Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-08-15
THE IRON HALL.
Somerby's Great Trouble in Handling
the Maine Legislature.
Thought II Would Cost $4,000 to Do Busi
ness in That State

ISpIANhPoLis, Aug. IS.-Judgc laNi0l
adjourned court today i'll the Iron Hall mat
ter until next Wednesday. Supreme Ad
iuster Sayre of Philadelphia was ON III,
stand to-day, but nothing beyond testifyins
to "A certain paper agreeing to stand by
Somerby for the good of the order wa
shown. 4 sensational feature of the cast
was the reading of the minutes of one OF
the secret meetings of the supreme sittlngs
ut which Somerby told of the difficulties h,
encountered in managing state legislatures
Ills address started ont by eulogizing the
order, which the supreme justice declared
was prospering under its present officers
and he predicted "A great future for it.
But it continued, "if IA new set Of oili
GERS were to take hold of it, | would give
the order lust two months TO 90 into tn,
hands of receiver.
1t then went on and told of pending legis'
lstion adverse 10 the order, aud cited in
stances in the states of Maine, New liamp'
shire, New York and Massachusetts where
different insurance orders had combined Ia
down the Iron Hall Then came an cxtrac,
AS follows.
II have found it necessary 10 spend a
great deal of time at the Legislatures and to
cxpend large sums of money, The task is
becoming too srduous for me. II is also
dangerous work, often eniailing arrest and
imprisonmcnt have my family and my
reputation to care for, AID cannot under
take to do this work longer. | wish To
present for your consideration the fact that
in the State of Maine We have expended
nearly $1,000 during the year past IN keep
inc deputy there Who has been very vigi-
-. ,l...l ,.,t
ting very strong and hcalthful influence
for the Order of the Iron Hall in that state
There are but twp organizations doing
business there ut the Present time. the Order
of Ton,i and the order of the Iron Hall
that did business there prior TO the enact
men, of the late law.
The papers in this case shall present to
the committee NJ, judgement Is that II
will rost 10000 to secure the right to dc
business in that state. If, for that sum, il
can he obtained as special legislation, un
fortunately, for such is the case, we shout
have to de cfcnd and open the way for Tont
in Maine, as We did in Massachusetts, NJ
legislation could be obtained in Maine. il
my judgement. except it would be for al
organizations who commenced their busi
ness in the state under the legal form shoul'
remain unmolestcd, and, rs a matter o
course. that would carry with it Tonil a.
well as ourselves.
"lf the legislation could b" obtained fo
that sum, the grand old state of Main'
would roll up such a membership to TIN
order that membership would be mer'
cipher compared with the increased incom'
and the increased membership to unable u
,o meet the liability of 1883.
i Massachusetts, | am satisfied, will hav'
her usual amount of agitation On this snb
( iect. Already Mai Merrill has held Us nj
TO ridIculc again. and this whole trouble
I in my judgement, he Is responsible for an
if he had been y man we would never hav
I been placed in the situation we are III to
day"
Further along in the minutes it was re-
commented that $1,000 year he set asi,l
rs salary for a man to do this dangerous
work. The plaintiff, expect tn prove late
in the trial that Mr.. Somerby kept on do
ing the work himself.
At another time while on the stand Mr.
Somcrby stated that paid satellites of tn
order were at the primaries of all election
in Eastern states, where the order is M
mprically the greatest, and that the elef
lions were influenced from their incip
ency.
Immediately after the adjournment o
court it was announced that the witnes
( Mr. Savrc) who didn't know, while on tn
witness stand, whether he was in or out o
office, had been confirmed as supreme ad
iuster. II is understood tina, Sayre wa
looked upon with favor by the factions q
the order. but when he came here he wa
seen in conversation with the Davis Wake
people.
This at once brought him under criticist
from Somcrby's friends, and they ''hel
up'i his appointment until today.
lie is free and easy in his manner, an
one would think that he didn't care wheths
he goes in or stays out. The lloughyil'
members of the order, who make mp one @
the most iiourisbing branches in the couI
try. and who have presented a bold froi
for Somerby, ar breaking badly since tn
court proceedings have opened. A men
ber stated this morning that 80 member
lapsea Wednesday evening, and 100 moi
would fall away before the next meeting.
The executive committee announced L
day that SIS 900 worth of maturcd polici'
were paid Saturday in Bingbamton, \. 7.