The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-24
LODGE DIVIDED.
The Greenville Knights Of
Pythias squabble Over
a Check.
THREE MEMBERS EXPELLED
Treasurer zimmerman's Enemies
in Centenary Lodge Will
Appeal to the Grand
Lodge.
THREE MEMBERS EXPELLED

kIhere mas been terrible llpheaval in
Centenary Lodge, No. 100, Knights of.
Pythias, within the past four months.
Through it several members have been
expelled and others have secured their
transfers to other lodges.
The trouble had its origin in the order
to the treasurer to pay a death benefit
OF $50 to the widow Of Brother John
Kirschner. This was on June 21, 1895.
AT the meeting of the lodge which was
held on July 5, Treasurer William Zim-
norman rendered his report to the lodge
1t stated that the money had been paid
as ordered. A member took objection to
the report, because. he said, the money
had not been paid to the widow The
Treasurer insisted that 1t had been paid
His check was then produced, bearing
the date of July 13, 1895, and proven to
be the very one he paid to Mrs Kirsch-
ner. Mr.. Zimmerman then said that the
matter was a personal one between Mrs.
Kirschner and himself that he had
borrowed the money from her to use in
paying his liquor, license His opponents
claimed that the widow did not loan the
money because she never had it in her
possession.
Here the lodge split. Two or three,
for personal reasons, it is said arraigned
themselves against Zimmerman; few
left the lodge when they saw trouble
brewing, and a large majority Of the
members rallied around Zimmerman and
declared their belief in his innocence. A
trial committee was appointed, however,
and they Investigated the matter. The
result was report rendered ON October
10. This was in answer to the charges
made against Zimmerman by Julius
Breternitz, Jr., on October 4.
The report merely recited the facts as
already told and really brought no direct
charge against Zimmerman
The Chancellor Commander, however,
reprimanded the treasurer in the meeting
for his lax business methods. Then the
lodge took action and by majority vote
continued the treasurer in Office
Among those who withdrew from the
lodge were julius Breternitz, Jr, Jacob
Edinger and Edward w. Edinger. The
first named of these did an unheard of
thing in the history of secret lodges.
He. began talking about the AFFAIR to out
sidersi with the result that a garbled ac-
count of it made its way into a local
paper. For this he and the others
equally culpable were expelled from Cen
tenary Lodge.
Last night these three gentlemen issued
a statement concerning the whole trouble
as they see it. They claim they were
SUNNI oned before a meeting to be held
in a room in Jaccard's house on the old
Bergen road. Downstairs IS a saloon, kept
by MIR Jules Jaccard. Because of the
proximity of this saloon the Messrs. Edin-
ger and Mr.. BreternitZ refused to answer
the call. Mr. Jacob Edinger has a saloon
on Linden avenue.
The next notification, therefore, was
that of their expulsion from the lodge.
This they received on February 10, 1896.
They regretted that it came to them at
ter the Grand Lodge had adjourned.
Otherwise they should have taken it be-
fore that high tribunal on an appeal
from this decision.
Mr. John Brinckmann, of No. 639 Ocean
avenue, is the, secretary. of Centenary
this morning that he was sorry the
trouble had ever occurred. He did not
criticize Mr. Zimmerman's action.
"As understand it, said he, Mrs.
Kirschner agreed to lend him the money
as she did not stand in immediate need
he really needed that money. This year
he had to pay $3.50 for the renewal of his
license. He did not have it because he
lent some $500 to needy friend a month
or so before. / repeat that 1 am very
sorry about the way things have gone. |
am sorry for the men who have been
expelled and I am sorry that the lodge
has attained such unpleasant pronlin-
ence.''
The expelled members say they will ap-
ply to the Grand Lodge for re-admittance
to membership in the Knights of Pythias.
Then they intend to organize new lodge
in Greenville. Meanwhile they claim the
older body is placing every obstacle in
their way with view 70 discouraging