The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-20
UNIQUE SECRET ORDER
Customs and Origin Of the
Society Of Capitalists.
THEIR ONLY DUES PAID AT DEATH

Each OF the Four Hundred and
Twelve Thousand Members Codes
his skull to the soeIety-Banqust
Are Held Amid Grewsome Relies Of
rriends-oircIes Are Beins Formed
shc world over.
Many versions, mostly fanciful, con-
corning the secret society Of Capitalists
have been published, but the truth far
exceeds in interest the uncanny tales
AN have read, says the New York
American.
The Capitalists number $4,000, ac-
cording TO the general secretary and
founder, Max sehroif, q prominent
architect OF Bay Ridge. Brooklyn.
Starting with the idea that the mem-
/ bership Be cemented with a pact devils
ing the skulls OF all TO the society, the
| original thirteen have added to their
number until the half million mark is
in sight The Capitalists have no lodge
rooms and pay no fees or dues save the
one paid after death, the skull. Each
member signs the following pact.
hereby redeem my promise and cede
my skull 70 the above (Cephalist) fra
| ternity.
] The members are mostly free think
ers, men who feel no qualms over as
ISOLATION with the skulls Of their for
nler associates. Each year or oftener
as occasion offers, they Sit down to a
banquet In front of rows of skulls of
the departed, each labeled across the
frontal bone with the name of the
owner.
No. j is the skull Of L. G. Krueder,
who was one of the original thirteen
and held the Office Of Diogenes. The
original society was like a Portuguese
company, all officers save one. The of
4 icers were faneifully named from
president down to Buddha. Nishnu,
/ Confucius, Brahma, Faustus, Ammon,
Diogenes Ganymede, Gigandcus, 0si-
rls. yosnius and Aristoteles Mr..
schroff was Faustus. or secretary.
The secretary, who Is the planet
z about whom all the lesser lights swing,
conceived the weird idea Of the society
in the sixties through an odd expert
ence lie formed one Of o party Of
| students Of the University Of Stuttgart
who IN 1865 undertook the exploration
Of the Nile.
Among the party was Homer Clarke.
young American son of former Cow
ernor Clarke of Ohio who sickened un-
der the fierce sun Of the desert and fell
dead from the back Of his camel. Tho
body was temporarily buried IN the
sands The party continued its expIo-
ration e the third cataract and, re.
| turning, exhumed the body It was
, found Impossible to transport the re-
mains; still afr schroH was unwilling
to permit his friends remains TO rest
in the sands
II nondered long time" says Mr.
Schroa. Il had always believed that
the seat Of dignity in man rested in the
skull; SO / decapitated my friend and
took the head home with me. At first
i intended sending It TO his father, but
friends restrained me, representing
that 1t might be considered CHASTITY.
Finally / had It prepared and brought
1t to this country There 1t isl
Mr.. schrom nodded 10 a polished
skull over his head resting upon tht
top Of his desk The grinning relic
held a long French brierwood pipe be
tween the teeth.
"Yes, Homer, old boy" continued thu
secretary. addressing the skull, 'wt
have been companions for many years
and when | 60 my headpiece will jon
you
"a good many die" he resumed
There are 40 skulls Within ten fee
Of me. They are all properly Labeled
and numbered. and with each Is rec
ord of the owners achievements. 70
gether with chronological estimate
of the skull Only one Of thu origina
thirteen Is dead. But we are all get
ting to be old fellows, and our head
pieces must soon 90 on 70 the shelves
with the others.
eve are not cranks We believe that
the head, the birthplace and repository
Of noble thoughts, should not be com
mitted to the annihilating flames MOI
get to the worms in the grave; there
fore we preserve the skull. We art
performing a great scientific service
for our phrenologists are enabled e
compare the bumps upon the skulls
with the known attachments, peculiari
ties and attributes of the owner.
Capitalists have grown to the mum
Der Of $4,000 in twelve years VS.
form circles all over the world, and ths
circles are growing. By and by the
cireumferences Of the circles VII
touch.
INITIATION soNG OF TIE CAPITALISTS.
Our mission is to have ia trust
The skulls of men of our kind.
! Their bodies may decay and rust;
Their skulls with US a place viii ind,
That they may prove in ages hence
They have not lived for priest and pail.
Which shows they had enough OF sense
TO gain a niche IN our skull hall
The basis Of this brotherhood
In number thirteen IS expressedl
] Zach one ia eOrnpeusatiOn should