The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-11-03
THE GIDEON OBLIGATION.
The Secret Ir0n-Clad Oath is Made
Public.
WILSON'S DENIAL PROVEN FALSE.
Mr.. Dunn, an Initiated Member, Gives
Away the Secret Believing it to be
His Duty-He Saw the Gidonite
Signs Used at an Alliance Politi-
cal Meeting by. Wilson Himself

cal MeetlnS Dy~ wilson himself
In view of the fact that S. Otho |
Wilson has attempted to deny the |
political existence of Gideon's bands
in this State the following facts will |
prove interesting.
j. FL. Dunn, of Vance county, has
written to M. L. Reed, of Buncombe,
saying that he remembers seeing Mr..
Reed initiated into Gideon's band at
GOldsboro, and also testifying that he
himself was initiated into it at More
head City on the night of August
IA, 1891.
The following, he says, is the exact
oath administered to him:
Il, ---, a free citizen of this
republic, do hereby, in the presence
of God and these witnesses, solemnly
swear never to reveal to any human
being on earth any of the signs or
secrets of this order or the existence
of the same
''That l will not divulge by any
means calculated to convey an idea,
either directly or Indirectly, the name
of any person belonging to this or
$ conducted, or any work that has
lbeen done or accomplished or sol ght
to be accomplished.
''That l will implicitly obey all the
laws, rules and regulations of this or
der and unquestioningly carry out all
instructions and commands from SUI
perior officers.
or mental reservation whatever,
speak the truth when converSing with
brother of this under the --.
That l will Immediately, upon re-
ceipt of any information which leads
me to suspect the fidelity to the cause
or integrity of any brother, report the
same to my superior officers.
THAT will not make or preserve for
my own use, or qualification, any
written or other evidence calculated
to convey the names of brothers or
signs, rips, passwords or other secrets
of this order.
"That [ will never propose any one
for membership who is not honest,
faithful, true and devoted to the cause
which we eSpOuSe.
'sThat / will labor for the accom-
plishment of industrial freedom from
monopOlistic greed.
'"That / will, upon any and all oc-
casions, defend the principles of this
/. order and the good name of the mem
| bers thereof.
''To all of which I most solemnly
swear and sign my name, binding my
| self under no less penalty than that of
being held up to the contempt of all
| mankind.
"And l further pledge my life, my
| liberty and my sacred honor; and
should l wilfully break this oath, |
hereby surrender my body to the just
vengeance of the members of this
order"
81 consented to become a member
| of the Band of Gideon after being as
sured most positively that it had no
political significance and that |
could retire at any time / saw fit. |
should not have joined the order if l
had supposed it was the purpose to
use it for political objects or to i'm
| properly direct or control the cOun-
| ellis of the Alliance, and as soon as l
| became convinced that it was being
used to further political schemes and
to influence in that direction the no.
BILE order to which we both belong, |
| at once severed my connection with it.
| My first suspicion that the order
was being used in this way was at the
| speaking at Henderson by Mr.. Marion
| Butler and Col. Harry Skinner, when
/ received a sign from a gentleman
which l recognized to be sign of the
order known as 'Gideon's Band" 1t
| is not necessary for me to detail what
| this gentleman said to me subse-
| quently which further aroused my
| suspicious. These suspicious were
strengthened and confirmed at a meet
ing of the Alliance delegates to the
| Democratic State convention of 1892,
held in Raleigh the night before the
| convention assembled. In this meet
| ing Mr.. S. Otho Wilson suggested and
advocated the retirement of the Alli-
| ance delegates when the convention
reached the election of delegates to
| the national Democratic convention
to be held at Chicago, and l opposed
the suggestion. During the discus
sion Mr.. Wilson gave a sign which |
recognized as sign of the order, and
| delegate touched me and / stopped
and we retired together when he sug-
gested to me that / should cease from
| opposition and let the thing go on.
l then became thoroughly satisfied
| that the order was being given polit-
ical significance, and on my return
home / surrendered to Mr.. Wilson his
papers and | have had nothing to do
with it since.
send you letter written to me by
Mr.. Wilson, in reply to one written to
him by me.
I make this statement because | am
satisfied that my duty to my State
| and fellow citizens imperatively de-
mands that / should break silence
about a matter which seems to me a
serious menace to the peace and good
order of our people, and because l be-
lieve it is my duty to the Alliance,
whose cause is being ruined by this
secret order. / am still an Alliance
man, and joined this order to serve
the Alliance cause, but [ am now sat
isfied that so far from serving this
cause, it is destroying it, and that my
duty as an Allianceman, as well as a
citizen, demands that I should take
these steps to secure the suppression
of the "Band.''
Yours very truly and fraternally,
| (Signed1 ). III. DUNN.
Here is copy of the letter referred
to by Mr.. Dunn:
RALEIGH, N. c., Oct. %, 1891.
J. FL. DUNN, Esq:
Proceed to appoint 1 in each T. S.
who selects say to more to work
with him.
Collect and hold dues of $500 till
further instructions. Truly,