Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-21
SAYS THE BOOKS ARE MIXED
More Trouble for the U. s. Masonic Benevo-
lent Association.
FORMER POLICY HOLDER NOW SUES
George Hewitt wants Damages I'm the
sum of Several Hundred Dol
lars and Incidentally Com
siderable satisfaction.

Another batch OF trouble was fixed UP for
the United States Masonic Benevolent as
ISOLATION and its officers yesterday, by the
filing of two suits in the district court,
asking damages against the association and
making charges against the officers and man
ayers.
George j, Crane, a former employee Of the
association, applied for a receiver for the
association some time ago and made all
kinds of charges. The hearing came up and
lasted for two weeks. AS a result the court
denied the application for the receiver.
During the hearing it developed that the
association had been having a pretty hard
time to weather the financial storm, but
that the present officers and managers were
using every effort to get the association on
a sound basis and had the encouragement
Of the state insurance department. which
had approved their plans. Much of the
evidence concerning the affairs of the com
pany which was brought out during the
Crane case has been worked into a petition
which was filed against the officers of the
association yesterday by George w. Hewitt,
a former policy holder.
Mr.. Hewitt's case Is brought against F.
III. Brown, John E.. Richardson and Thomas
B. Lacey, directors of the association. The
pClilloh nlls dDOul my DdStS VI W ptN llllth
manuscript and presents an endless array of
figures and exhibits, most of which were
taken from the showing made in the Crane
case. The petitioner asserts that in 1889,
at the solicitation of George j. Crane, he
took two policies in the United States Be
nevolent association, one for 81, 500 in class
A and a like amount in class b. He says
that Crane painted the plan of the associa-
ton in glowing colors and showed him how
the assessments would always be about the
same, owing to the guaranty fund. TIL de-
PENDANTS, who were officers of the associa-
ton, the petitioner alleges, have so mis-
managed the affairs of the institution that
most of the guaranty fund is now in the
shape Of sheriff's deeds and the balance in
a fair way to be wasted. He charges that
a loan of 800 600 was made by the company
to one of its officers on lands that were not
adequate security and that the books of the
association were so kept that even the Off
GERS cannot give any accurate or definite
statement of the condition Of the company's
affairs.
COMMITTEE MISINFORMED.
Mr.. Hewitt dwells at some length upon
the meeting of the certificate holders of
the association, held in 1895, at which
a committee was appointed to examine the
books and accounts of the concern. He
alleges that the committee received eva
sive and garbled statements of the affairs
of the association and that a list of mem
bers was refused for fear that those OPP
posed to the management of the association
might get the votes to order a change.
He alleges gross and corrupt misman-
agement of the affairs of the company,
misrepresentation of the funds and says that
the money now in the association bids fair
to be absorbed by the managers and their
dummies.
The petitioner asserts that he allowed
his certificate to lapse in October, 1895,
because of the increased and unreasonable
assessments. He thinks he has paid in
about 5000. He asks for an accounting
and judgment against the defendants for
$4,000 damages.
The second suit was brought by w. ].
Jameson against the United States Masonic
Benevolent association, F. H. Brown and
]. E.. Richardson. Mr.. Jameson alleges
that he was secretary of the association
for several years. but resigned May 1, 1895,
owing to friction between himself and other
officers. He resigned with a written agree
ment that the association should pay him
his salary for the rest of the year, 81, 400.
He alleges that a contract to this effect
was made and that the other officers of
the association agreed to pay the amount
from their salaries. This they have re-
fused to do. He asks judgment against
f. II. Brown and j. r. Richardson for
their share of the amount, 1894 each, and
for judgment against the association for
81 ,156, the. amount due from the other
officers of the association.