The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-02
THE IRON HALL MIDDLE.

The Local Members Feel That the
Order Has Been Injured.
The members Of the Iron Hall In Savan-
ments made in the oil of complaint filed in
Indianapolis for the appointment of a re-
ceiver for the order. feel that 1t has been given
black eye. "The Iron HAIL. said one of
the prominent members yesterday, depends
for its success upon its increase OF member
| ship, and, OF course, the application for a
receiver and the charges made against It's
stability will deter people from joining it.
No matter how fine financial condition il
could show the injury couldn't be undone.
am willing to sell my claim at q large dis
| count to any one"
Speaking OF the orders condition, Albert
Baker of Indianapolis, one Of the
parties to the suit for a receiver,
| said: There are several reasons given
in the application, but the chief one,
and the one which precipitated our action,
was this: The Iron Hall carries a cash CAP
ttsl Of g., 100000 or this sum $500, 600 is
kept here and 500, 900 In the east Mr..
Somerby is vice president Of the Mutual
Banking, Surety, Trust and Safe Deposit
Company OF Philadelphia Soon after the
financial furry in the east several months
ago. caused by the failure of the Keystone
Bank, $3.50, 900 was removed from the con-
troll of the supreme council here and placed
in this trust company under the control of
Mr.. Somerby. This Information l received
from credible source"
Referring 20 the application for a receiver
for the Iron Hall insurance concern, the
boston Journal says "Should the Ordsr Of
the Iron Hail. supposedly the strongest and
surest benefit order in the country, follow
In the footsteps of the large number Of
smaller societies. whose theories remind one
OF the old tale OF the bag Of gold at the rain
bows end, there would be much 'wailing
aud CRASHING of teeth here In this old state
OF Massachusetts In 1881 the order was
Incorporated under the laws Of Indiana, and
the birthplace of the scheme was
Its beginning was a peculiar one.
instead Of rushing into the business of
getting large membership roll 1t went
about this slowly and cautiously. There
was no effort made to boom 1t until the
fourth OF fifth year of its existence. During
these years there were only l 100 members,
while now there are GO, 600. The cleverness
OF this can be easily seen. With the mem
bership yearly increasing IL would not be
much OF an effort to pay off the members
who Joined during the first six years, be-
cause the payments would not be very many.
But, as Commissioner Merrill puts It, the
whole trouble will come after the first six
years Of pigment"
Insurance Commissioner Merrill OF Bos-
ton has given his views upon the affair. ~
charged Somerby,n said he, with conceal
ing the fact in the reports that he received
$4,000 for travelling expenses and then
charged the same to a special agent He
said that was four years ago. This thing is
not new. If the facts can be found out
there Is something there which will interest
the members OF the order very much.
There have been made some enormous ex-
pendltures, which have been adroitly cons
cealed in the report Somerby, let me as
sure you. is an absolute autocret In this
business, and every one about him does his
bidding in these matters Some time ago
the order In Massachusetts was distinct
organization, but Mr.. Somsrby thought
some of the members wanted to know too
much about the business, 80 he abolished the
office "