The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-02
THE SUPREME TRIBUNAL
HIGHEST COURT or THE X. OF p.
AT THE DENIsON TODAY.
Important Questions to BE Disposed of
Local Interest i'm the Ger
man Ritual Case.

The midwinter sitting of the Supreme Tri-
bunal of the knights of Pythias will as
semble at the Denison Hotel to-day to con-
slider legal questions affecting the order.
The Supreme Tribunal is the court of last
resort in the order. Most of the supreme
tribunes arrived last night, and others Will
come to-day. In attendance on this sitting
of the Supreme Tribunal are Chief Tribune
George e. Seay, of Dallas, Tex: Associate
Tribunes John H. Alexander, of Leesburg,
Va; Benjamin T. Chase, of Portland Me-;
Frank H. Clark, of Cheyenne. Wyo., and
Ed A. Graham, of Montgomery, Ala, to-
gether with the recorder, w. d. Kennedy,
of Chicago. III.
There are also in attendance, In connec-
ton with cases coming before the Supreme
Tribunal, z. Z. Colgrove, supreme chancel-
lor, of Hastings, Mich; Henry Wellenvoss,
of Louisville, Ky; James q. De la Mare, of
New York city, N. Y; S. A. Dickson, Of
Dayton, O.. e. c. Pociey, of Hamilton, O.;
William Ladew, of New York city, n. Y;
William Beatty, of Toledo, o.: r. l.. c.
White, of Nashville, Tenn, and John 4.
Sutphen, of Middetown, o. DR.. A. G. Ser
voss, grand chancellor, of Havana, ILL.,. also
signified his intention of being present at
the sitting.
the cases that are to be considered at the
sitting. There are five ready to be heard
and two others that will come up later. The
most important case is that of Henry Wei
lenvoss against r. L. C. White, supreme
keeper of records and seals This is a case
arising out of the famout German ritual
controversy, and is about the last shred left
of it. Henry Wellenvoss, of Louisville,
KY, past grand chancellor of that State,
was one of the leaders in connection with
the holding of the famous meeting of Ger
man PythianS which was held in Indian
apolis in 1893, and which meeting was OF
very rebeliouS character. AS the result.
complaint was made against him in the SUI
promo Lodge at the session in Washington,
d. c., in 1894. A commissioner was APP
pointed to take the testimony in the mat
ter and Hon. Howard Douglas, of Cincin-
natl, past grand chancellor, was appoint
ed. The outgrowth of the hearing of the
case was that the Supreme Lodge, at the
convention held in Cleveland, o.. in 1885, or
dered the name of Mr.. Welenvoss to be
stricken from the roster of the Supreme
Lodge Subsequently to that Mr.. Wellen-
vOsS brought his case before the supreme
Tribunal by application for a mandamus
requiring the supreme keeper of records
and seal, r. l.. c. White, of Nashville,
Tenn, to reinstate his name upon the ros-
ter of the Supreme Lodge, and owing to
some cause tile case was laid over at the
last sitting and continued until this.
Another case is that of James Ward
against the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island,
against which an appe al is made on behalr
of certain members of lodge VINO Object
ed to the majority of the lodge moving from
a certain place to d neighboring village in
Rhode Island. The minority remained be-
hind, holding onto the properties and DOCKS
of the lodge The Grand Lodge of Rhode
Island recognized the majority, who nad
moved to the other place of meeting, anu
refused to recognize the appellants as the
proper holders of the charter of the lodge.
The case of III. c. Kansh against AlonZo
Bedell is a very important one, and is really
hv.11I er1af in nrf1n ffa fDCf no
whether ar not lodges have right to pro-
vide for the payment of funeral benehts 70
member in the case of the death OF ms
wife. The case arose in New York. A
lodge provided by it's bylaws for the pay
ment of such benefits. The committee OF the
Grand Lodge, having charge of the subject,
struck out the provision. An appeal was
taken to the Grand Tribunal of New York,
which sustained the position OF the commit
tee, holding that. under the laws OF the
Grand Lodge of New York, lodges could not
so provide, nor could they expend the trust
funds of a lodge for that purpose. me ap-
power and authority of lodge to eXpeno
it's trust funds in a manner other than spe-
officially provided. There are a good many
points that will be decided by this case,
some of considerable Importance.
''E. c. Pociey against Lone Star Lodge,
No 49, of Ohio,' is the title of another case
of some Importance. The pla1ntlH IN TINS
case having been suspended by Lone star
Lodge for alleged offenses against tne Or
der appeals to the Supreme Tribunal TO set
aside the verdict. There is but little law
involved in the case, except in so far as GER
tain actions of the grand chancellor or ONO
are concerned, which may possibly be re-
viewed.
Elm Grove Lodge, No: 5O1, Il OF r, OF
Ohio. the plaintiff is the widow of a de-
ceased member, who appeals against the
action of the lodge for failure to pay the
full amount of funeral beneft, the louge
alleging that owing to the fact of the mem
Der having died badly in arrears his WIDOW
was not entitled to the maximum AMOUNT
and paid her only the minDnum. There IS an
important construction of law involved In
this case as to the meaning OF the words
good standing" The defendants have nled
q motion asking the case tofbe remanded to
the Grand Tribunal of Ohio.
There are two other cases in watch APP
peais have been filed, but which will not
be ready for hearing at this term. One. is
that of J. T. Edgeworthy VS.. Criterion
Lodge No 235, of Solomon, Kan, and in
wolves only a question of local difficulty.
The other is a very important one, being the
appeal of Red Cross Lodge, No. As. VS.. II.
In this case the lodge appeals from the ac-
ton of the grand chancellor in his suspend
ing the charter of the lodge for violation of
the laws of the Supreme Lodge in that
thew expended the trust funds OF the lodge
for the payment of the expenses of ball
in Tampa. Fla. the grand chancellor hav-
ing forbidden them doing so, and ordering
the money paid back to the treasury OF the
lodge The lodge refused and entirely failed
to obey the orders of the grand chancellor,
and he ordered their suspension. The lodge
appealed. The case has created quite
good deal of interest, especially in Tampa,
where the members of the lodge are prom
inent socially and in Pythian circles.