The San Francisco call., 1898-08-24
PYTH|AN KNIGHTS
 AT |ND|ANAPO POL|S Biennial Session of the Supreme Lodge. THOUSANDS IN THE PARADE MONSTER PROCESSION THREADS THE CITY's STREETS. In Executive Session an Investiga- tion of Recent Disclosures to
 the American Press Is
 Ordered.
THOUSANDS IN THE PARADE
MONSTER PROCESSION THREADS
 THE CITY'S STREETS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

INDIANAPOLIS Ind, Aug. 23.-The Supreme Lodge, Knights of Pythias, began it's biennial session in the hall of the House of Representatives at the State Capitol this morning. Caleb S. Denny ex-Mayor of Indianapolis. chairman of the citizens executive committee. called the meeting to order.
 Mayor Taggart and Governor James A. Mount welcomed the lodge, and on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Indiana Grand Chancellor Union E. Hunt made an address of welcome. Supreme Chan ceIlor Colgroye replied in a speech of about ten minutes. At Il o'clock the Supreme Lodge settled down to busi- ness, after the galleries had been cleared.
 The Supreme Lodge Is in poor finan- cial condition, having less than $l0O00 on hand This fact caused some of the members to severely criticize the pres ent supreme officers, and some of the charges found their way into the pub lie press, causing a great sensation. The Supreme Lodge late this afternoon appointed an Investigating committee to ascertain who furnished the charges to the papers, and 1t IS the intention 10 expel the offending member, not only from the Supreme Lodge, but from the order, and there is talk Of suits against the papers which published the charges. The condition of affairs has caused a determination on the part or the Supreme Lodge to change the man ner of raising revenues IL IS the in- tention to have passed, at the begin ming of each Supreme Lodge meeting, an appropriation bill similar to the hills passed by Congress and the state I Legislatures, and to raise this money a tax will be levied on each member or the order There is consideraple oppo- sition to this plan and hot hght IS ex- pected. ,,, be elected on Thursday morning. A hard fight Is being made against the incunbents but it Is thought they will be reelected, except that Charles E. Shipley of Richmond, Ind, IS leading for the position of vice chancellor.
 There are about LOGO strangers in the city. of whom 15,000 are in uniform. More than 5000 members of subordinate lodges are In attendance. The Pythian parade this afternoon was witnessed by 75 900 people, About 13000 members of the Uniform Rank and 5000 members of the subordinate lodges participated. The parade was reviewed by the su- preme and grand officers and the off, cers of the State and city. It was the largest secret society parade, ever held in this city.
 There is a strong fight between Louis vile and Detroit for the next session of the Supreme Lodge. Delegates from both places have opened headquarters and are making things s-exceedingly lively.
 The annual reports of the supreme officers were read this afternoon, after which the lodge adjourned to witness the parade. The report of MT. R. L. c. White, supreme keeper of records and seal, was in part as follows:
 The total number of subordinate lodges December 31, 1897. was 66S3. and the total number of members 468, ,269-a net gain during the calendar year of 46 lodges, and net loss of 1922 members and a net gain during the years 1896 and 1897 of 179 lodges and S730 members We sustained a net loss of membership during the past year-the first since 1878. But when we take into consideration the depressed financial condition of the country, we should congratulate ourselves that the loss was not larger We have done as well as any of the fraterna1 organiza- tions and better than most of them.