Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-23
ORDERS AROUSED
Two Societies are Attacking
Recent Acts of Their
Officers.
CHARGES MADE
BY FraternaI Army Members-Cour'
of Honor Purchase
Criticized.

Fraternal insurance circles in this
city and surrounding towns where
these forms Of secret societies are
very strong are in a high state Of agi-
tation. They have been aroused in
the last few weeks by two incidents
and instead of growing less the dis
turbance seem to be on the increase.
The transfer of the Fraternal Army
of America to the Loyal Americans
chronicled in The Argus ten days ago,
has caused wave Of dissentiOn
among the rank and file, and interest
ing, not to say sensational develop
mentS are possible.
Some very strange stories have been
told concerning this deal involving the
state insurance department as a party
to the transaction. Open charges are
made by some of the members of the
Fraternal Army that an examination
of the company's books are deferred
by the department to give the officers
of the order time in which to make
the transfer, and that in the transfer
all the assets of the Fraternal Army
disappeared and cannot be found.
The charge is openly made, and
threats that an investigation shall be
made are heard. 1t is stated that a
bill for Injunction and accounting is
to be filed in the Springfield circuit
court asking the court to prevent the
merger. and to order the officers of
the two orders to make Il strict ac-
counting of all transactions. Whether
the men who are making this charge
and threat will carry it out and sub
the latter is to be seen. Friends of the
officers of both organizations declare
that the charges are rot and that a
full and free investigation is courted
and that the consolidation is in the
interest of the policy holders of both
societies. 1t is denied also that the
insurance department has had any
thing whatever to do with the trans
action. and that the charges and ru-
mors are wholly unfounded.
Court of Honor Trouble.
Members of the Court of Honor
have complained Of the purchase of
the Palmer place at the corner of
Second and Adams streets, Spring
field. as the national headquarters of
the order. and it is learned that an in
vestigation may he asked. The pro-
perty was bought by local syndicate
for $4,000. That is the figures given
ON the records. y few weeks later n
deed was recorded transferring the
property to the Court Of Honor for
$26.5O an advance Of $4,000. 1t is
now alleged that few days before
the Court of Honor bought the place
is was offered on the open market for
$4,000. Members of the order say the
price was too high. and that the com
mittee was not justified in paying
more than double what the place had
brought only 4 few weeks before. The
National Court of Homer made an APP
preparation of $4,000 for headquar-
tiers in Spring field. The committee
believed that this house could be
transformed into an ideal headquar-
tiers by the expenditure of few
thousand dollars. The price paid was
not considered too high on account of
the amount of ground, location and
general adaptability to the use for
which it was wanted. 1t was argued
that with the same amount of money
as convenient location and as large |
a piece os ground and as good build |
ing could not be secured. \ number
of well known real estate men agreed
that the price was not too high and |
the deal was made. but it seems some |
of the members of the order are dis |
satisfied