Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-08
OUTER GUARD MAY
Be BUTTE SHR|NER
CHOICE NARROWS DOWN TO
TWO MEN
Guardian Of the Outer Portals the
Only One on Which There Is
Any Contest, as others
Move Up

The most important topic Of discus
sion with the Shriners yesterday was
the election which will take place to-
day and who will be the next imperial
outer guard was the question upon
the lips Of all.
BY the system of choosing their
chiefs used by the Shriners there Is
really only one officer elected each !
year. After man has served as i'm
perial potentate of the Ancient Order
Of the Mystic Shrine for one year he
steps out and joins the ranks OF the
representatives ad vitam. His place
is filled by the imperial deputy poten-
tate and each of the other eleven Of
ficers steps up one place. This leaves
the last office--that of imperial outer
guard--vacant and the representa- e
who secures this is in line for the
office of imperial potentate.
| There are seven men who have been
| talked of in connection with the office,
and it is possible that one or two other
names may be brought before the con-
vention, though it is probable they
will only receive few scattered votes.
Until Monday night 1t was believed
that Henry F. Niedringhaus of st.
Louis was the most likely of the can
didates for the office, but at that time
| 1t was announced by the members OF
Algeria temple of Butte, Mont, that
they were going to run j. Benton Leg
gat of Butte for the position, and last
night it was generally believed that
he would receive the election.
Mr.. Leggat's name was billed to go
before the council at the meeting last
year, but when it was decided to hold
| the meeting in Chicago and not in Los
| Angeles some of the representatives OF
Butte were unable to go and Mr.. Leg
gat asked that his name be withdrawn.
When he came to Los Angeles this
year he mad no intention of running
for the office, but his friends took
things in their own hands and Monday
night at the reception given. by AL
geria temple at the Alexandria the
hosts of the evening appeared with
Of "Leggat, Algeria" across their
waistcoats.
Mr.. Leggat declined to do any cam
paigning, but said he would accept the
office If his fellow mobiles chose to have
| him do so.
| Mr.. Leggat has been representative
from Algeria for eight years and Is
one Of the most popular members OF
the council Malcolm Macdonald, who
brought the Boston Montana band to
Los Angeles, and several other prom
inent members of the temple are work
ing quietly among their friends for his
| election.
The name of Mr.. Niedringhaus was
proposed at the last meeting OF the
Shrine in Chicago. but ]. Putnam
Stevens Of Portland, Maine, was elect
ed to tile office.
"I think the race will be close one
between Leggat and Niedringhaus the
way things look now, and indications
are that Leggat will have little the
best OF it," said one of the wise ones
who are in position to know as much
as can be known.
"You never can tell how these things
are going and there may be some man
whom we do not expect who will carry
away the honors."
other men who are in the race and
may secure the place are Elias j.
Jacoby of Murat temple, Indianapolis;
| Fred ]. Schuz, Tacoma; Marcus G.
| Allen of Orient temple, Troy, N. Y;
| George W. Fowle, Moslem temple, De-
| troit, and Fred Michaels of Ell Katif
temple, Spokane, Wash.
| The election of today will bring Fred
Hines, Los Angeles representative, on
the official list, one notch nearer the
office of imperial potentate., Mr.. Hines
is now imperial priest and prophet and
he will become imperial assistant rab-
ban. In 1910, if all goes well, Mr.. Hines
will occupy the highest position in the
| Shrine.
The list of officers as it will stand
at the close of the election today is:
Imperial potentate, Frank Curtis
Roundy of Chicago; deputy imperial
potentate, Edwin ]. Alderman of Mar
ion,s Iowa; imperial chief rabban.
George L. Street. Richmond, Va; I'M
periaI assistant rabban, Fred A. Hines,
Los Angeles imperial high priest and
prophet, ]. Frank Treat, Fargo. N. D.;
imperial oriental guide, w. ]. Cunning
ham, Baltimore; imperial first cere-
monial, w. w. Erwin, Wheeling. w.
Va; imperial second ceremonial, Jacob
T. Barron. Columbus, S. c.; imperial
marshal, Fred e. Smith, Rochester;
imperial captain of the guard, ]. Put
nam Stevens, Portland Maine, and the
imperial outer guard to be contested
| for.