The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-19
UNDER THE BAN.
Knights of Protected Ark OBJ
ject of Complaint.
Members Claim Two Men Use
Order for Personal Gain.
ALL IN OWN HANDS.
Amend Constitution and Raise
Own Salaries.
Councilman KutZ Is One of the
Favored Officers.
He Denies All the Charges on
File.
ALL IN OWN HANDS.

AtCo
The knights of the Protected Ark is
the latest fraternal insurance order to
have internal strife. Members of the
order have filed with the state insur-
ance department complaint that two
officers have everything in their own
hands; that they amend the constitu-
ton, raise their own salaries, and do
other things which the members think
they ought not to do, as they have re-
Gently postponed the supreme conven-
tion from December till June in an eff
fort to hold their jobs awhile longer.
1t is a Topeka order and has its head
quarters over the Swift & Holiday drug
store. j. B. Amos is supreme knight
council from the First ward, is supreme
accountant. These are the two who
other members allege are running the
order for their own benefit. 1t is stated
that the organization has upwards of
1900 members scattered over Kansas,
Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. 1t was
organized about four years ago and
Amos and Kutz have been running it
ever since. There are three local Harks''
in Topeka.
Amos and kutz are George F. Heustis
and J. e. Watts, the head officers of two
of the local lodges; L G, Thompson, Sec
ond vice supreme knight; Cyrus Corn
ing and E. c. Coon. local members. and
George Gladfelter, member of Ark No.
of lola They have employed E. D.
McKeever to assist them in bringing the
state insuI ance department to their AID.
In their complaint on file with the
insurance department they allege that
a supreme convention was called
year ago to meet next month for the
purpose of electing officers and trans
acting other business; that Amos and
Kutz have postponed this meeting un-
til next June: that they have got out
the other two members of the execu-
tive council. and have repeatedly
raised their salaries, although there
has. been no increase in membership
during the past year: and that while
they are being paid as officers of the
| Knights of the Protected Ark they are
giving their time to organizing a new
order known as The Samaritans. and
that they are using the offices and the
Office force of the Knights of the Pro-
tected Ark in organizing their new
order.
The reasons given by Amos and Kutz
for postponing the convention is that
tit will help them to make a better
showing to the insurance department
| in their annual report There is about
$4,000 in the treasury, and they say it
pense of a convention. and that they
want to POSTPONE it until after their
annual meeting. This, the complain
ants say, is a species of deception.
1t is charged against Amos and Kutz
that they have frozen out and bought
out e. S. Binning and B. Hampton, who
held two supreme offices and who, with
kutz and Amos, composed the executive
council The four claimed a proprietary
| interest in the order, and Kutz and
Amos are alleged to have purchased the
interests of Hampton and Binning
Then it is charged that they raised their
own salaries enough to pay Hampton
and Binning. Another thing that is
charged against them is that they have
| done away with the senate and house
of representa- tives, which was supposed
to be the governing body, by amending
| the constitution and striking it out
! E. D. McKeever, attorney for the
complainants, has called the attention
of Superintendent Luling to the fact
| that the law provides that officers of
fraternal bodies shall not be elected for
| longer than four years, and that Amos
and Kutz will have held office that long
next month. He contends that if no new
officers are elected the organization
will be without officers after December.
The -complainants ask the superinten-
| dent of insurance to take hold of the
matter and compel Amos and Kutz to
hold the convention in December, as
previously arranged.
Superintendent Luling will likely
make an investigation of the order and
the way it is being conducted to ascer-
| tain if it is being managed in accord
ance with the state laws and if not he
will probably interfere.
MR.. KUTZ DENIES.
In reply to the charges filed at the
state house today Mr.. Kutz said:
There was no annual meeting post
poned. 1t has been distinctly under
stood by the officers and members that
the next meeting of the K. P. A. would
be the first meeting of the Supreme
Ark. as the time and place fixed for
meeing had never been provided for by
law. 1t was recommended by the delegate
meeting of last December that there
be a time fixed, and that the same be
incorporated into the law. and this de-
mand was fully complied with.
There was a difference of opinion as
to the time of year that said meeting
should be held and, as it was the duty
! of the supreme executive council to fix
the time under the constitution and by
| laws they sought to ascertain the con-
sensus of opinion of the membership at
| large and from best information OBJ
tanned the membership preferred to hold
the Supreme Ark meeting in warm
weather Hence they fixed the time and
place of meeting at Topeka, Kansas, on
| June 4, 1904.
''In answer to charge No 2, that Mr..
Amos and I bought out Binning and
Hampton, I desire to say that Mr. Bin
ming resigned, having concluded to
identify himself with another society.
he asking the K. P. A to remunerate
him for services rendered. But as the
management had no right to comply
with his request Chat is. to pay him
out of the general fund.- 1t was agreed
between the said Binning and the ex-
ecutive council, composed of Amos,
Hempton and myself, that owing to
our high appreciation of the most ex-
cellent service he had rendered the or
der, to compensate him in part for said
services out of our own private funds.
| Later Hampton also resigned and
was provided for in different way.