The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-09
SOME INDIANS ARE FREE MAsoNs


 Members of the Society About to Be
 Burned When Chief Saw Distress Sig 1 nal.
 Maj E. H. Cooper. attached to mili- tary headquarters at Chicago, recently related an experience through which he passed while on the Western frontier that possesses more than passing in- terest During nearly forty years of travel and exploration in all parts of the continent, from the southern part of South America to Alaska, I have had many thrilling experiences and many narrow escapes from death" said Major Cooper. The memories of one in stance are particularly vivid It was in the early 70's and was carrying on my investigations among the ruins left by the cliff builders. It was just across the Colorado border, in Utah, and was alone and miles from any white man, when suddenly I was surrounded by tribe of Flutes and taken captive.
 T was well acquainted with the savage characteristics of this renegade tribe and knew what was in store for me It was their custom to bind their captive. stand him on a pile of fagots against a resinous scrub pine | tree and then amuse themselves by shooting arrows at him, coming as close to the victim as possible without hitting him. When the Indian had tired of infiicting torture the flames were lighted, and that was the begin ming of a horrible death
 bava ,,arya, hna,, fro ;5 nf .1ac+1. but did not fancy the methods, so I began to think faster than had ever done before. I could see no possible way of escape, but I was not intending to give up without an effort, The old quotation about the power to soothe the savage breast came to my mind and I started to sing as loudly as could. Naraguaynuop, the chief, stood by and laughed at me, and knew that | the music trick was no good. Mean while the bloodthirsty savages were using their tomahawks industriously and the pile of frewood was growing. My feet were bound, but when they ap- preached me to pinion my arms to my side I used the last resort, vain though I supposed it to be. I gave the grand hailing sign and the sign of dis tress of the Master Masons, an appeal to which any Mason is bound to re- spond when there is an even chance that his fife will not be sacrificed.
 Hardly had I given the sign when the old chief threw up his arms, gave a command to his men and took me into his own tent. That night he stole with me from the camp and told me to es- cape. I walked some distance up one canyou and then retraced my steps, walking backward. I repeated this trick in a second canyon and then I walked backward up third canyon, where found my horse. This was not the only time that the Masonic sign has been of great service to me, and wherever I have travelled have al- ways foYa some one who recognized and respdhded to it,
 On the day after the publication of the above incident in Milwaukee paper a reporter called upon w. w. Perry, Grand Secretary of the Grand Masonic Lodge of Wisconsin, and asked him what were the savage tribes of the country.
 l lLCy 1IdNG ilO lOuScS allldt hllOW of, said he, and don't know where they got their Masonry, but some of the Indians are good Masons. I re- member having heard similar stories of narrow escapes from death and disaster by white men making themselves Known as Masons. Major Cooper's was a good story, and he had a narrow es- cape"
 ''The story goes to show that Mason ry is a worldwide institution" said Dr. w. M Wilson. Many years ago they brought a shipload of slaves to New Orleans and when one of them was put on the block to be auctioned off he Tmade the Masonic hailing sign. He was got down from the block, examined and good purse was raised by New Orleans Masons to purchase his freedom and he was sent back to Africa '-C Chicago Chronicle