The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-02-27
NOoDmEN ARE STIlLH MaRf
4 Bitter Strife Which May Disrupt
the Order.
Recent Attempt TO Remove thex
Head once From Fulton to
Rock Island the Source
OF Much Trouble.

Fulton. ILL.,, Feb. 24.-Taere is trouble
brewing In Modern Woodmen circles
since the raid and attempt by Rock
Island people to steal the records u
other effects of the head clerks offi91
this city. Sweeping charges hav beeh
made against the head officers OF the or
der. Former employees and persons
whose mouths have long been sealed
are now divulging matters that are con-
sidered by all as OF a criminal charac-
ter. The fact that the board of direc-
tors. J. w. White, j. N. Reece. l., A.
Talbot, Marvin Q~uackenbush and Benz
jamin d. Smith; C. w. HaweH head
clerk; James Mcnamara, private secre-,
tary, and other employees of the head
clerks office were cogniZant of the plask{
and were AT work in Fulton doing all in
their power to assist In the loating of
the office has aroused the Indignation
of all law respecting citizens against
Ithase men.
The statement of Clerk Halves made
after the order of the court restraining
them from moving the head office, that
he would take the seal to Rock Island,
has made him the object of much bitter
censure. The ract that w. A. North
colt, lieutenant governor, is head con-
sci of he organization and that he has
been active in the remova proceedings
has provoked many to cenSure him.
That the paper and files we're careless
ly thrown into a box car, with no pre-
caution as to their safety for taking a
"Trip of sixty miles by rail, has embit-
tered all against these officers of the Or
~ganization, who have been elected to
high Office and sworn to guard these
valuable documents.
The Modern Woodmen is an organiza-
ton composed of 220,000 members, and
carries insurance to the amount of
more han $500, O0O, 600, Citizens have
been receiving numerous communities
lions from Wocdmen throughout the
jurisdiction asking of the condition OF
the office and as to the safety of the or
ganization in the hands of the present
head officers.
The Fulton Journal. the local paper,
came ont with a bitter article and men,
toned many features of the present
trouble. one of which was the shortage
of $500 0 in the accounts of d. c. link,
a former head banker. No action has
been taken by the board to begin pro<
ceedings for the TecoNer of thisl
amount. The money was deposited in
the banks of Grand Island, Neb., and
the banks failed.
The Royal Neighbors of America is
auxiliary to the Woodmen of America.
The beneficiary department is located
in h head clerks Office here, and the
current opinion is that the funds of the
Wood1nen are used to defray the ex-
penses Of the Royal Ne:ghbors. The
Forrest Printing company is also To-
Gated in the head clerks Office, n by
the printing of camp supplies the head
clerk is supposed to have proflted. The
office of the United States Express conf
pany is located in the supply depar
ment of the clerks office. An en,ploye
of the clerks office is agent for the ex-
press company, and also draws regular
ly his salary from the Woodmen.
These and a number of other features
have made much talk Of beginning pro-
ceedings against the head officers for
~malfeasance in Office,