very
strong and healthful influence for the
Order of the Iron Hall in that state.
There are but two organizations do
ing business there at the present time,
the Order of Tonti and the Order of the
Iron Hall, that did business there prior
to the enactment of the late law.
'srhe papers in this case shall present
to the committee. My Judgment is that
It win Cost $4,000
to secure the right to do business in that
state. If, for that sum, it can be OBJ
tanned as special legislation, unfortu-
nately, for such is the case, we should
have to defend and open the way for
Tonti in Maine, as we did in Massachu-
setts. No legislation could be obtained
in Maine, in my judgment, except it
would be for all organizations who COM
menced their business in the state under
the legal form should remain unmolest-
ed, and, as a matter of course, that
would carry with it Tonti as well as our
selves.
eff the legislation could be obtained
for that sum, the grand old State of
Maine would roll up such membership
to the order that that membership
would be mere cipher compared with
the increased membership to enable us
to meet the liability of 1888.
Massachusetts,, / am satisfied, will
have her usual amount of agitation on
this subject. Already Maj. Merrill has
held up to ridicule again, and this whole
trouble, in my judgment, he is RESPONSE
BILE for, and if he had been a man we
would never have been placed in the sit
uation we are in today"
Further along in the minutes it was
recommended that $4,000 a year be set
aside as salary for man to
Do This Dangerous" Work.
The plaintiffs expect to prove later in
the trial that Mr. Somerby kept on doing
the work himself.
At another time while on the stand,
Mr.. Somerby stated that paid satellites
of the order were at the primaries of all
elections in eastern states, where the Or
der is numerically the greatest, and that
the elections were influenced from their
incipiency.
re