The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-29
UP IN AIR.
National Reserve Association
Gives Up the Ghost.
Topeka Members Mourn the
Loss of Cash.
MYSTERY
Very Little Known Of the Order
by Those Interested.
Losses Vary From 500 Down
to $40.

The props are knocked from under
Topeka lodge No. g. National Reserve
association. The National Reserve is an
insurance order, the local branch of
which was organized in Topeka about
six years ago.
The supreme lodge of the National
Reserve association is a Missouri cor
poration, having its headquarters at
Kansas City. In August +. w. Sears,
the president and prime mover of the
National Reserve, left Kansas City and
took up his residence in Denver, for
the benefit of his wife's health, as he
announced. Following his departure,
however, the insurance commissioner of
the state of Missouri made ruling that
a Missouri corporation could not have
it's headquarters in Denver. so a mem
Der explained this afternoon, and so the
National Reserve association suffered
smash.
Members of the National Reserve in
Topeka. do not know much about the
state of their order. They first began to
be alarmed as the month of October
progressed and they could not find any
one to whom to pay their dues Z. G
Moore, a clerk in the Santa F'e offices
in the auditor of freight receipts de-
partment, is the secretary, and head and
shoulders of the Topeka lodge, apparent
ly, and he meets some members at the
tailor shop Of c. Schmidt, on Kansas
avenue, near Fifth, to receive payments
Of dues and assessments. Members
came around to pay their assessments
but there was no one to receive them.
Saturday night there were numerous
members there to cash in, it being the
last Saturday in the month and pay
ments due, but Mr.. Moore was not there
to take the money. They expected some
explanation, at least, of Secretary Moore,
but even that was not forthcoming
The dues and assessments Of the as
to ffl2
of insurance a member carries, his or
her age, after the fashion of similar
orders. One member stated that he paid
"a per month for himself and wife. An
other pays about $14 a year. 1t is es-
tiInated that there are about 70 mem
bers. Two members who have been in
the organization from it's inception al
most, stated their loss Is about $780, The
total loss, estimated, would be some
where between 81, 600 and SO, 600.
AS far as members knowledge of the
affairs of the Topeka lodge goes, 1t
would seem that the local organization
was run loosely.
r. W. Squires. who was one of its
presidents, no longer holds the chair.
Lee Beatty is president now" he said.
4 do not know much about the lodges
affairs. I haven't been attending for
some time 1 don't know that meetings
have been held regularly for some time.
I believe they have not. The members
are largely business men, who are too
much engaged to attend meetings All
the business is done by the officers"
c. Schmidt. the tailor. said: Il think
the society is busted 1 consider my
money gone, about $780, 1 wish you
would see Mr.. Moore for an explana ton.
Members have come in here to pay their
assessments. They have not received
any explanation from MI Moore, nor
seen anything in the papers,
George w. Moffitt said: Mr.. Moore
was in here and told me there was a
law suit on in the supreme lodge. As
near as can make out there were new
officers put in, through a turn of lodge
politics, in place of Mr.. Sears and there
is a fight to get possession of the books
Mr.. Moore, I think favors Mr.. Sears,
though don't see why, when there is a
change in officers there should be am
trouble in the association. Mr. Moore
asked my advice for the disposition of
last months assessments paid to him.
advised him to pay the amount into the
court, since the affairs of the supreme
lodge are in litigation.
Mr.. Charles c. Moore who was col
1ectOr and treasurer for Topeka lodge
No 3, was seen this afternoon He
leaves the Santa Fe Office today to take
a similar position in Galveston. His !
statement explains many misunder-
standings, although his information
upon the state of affairs at Kansas City
is incomplete.
He said the National Reserve associa-
ton was insolvent It owes $4,000 to
900 in benefits and has no assets.
There is a charge of enbezzlement of
S0,UUV hanging over the mead or r. W. |
Sears. The contention is made on |
Sears behalf that the money was taken
from reserve fund and paid out for ex-
penses of the order.
When Sears was gone from Missouri, |
because of the Missouri insurance COM
missioner's ruling, an election was held |
and new officers put in. This election |
was botched. however, Mr.. Moore says, |
and litigation increased.
There were 7S members of the To- |
peka lodge" he said and would think |
the total loss to the members will be |
between 50. 900 and So. 600. The members |
quit paying their assessments as soon
as trouble cropped out I refused to pay |
my own Some September payments |
that came to me from country mem bers |
am holding to await developments"
So TopekanS are out various sums of |
money, along with several other local |
branches over the country. Even if the |
official muddle at Kansas City is |
Strengthened out, reorganization would |
have to go into the hands of a receiver. |
The National Reserve association is de-
funct.