St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-27
PREDICTED ITS FALL.
Robert Ross, of This City, Vindi
Gated by the Break Up of
the Iron Hall.
He Gives a Few Facts Respectins
the Local Branches of
the Order.


country relative 10 the Iron Hall, the
appointment of receiver and the ill
repute brought upon the order by the
chief officers, have stirred up the men,
bers of the order in this city. Thomas
Scorah, deputy supreme justice. of this
city, has left for the East to learn what
he can relative TO the situation.
There are eight or ten branches in
this city for men and two or three for
women. The names and officers OF
twelve of these are as follows:
Pioneer Branch Isl. William Johnson. chief
justice: William Rasmussen, accountant
Local Branch pig. Duncan Connel, chief
justice; II. q. StowelL, accountant.
Ladies Branch 5i2, Mrs a. G. Dewitt, chief
justice; Mrs. Z. Morrow. accountant.
Local Branch ll0n L. Z. York, chief Justice !;
l.. Clark. accountant.
Local Branch 1882, James McNally, chief
justice; NJ. Sharood, accountant
Ladies' Branch 1851, Mrs. L. j. Scorah, chief
justice: Miss Nj. Hill. accountant
Window Branch l277, f. Merrill. chief JUS
tice; Ii. Spence, accountant.
Ladies Branch 1904. Mrs. Spindler, chief
Justice; F. II. hamilton, accountant.
Local Branch 1915, W. SteInberger chief
justice: @. Green, accountant.
Local Branch 14G3 Adam McKegney, chief
justice; Oscar 4. Peterson. accountant.
Local Branch III. John Hammond, chief
D. IL.
1920 Edward Grout, chief justice; ". T.
Orr accountant.
Thomas ScOrah is the deputy supreme
Justice for this section of the country.
There are also number of branches
i'll Minneapolis and at other places in
| the state.
The agitation in this city is taking the
| shape OF an effort to protect the MEM
| bers here. A number of them favor a
IyIs ~ f,ff In e.,
the home members, and legal advice has
been taken in the premises. Many of
| the nemberS are poor people, who can
| iii afford to lose the money paid in the
| way of assessments.
Robert Ross, of this city. declared
| three years ago that the order would
not survive many years, and he was
| criticised then for his action in with
drawing from the order and denouncing
encouragement as then conducted. In
an Interview yesterday Mr.. Russ said:
Il predicted its present condition in
| 1883, which predictions were fully pub
llShed III your columns. Bat the charges
| then preferred against the supreme
officers were so sweeping in their char
acter that parties were apt, to suppose
they were inspired by animos-
ity; but they have been fully
| At that time many members
| left the order. Branches Nos. 81 and
SOL, this city, disbanded, held and di-
vided their reserve fund among their
! members. Others failed to heed the
admonition and continued in the order,
and today they are 'in the SOUP Up
to July of this year the order continued
to pay sick claims and matured certifi-
Gates. This gained it buoyancy and in
| spired confidence, and the result was
that many parties were induced to join
Tin fact. some finan cial men and
| limbs of the law were rOped in, who, by
their patronage. induced others, not
familiar with finance, to join it. Such
men ought to be exposed, but decline to
name them, knowing that their present
feeling of remOrse is sufficient punish
ment. Although the Associated Press
reports of the proceedings for receiver
were regularly published in st. Paul,
they were necessarily so meager that
many members of the order have failed
to comprehend their true intent, and
are at a loss to know what to do in the
premises. They have appealed to me
for advice. 1t will, therefore, he inter-
| eSting to your numerous patrons in this
| city, who are members of the order to
| publish extracts from the testimony of
the supreme officers. as given in the
| proceedings for the appointment of a
receiver.
Supeme Justice Somerby admitted that he
| paid $4,000 of the order money for stock
which was worth nothing. 1t was worthless,
| and he never looked at it until this suit was
| brought. lie, with others of the supreme Off
| GERS made gift of $4,000 to a Philadelphia
| bank when he knew that he had no right 20
| do So Somerby admitted that much of the
| order funds were spent in fixing legisla-
| lures to prevent the passage of bills requir-
| ing the order TO report financ ally 10 the in
surance commissioners of the different states,
| and $4,000 were in theMutual bank, which is
| now in the hands of an assignee. Supreme
| Accountant Walker testified that Somerby
told him that he need not hurry in writing
| up the minutes of the meeting i'll 1891: that
there was much that should not be printed.
| This was the meeting at which Somerby' S
salary was raised from $4,000 to- $4,000. The
minutes of the meeting were never writ
| ten up.
The monthly assessment, according to his
statement, yield about Sl0n,0j0 The num-
Der of certificates maturing in 1893 are :, 953,
and 1t will require S3,s93 10 to pay
them. or thirty-eight assessments. 1t
| will require siXty-three assessments in 1884,
| with liability of Sj.3S2, 2275. The order may
make as many assessments per year as may
! be deemed necessary. On the 23d inst Judge
| Taylor appointed receiver in the person of
/. F. Farley, with instructions to take charge
| of the affairs of the order but not to con-
! tinue the insurance business, call no more
dSscSsulcHts, anu Nluu up Tile OTUer AFFAIRS
| as soon as possible. Therefore members of
the order who have reserve fund will have
to turn it over to the receiver, if they would
| participate in dividend.
The evidence discloses that there is
very little money in the hands of Off
GERS of the order, and it will in all prob
ability be used up by the attorneys and
receiver. The branches would, there
fore, profit by dividing thereserve fund
among their members, without submit
ting it to the tender mercies of a re-
ceiver, and let the presentinstance be a
wholesome lesson to them in future to
shun the Vaccinations of men who
promise you goods at one-third less than
their par value. ever bearing in mind
that, as long as there are guillible peo-
pie. there will be wildcat schemes to
gull them.
Boys.