The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-11-25
LOST HIS LIFE.
A MAN DIES FROM INJURIES RECEIVED
INALoDGEROOM.

he was Being Initiated as Member of the
Order OF Elks When 10 Was Badly
Burned by His Clothes Taking Fire.
DEs MONIES, Ia, Nov. 1S.-E. w.
Curry, chairman OF the Democratic
State committee, died this morning in
his room at the Hotel Savoy. The
death was direct result of injur-
les received while being initiated into
a Des Moines lodge of Elksabout two
months ago. As part ofthe ceremony
he was blindfolded and placed on
chair with an iron seat. Then light
ed lamp was placed under the seat
with the expectation that when it got
too not he would jump. But he sat
still until he was badly burned. His
trousers were burned away and the
| flesh fearfully scorched. He was put
in new clothes and did not realize at
the time that the injuries were serious.
In few days blood poisoning set in
and he grew worse steadily. TWAS
his desire that the real cause OF his in
j1ries should not be made public and
another cause was assigned for the i'll
ness, the truth only becoming public
today. An evening paper published
a highly sensational story that the in
.jIries were caused by placing him, in
! the process of the initiation ceremony,
in an electrical chairand turning on
current which burned him badly, but
this is denied by the Elks. Mr. Cur.
+ ry lived at Leon and was leading
attorney. The body will be taken
there tomorrow by large escort OF
Elks and Masons and the funeral will
be * ID tomorrow afternoon.
The stories differ as to whether Cur.
rvs death was due altogether to the
Injuries or the bad treatment accorded
him after receiving them. Tae story
told this morning, as coming fcom the
family, was that Mr.. Curry was placed
in chair charged with electricity, and
that a slight current was turned on
for the purpose of frightening him
and making him jump out of the
chair. He was not tied in, and was
free to get out if he wanted to; but
Curry had the reputation OF being a
gamey man and he did rot jump, so
the current was increased. Finding
that still it did not bulge him, the
person in charge again increased the
strength of the charge and left it turn
ed on. Seeing smoke emerge from
the seat of the chair, Mr.. Curry was
palled out and it was discovered that
his garmsnts were burned and his
flesh badly scorched. He was taken
to his room in the hotel, where physi-
clans were summoned. a week or ten
days agoblood poisoning setin and moth
ing could be done to save him. It was
given out, at Mr.. Curry's request, that
his trouble was OF long standing, and
this was the story generally accepted
this morning..
T, Leading members of the EsttS2odcfe 8 I'd
wae~|sre seen today deny the truth
of the story. Taey admit that Curry
was injured in the lodgeroon Of the
Elks, bat they say it was not serious,
and it is shown that Mr.. Curry made
speech in the lodge after the alleged
burning occurred; that he walked to
his hotel after his initiation, and was
about town for three days before he
finally took to his bed. One Of the
most prominent members of the lodge
VINO was present at the initiation said
that no electrical appliance of any
kind whatever was used in the lodge
room.
''Mr. Curry would never have been
hurt" he added, ''if he had followed
directions and had not bsen so deter
mined to be game in going through
the ceremony. The lodge has been IN
existence for more than twelve years.
We have $50 members 10 this city, in.
cluding many Of the most prominent
professional men in town. Nobody
has ever been nurt in the lodge before,
and no one supposed That it was posi-
bic for any one to get hurt. OF course
there is a great deal of funny
business and horse play about the
Elks' initiation, as there is in all Sc.
cret societies, out I want to say that
it is not nearly as rough as the Mason
ic initiation.
But when man goes in with the
idea of fighting, and does not do as he
is told, he may take some chances in
getting hurt in any initiation of this
kind. I am sure Mr.. Curry did not
blame the boys one bit. In fact, he
said 50. We have done everything
we could to soften the blow for the
family"
The Elks are very reticent in speak
ing Of the case, because they do not
wish to cast any reflections upon Mr..
Curry. who was very popular. They
say that if he had been properly treat
ed at the beginning Of his illness he
would have soon recovered. A change
in physicians WAS made about ten days
ago, but no hope of recovery was ex-
pressed by the physician who then
took charge Of the case. The lodge
has expended over 81, 900 in caring for
Mr.. Curry, and vii have charge Of the
funeral. a delegation of Elks and
Masons will accompany the remains
to Leon, the home of Mr.. Curry,
where the interment will take place.
Mr.. Curry was thirty-second de-
gree Mason and also belonged to the
Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.
so this was not his first experience IN
being initiated into a secret society.
1t was this experience and his pride 10
showing his nerve that got him into
this trouble, so his brother Elks say,
Wounds His Paramour.
GREENg1LLE, S. c., Nov. 20.-Eariy
this morning Ezelle Thackston, who
killed James Ivy three years ago, but
= IL l,cc.k L.