San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-12-06
MIR. CURRY's DEATH.
A Trustworthy Description OF How 1t
Occurred.

A Trustworthy Description VI How IL
Occurred
Says the Cincinnati Enquirer:
The distressing accident which is
said to have caused the death of Ed
ward w. Curry, during his initiation
into the order of Elks at Des Moines,
continued to occasion considerable
discussion among the members of the
local lodge and of other secret orders
in this city yesterday. Almost to a
man the use of such instruments as
an electric or 'gas jet" chair in the
initiatOry services was condemned.
Many Elks, however, were loath to
believe that Mr.. Curry's death was
directly due to the burns received in
the Des Moines lodge.
A letter received by prominent
member of the Cincinnati lodge of
Elks yesterday, sets forth the follow
ing authorized public statement from
the Des Moines lodge, explaining just
how Mr.. Curry was hurt and fully
describing the initiation:
I'VE have chair over which is
placed thin sheet of cast iron serv-
ing as seat, which we always have
used in initiating new members.
When the member is to be initiated
he is blindfolded and taken to an ante
room, where a committee changes his
clothes and dresses him up in some
fancy costume. After that he is led
to the chair and made to sit down on
it. A small gas jet is placed under
meath the chair and the expectation
is that as soon as the warmth is felt
on the iron the member will jump
up and out of it. 1t is the most in
nOcent sort of a trick, and it might
be used at home in order to furnish a
little amusement. No harm has
ever come from it in the past. In
Mr.. Curry's case, however, he sat on
the chair longer time than l have
ever seen any stand it. We thought
nothing Of it, however, supposing the
iron was longer heating than usual
I'm little while we noticed that
the iron must have been heated
enough. We Immediately took the
jet away and led Mr.. Curry from the
chair. The heat had burned his
clothing and slightly burned his flesh.
1t was such burn as one might get
about a stove or in hundred other
ways, and, such a one as people re-
ceive every day without thinking
about it.
''Mr. Curry said to me afterward
that he had not felt any pain during
all of the time, only a singing SEN
sation. He had gone through num-
Der of similar ceremonies in different
lodges, and wanted to show that he
was stoical in these matters. He said
he thought that in dressing him the
committee had applied a fly blister or
something of the kind, and that this
was drawing and causing the sensa-
ton. He was not at all inconven-
fenced by the burn that night. After
the initiation ceremonies he made a
splendid address to the order, and sat
down to lunch, as jolly as the rest.
The next day he was about his bust
ness as usual, and that night attend
ed the performance Of Joseph Jeffer-
son at Fosters opera house, and
was taken i'll the second day follow
ing.
"That the burn would have proved
so serious we can only account for by
the fact that Mr.. Curry's system,
owing to the excitement of the cam
paign, was in such condition that the
slightest injury would have caused
blood poisoning. The affair is such
an unfortunate one that dislike to
speak about it, and, while his injury
can be traced to the injury received
at the Elks' meeting, 1t seems after
all rather n matter of fate that the
Elks should have been connected
with it. Mr.. Curry made himself i'm
mensely popular with those compos-
ing the Elk lodge, and the Elks have
We'd with one another to see who
could do the most for him during his
Illness"
1t was inadvertently stated in yes
terday's Enquirer that a live goat is
used in the initiatory ceremonies OF
the Newport Elks. Exalted Ruler
Hollmeyer is authority for the state
ment that they have no such animal
in their service, and that their cere-
monies are as harmless as it is pos
sible to make them. The Newport
Elks. he says, pay more attention to
the beautiful part of their initiation
than to the absurd.