Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-24
'(AMONGTn THE
y FRATfRNlTIES

The next big fraternal event on the car
pet is the annual convention OF the Grand
Lodge, B. P. o. E., at Buffalo next month
There are both welcomes and warnings
from the Bison city. The Buffalo CONNER
cial gives greeting thus: Great prepara-
tons are making for the entertainment OF
the Elks. 1t will prove another opportunity
for Buffalo to show what a royal greeting
waits for any organization of that charac-
ter that holds conventions here. Never yet
has there been a meeting of the kind here
that the visitors were disappointed. The
Elks will make Buffalo very ltvely-and
they will leave behind them a lot of money
But look on the other side. Hello, Biz!
as the members of the antlered herd love
TO say. Read this "alarum' from another
Buffalo paper:
UNLESS the common council takes action
promptly TO appropriate money to bring
out -of-town detectives here the city will be
exposed to the inroads of every pickpocket
and criminal Ishmaelite In the country dur
ing the Elks convention.
police authorities In other cities from
the Atlantic to the Pacific coast have al
ready noted a hegira of crooks in the di-
rection of Buffalo, and 1t is their conviction
that every representative of the rodent
hands of hoboes and robbers is already on
the way here in order to prey upon the
homes OF Buffalo citizens and its quarter of
a million of visitors who Will be gathered
here during the stay of the Elks. The opin-
ion is strengthened by the experience of
past conventions and great gatherings of
men, which corroborates the police maxim
that where crows are there will the vul-
lures be.
1T is customary with the police authori-
ties of convention cities to secure the aid
of the most experienced detectives from
other cities while entertaining any large
convention has made this doubly necessary,
and the number of detectives hired from
abroad is larger than on any other occa-
sion Detectives from various cities who
are familiar with the features of notorious
criminals are always hired from the other
large cities that they may assist in identi-
fying suspicious characters and running
them out of the city or keeping them locked
I'D until the convention is over, on the prin-
ciple that an ounce of prevention Is better
than a pound of cure. Generally, the fact
that such detectives are known to be pres
ent suffices to keep the crooks away"
w p Titcomb, at present the disoursing
officer of the fish commission, was the sec
ond worthy scribe of the first Pythian lodge
in the world washington, No, l. of this
city). The Knights of Pythias We're or
ganized here February 10 1864. Washington
Lodge had for its first worthy scribe David
l.. Burnett. who still lives here and con-
tinues active in the affairs of the order
Mr. Burnett gives the following statement
of Mr. Titcomb's early connection with the
Pythian fraternity: THE minutes of old
Washington Lodge. No. l. from its founda-
ton up to and including March 81, 1864 are
in my handwriting. They show that Will
lam p. Titcomb applied for membership
March g. 1854 and was elected March 10
On the evening of March "a, 1864. l was
elected vice chancellor and he was chosen
worthy scribe From March 81, 1864 the
proceedings written in the beautiful and
clear hand of Mr. Titcomb signing each
| meeting as VIM. p. Ttcomb. scribe OF
date June %, 1864, he is mentioned as having
| been nominated as one of the grand repre-
sentatives to the Grand Lodge June 80
! 1864 Washington. No. 1. appropriated
money for the benefit of the orphans made
| such by the explosion at the Washington
| arsenal. At this meeting Mr. Titcomb was
elected as vice chancellor and also one OF
| the grand representatives. Under date
of October @. 1864. he was installed as
! worthy chancellor, and the minutes are in
1 the handwriting of J. w. Cony, who also Is