Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-05-06
BRANDED IN A LODGE ROOM.
Orangemen Fined for Cruelty in Their
Ceremonies of Initiation

One of the strangest cases ever tried
in the district court came up this
morning before Judge Enos F. Luce
when an alleged expose was made IN
der oath upon the witness stand Of the
rites and ordeal5 through which a can
didate must pass 10 become a full
| iiedged Orangemar. Six mem bers Of
the Orange lodge here were arrested
for assault on Frank A Preble during
initiation. They were John G. Graham,
G. o. Nickarson, Edward ONeil,
Daniel Tracey, Leander Weatherbee,
and Wilfred Mabie.
Preble was the first witness. 1t was
on the evening of July %, 1896, that
he received his initiatOry degree. He
swore that his troubles began the min
ute thai he passed the mystic por-
tails" He was compelled to discard
all raiment except his underwear. One
arm was stripped of its sleeve. He was
made to wear pair Of overalls, which
We're rolled above his knees. Then he
was blindfolded and led into the larger
| lodge room by Daniel Tracey and
| William Mabie, who acted as conduc-
/ tors.
There he was compelled to halt and
get down upon his knees and repeat
the Lords prayer. Then he had to
Chamber over lot of rough blocks
was struck severely with whips, and
! finally posed upon what seemed to him
stepladder. An ohli~o,+ion was i'm
| posed, after which the ladder was sud-
! IDENTIFY pulled from under him and he
was pitched into a canvas blanket, in
which he was bounced around for a
while. Then he was placed on his
knees again, and several people, he
says, literally gave it to him in the
neck" Some more marching followed
and he was made to carry what felt
like bag OF rocks.
Finally Mabie told him to raise his
hand and try 10 find ''the serpent"
Brother Graham then cried. you did
not find it, but it found you,' and then,
he says, a branding iron was applied
twice to mis- breast. After thai ne was
seated and the rest was easy. He
| talked with Mr.. Nicholson, another
member, the next night, and both
agreed that he had been cruelty treat
ed. Nicholson said the abuse he re-
CeiVed was contrary to the ritual of the
order. Nicholson also told him that
the branding was not in the ritual, and
that he ought to have some compensa-
ton for what he had suffered.
The witness breast was badly burn
ed, and the wounds were raw for ten
days. His legs were discolored from
the violence Of some of the blows he
received from the Whisp. The only
time he protested was while they were
removing his clothing. He had been
advised to call upon Secretary Ray Of
the supreme order and enter formal
complaint.
Edward Arch said he had witnessed
Preble's ordeal. Tracey and Mabie
guarded the candidate. ONeil heated
the branding iron and Graham applied
it. Nickerson had objected that the
iron was too hot, but O'Neil heated it
further and said they would give the
candidate a id good roast Arch
had not interfered to protect Preble
because he knew it would do no good.
His own legs were whipped harder
than Preble's had been, but his own
back had escaped more lightly.
Both men were able to work next
day. Arch had delayed his appeal to
the courts in order to give the Orange
men an opportunity to appoint an in
vestigating committee; and he denied
that he had offered to drop the case if
the lodge would pay him $50 neither
had he authorized any person to make
such an offer to him. Arch had OBJ
iected twice during the initiation, but
it had done no good. He only had one
brand, and that was about the size of
a half dollar.
No evidence was put in for the de-
tense. but council argued that no proof
had been given that any departure
had been made from the regular form
Of initiation sufficient to constitute an
assault. Preble having applied for in
itiation and having been willing to
abide by the consequences, no crime
had been committed, and counsel asked
that the lodge be discharged as not
guilty.
Judge Luce, in his decision, fined six
officers of the lodge S35 each. The men
appealed. CMass.) Cores
pondence New York