Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-01
SOME LOCAL A. P. A. HISTORY
Interesting Chapter from the Files Of the
Secret Order.
EXTRACTS FROM THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
Trial of Five Leading Lights of the
A. r.. a. on Charges of Revealing
Secrets of the Star Cham
Der Organization.

Among the interesting that
cam into the possession of The Bee during
the recent political campaign was a steno-
graphic report of the trial Of a number OF
prominent members of the A. p. A. OF
Omaha who were suspended from the order
by ]. II. Winspear. when he was state
president of the order in 1892.
The document in question is decidedly in
terestlng and unique and furnishes the cor
rect and authentic account of the pro-
ceedings in the memorable case that created
a sensation in the A. p. A. circles of the
country at the time. Efforts were made to
get at the real inside facts Of the case at
the time, but the A.. p. A. was a pretty
close corporation then and only fragments
OF the story could be CLEANED. 1t will be re-
called that jim Winspear, then, as now, a
conspicuous figure in the councils Of the
order, had been accused OF having made a
cold blooded deal to sell the voting strength
of the order to a candidate for a lucrative
office for 81 500 in cash and that the deal was
and the goods delivered. Win
spear and his next best friend, Dan Angel,
made tho deal and secured the money. The
matter became public and charges were pre-
ferred with the supreme council OF the A.
=. A. by members Of the Omaha lodges and
an effort made to get Winspear expelled
Nio aAA b'' PS's
ton as state president for Nebraska. Be-
fore the matter could be brought to a hear
ing Winspear took the bull by the horns and
preferred charges against his accusers. A.
p. Houck, c.. Il. Currier, Phil Il. Winter,
George w. Covell and John T.. Gathers, and
suspended them from the order for violations
OF their oaths and the laws and rules Of
the A. p. A..
That was the condition of affairs in the
order when the state executive board of the
mat In anuaru 1902 IN inUAStt-
gate the charges against State President
Whisper, and his counter charges against
the Ave members named. For the pro-
ceedings Of the state council The Bee has
the documents. the charges and counter
charges over the signatures Of the members
In question and the stenographic report of
the meeting made by Charley Potter, the
well known A. y. A. shorthand reporter, who
was employed to take the testimony and evil
dence before the state executive board.
The first part OF this official document Is
marked Exhibits A and b" and consists OF
the order Of Winspear removing the
Friends" from the order and the answers
and counter charges OF the accused mem
beers. The first order is dated at Omaha on
January ~. 1892. and in the language Of the
document. ''suspends forthwith Friend
George w. Covell and Friend p. Il. Winter
OF Council No. 8 OF Omaha, Neb.. they TO
be prohibited from attending any council OF
the order until they have been tried and ac-
quilted by the state council Of Nebraska. OF
the following charges. towit; For improper
conduct that they did on or about the first
day OF January, A. d., 1892. read TO and show
TO George p. Bemis in the city OF Omaha,
Neb., certain proceedings of Council No. s,
A. p. A., they we'll knowing that the said
Bemis was not a member Of the order, thus
then and there most willfully and wrong
fully violating their oath and the obligation
OF the order"
The second charge OF the complaint al
leges that Friends Covell and Winter de-
livered to Mayor Bemis certain records and
proceedings Of Council No. 8 In violation Of
their oaths. These charges are signed by
]. II. Winspear. state president.
Then come the answers Of Friends Coveil