Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-24

PHILADELPHIA, PA. May l9.-The
Order OF T0nti yesterday went into the
hands Of assiguees. The Land Title
and Trust %, and Francis Skunk
Brown, tic orders attorney, were
named as the ones who will wind up its
affairs. The assets are estimated at
$i,25O,0 900.
About the time this final step in the
organization's career was being taken, u
bill in equity against the officers, was
filed in common pleas court No. ], by
Attorneys Charles II. Edmunds, Hamp-
ton l.. Carson and j. lowering Jones,
on behalf Of number OF certificate
holders.
THE OFFICERS ARRAIGSEp.
The bill arrAigns the supreme officers
Us defendants, and begins by lengthy
and detailed reference TO the laws OF the
order. Notwithstanding the duty i'm
posed on them, the bill says, the officers
did not, during the earlier years OF the
order, levy such assessments as were
necessary 10 create relief fund sufii-
cient TO meet the obligations Of the
order, and thus equally distributes the
burden OF paying assessments.
Their neglect in this regard, it is
ayerred, has resulted in the absolute in
solyency OF the order. and caused the
burdens to be unequally and irregularly
imposed and the privileges and rights
OF membership unjustly apportioned.
The compliments received their certiti-
Gates during the third and fourth years
pf tttp NpAar'a IL. ka
authorized publications OF the order il
was stated, as an inducementtom member
ship, that the payment of all benefits
should be at the same cost as was paid
By those uniting with the order ut an
earlier time.
CHARGES OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
II is then asserted that the assessments
have not been levied as they should
have been to produce the fund necessary
to discharge the liabilities of the order
and maintain its solvency. During tile
first year Of its existence only seven
assessments were levied, the next year
II, and so on, increasing every year
until the ninth, when the number had
reached 80 assessments.
These are in addition to the eXtraord!.
bul lGNl VI N1V aNstd1lIlti4ls IllAt DN
the Supreme Lodge OH all holders OF
certificates dated subsequent to May Sd,
1887, and prior to August 23d, 1898, and
known as the debit assessments. Foi
a period Of nine years, up to last April
only IA assessments were levied, and
now demand for 2l0 extra assessments
is made in one month.
Referring at length 70 the representa-.
tons made TO them as an incentive for
them TO Join the order, the complainants
allege that no contribution to the reserve
fund has been made since last October
and although 20 assessments have been
levied, called and received by the
supreme treasurer since that date
amounting in the aggregate to upwards
of 5000, 600, not one dollar thereof has
been placed in the reserve fund.
On October 10th, the bill ayers, there
was in the reserve fund $1,726,7 45.4l.
Since then, instead of being added to,
the fund has been drawn upon and up
wards of 100000 has been misapplicd.
To show the hopeless insolvency OF
Tonti the bill goes on to say that certiti-
Gates for amounts ranging from $500 to
$1,000, matured since March 21st, re-
| tNtatAta Hh N5E th1 iAAShb VI PNONt
700, have not been satisfied.
HoPELEssLY INVOLVED.
During the next two years certificates
will mature requiring the payment of
$4,000, 0O0, showing an average monthly
liability in addition to that already
charged against the order of 1888 ,333. 30.
Besides this the order is now under an
average liability Of $4,000 per month
for sick benefits payable under its GER
tificates.
The order is involved, the bill says, IN
hopeless and irremediable insolvency
in consequence of the neglect and mis-
management OF the officers and the
violation Of its constitution and laws.
When shown the extracts from the
bill in equity yesterday afternoon Inv.
yer and Assignee Francis Skunk Brown
declared that any charges against the
officers were without foundation. Tie
laws of the order, he said, were made al
the biennial convention, at which repre-.
| sentatives of the various lodges were
present. The Executive Council, Nil
reputable men, had simply acted Oh
| these laws. The order had fallen on
account OF want of public confidence
and the fact that the plan had proved t.
be unfeasible. Mr., Brown said the
affairs would be wound up as quickly as
possible, and he thought that certificate
holders would receive dollar for dollar
on what they had paid.
Supreme President Clausen said thai
when elected to the office three weeks
ago he had made an investigation. 81
found" he said, that there were $500.
900 of matured certificates standing
with others rapidly approaching ma
turity, and without the necessary casE
to pay them without drawing upon the
reserve fund.
Looking ahead, saw that in two
years we would be called upon to pay
out 81, 000, 600, and that the very best w
could possibly do would be to hay,
$30U0,000 to meet the demand. TIT
order has been falling off in member
ship, and the dues dropped suddenly
from $4,000 to $10S,000. We Nigh
have run along for five or six months
but at the end of that time the crash wa
sure to come. When | learned tn,
actual standing of the order, financially
| decided that the very best thing to d.
for the members was to make an assign
ment"