The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-13
He GETS $4,000
Knights of Maccabees Must Pay
Large Sum
To Lenna WinsIOW Whose Kid
ney They DislOcated
In Initiating Him at Kansas
City Some Time Ago.
SOMEONE PUSHED HIM
In the Midst of the TomfoOlery
and He Fell.

: Kansas City, Mo, Dec. 13.-Lenna
| Winslow who sued the knights of Mac
! cabees for $25. 900 for dislocating one of
| his kidneys while initiating him into
the local order four years ago, has been
| awarded $4,000 by a jury in Judge
| Gates division of the circuit court.
The story of how Winslow joined the
Knights of the AGaccabees at the Fifth
! Street opera house in Kansas City,
| Kan, four years ago, has been appar-
emily told under oath in open court, and
! the public has right to its burning
! curiosity no longer.
Mr.. WinsloW is a butcher by trade.
| He owned a shop on Minnesota avenue.
| He was healthy then and it was with a
| light heart and a faithful kidney that
| he went one night to be initiated into
| the tent of the Maccabees. He was
| greeted joyfully then-he now believes
| maliciOusly-at the door of the ante
| room by the outer guard and taken into
| an inner room, where We're the waiting
| members and officers of the lodge in
| long, black, red and white robes and
| physical examination and passed sue
| cessfully, but two members took him
! outside again and put him through
another one. He was then brought in
| and required to take the oath never to
] diVulge the secrets of the order.
| You are now about to pass through
| the three years warfare, said a voice;
! lit is full OF dangers and you must be
| physically and mentally capable of
| wlthstanding its hardships."
Winslow was bllndfolded and given q
/ heavy pack to carry on his back for the
| journey.
Here he was challenged.
| 1T appears" said a voice, that the
| stranger has been guilty of gross mis-
| representation, that he might join our
| order. He has represented himself to
1 be younger than he really is in order
to obtain a lower rate of insurance; his
| age, weight and height are not what he
| has sworn them to be in his written ap-
! plication, which we have here. 1 find
on examination that his pulse is irreg-
ular, and that his lungs and heart are
| affected"
L find upon inquiry" said another
voice, that his moral character is far
from that which a true Knight of the
| Maccabees should be. He has misrep-
| resented his moral conduct"
| Lenne began to be afraid he was go
! ing to be blackballed.
| Another voice spoke:
From the indisputable evidence at
| hand it seems the candidate is totally
| unfit to be one of US. In his application
| he has been guilty of deception, fraud
| and gross misrepresentation
A former voice spoke again.
I find, it said, that the stranger is
| in very bad condition and likely to die
at any time. Many of his muscles are
| totally Ossified; he has a double and
| conflicting pulse, and the valves of his
heart are rusty and out of repair.
| His lung are not mates, his left one
refusing to act in harmony with his
right one
mo punishment can be too severe
| for such base conduct" said the big
| voice. which seemed to be in charge
! away with him and let him be severe
/ ly dealt WITH
| Rough hands seized Ilenna and h11r-
/ ried him to the door, amid angry cries
| of Away with him! Away with him!''
! by the members.
| But just as they reached the door a
| voice commanded them to halt
| Perhaps we have been too haStv" it
| said, and Lenna was taken back, made
| to breath up and down, sideways and
| diagOnally, perform various caliSthe-
| MICS with arms and legs and finally
| blow through noiseless tin horn, call
| ed lung tester.
All this was the preliminary work in
detail as laid down in the official ritual
| Then he was pronounced all right and
| told to prepare for the first years
| warfare"
1t has been supposed by the general
| public that candidates for initiation to
| secret lodges are disrobed. Lenna re-
tanned the majority of his garments.
| The first part of the journey was the
! crossing of the bridge" The bridge
was only narrow plank, with each end
/ on q soap box. He couldn't have fallen
| more than a foot, but Lenna, being
bIindfolded, did not know that.
| Steady your nerves. said the lieu
/ tenant commander You are about to
cross a narrow and frail bridge high
above a deep stream. A terrible storm
| approaches. Be careful or your next
| step may be your last"
Lenna balanced himself along the
sagging board with arms outstretched.
| There was a sound of falling water and
| of kissing wind which he thought must
/ be the storm coming for he could feel
| the wind. But it was only the mem
| bers pouring water from one pail into
another and pumping hand bellows in
Lenna's face.
Then Lenna stepped to the floor
"The bridge has been safely passed, -
said the voice, "and all retreat is cut
off.
I'VE are in the enemy's country. All,
! I see them coming now armed and
| ready for battle. We must be quick and
| hide or we shall be captured. Get down
| on your hands and knees and crawl into
| this cave till they have passed Keep
your head down so it will not strike the
| rocks. Be careful that your hands do
| not come in contact with the snakes,
| lizards and other deadly reptiles that
| infest this cave
Lenna was undecided whether to stay
| and fight it out or take his chances
| with the snakes. He chose the latter
| and crOuching craWled on the floor.
A strip of oilcloth covered with a wet
| cloth to represent the damp floor of a
cave was spread in front of him.
He could hear the enemy approach
and the clank and clash of spears, and
just then he put his hand on a cold
| wet rubber snake, and he yelled. An
| other cOiled itself about his neck and
| closed its jaws on his chin, and he
( yelled again and tore it loose Damp
| rubber snakes craWled over his hands
while the members hissed in his ears.
Lenna wanted to go home, but he
couldn't back out now. The second
years warfare" began at the foot of q
rugged mountain voice told Lenna