Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-28
Hello FOR FUTURE HEARING
DIR. RIEDEL CHARGED WITH
FALSE PRETENSES.
Accused of Establishing Bogus Ma
sonic Lodge, His Second offense
of Same Character.

DR.. Alexander P Riedel was held this
morning by Judge Kimball of the United
States branch Of the Police Court In $1,000
bond for arraignment on charges of OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses. DR..
RiedeI was arrested last night by De-
tectives Hartigan, Mullen and Evans in
a Iodgeroom at the American Home Life
Insurance building, while in conclave
with eighteen members of the so-called
"Bricklayers' Masonic Union Riedel
was locked up. and the members were
summoned as government witnesses.
Riedel was temporarily committed this
morning at the request of Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Ralph Given, who stated
to the court that he was not ready to
proceed, as there had not been sufficient
time to properly prepare the charges
against the accused man. Riedel has
here tofore been in trouble of the same
character, and upon one occasion for
feited collateral: He is said TO nave
been gathering fees of s. each from in
dividuals. in return for which he is said
to confer what he terms the first three
degrees of the Masonic order. upon
practically the same charge just lodged
against him DR.. Riedel up until last
night, was enjoying his liberty under $500
bond.
The members of Rieders so-called Ma
sonic lodges are said to be men who were
disappointed because of their failure to
secure initiation into the recognized fra
ternity or. those who were attracted by
the low fees. and because of what they
believed they obtained in return. Ac-
cording to the authorities. Riedel has
initiated fully thirty men into his Brick
LAYERS Masonic Union" after the payment
of fees ranging from s. upward.
Statement by Mr.. Cave.
The arrest came about through Mr.. G.
W. Cave, manager for the American
Home Life Insurance building, who stated
that Riedel came to him some ume ago
and arranged for renting room for Fri
day nights, saying he was president of the
Bricklayers' Masonic Union and wanted
the room for the use of the unions weekly
meetings Mr.. Cave stated that no sus-
picion attached to the proposition at the
time and in fact not until members of
the recognized Masonic fraternity APP
proach him with the information that
fraudulent order represented to be COM
posed of Masons was occupying the room.
Mr.. Cave investigated he states, and
found number of men who told him they
had been made Masons by Riedel for s.
each. and the lodge was in an ap-
parently flourshing condition.
The manager of the building informed
the police, and last night while the So
called lodge was, in session detectives
Hartigan, Mullen and Evans of the CEN
trail office raided the place 1t Is said there
was a panic when the officers entered the
room. which continued until the detectives
uuieted the fears of those in the room.
They found eighteen members and DR..
Riedel, who seemed to be the master of
ceremonies and on the job at all corners
of the room. RiedeI was placed under ar
rest and those in the room were told to
follow the officers to police headquarters.
where their names were taken, and Riedel
was held in 81, GOO bond for the Police
Court this morning. Numerous messages
weer sent out by the accused man in an
unsuccessful effort to procure bondsmen,
and he was locked up in the sixth precinct
station for the night.
place, in all probability. until the middle
of next week, the assistant prosecuting
attorney desiring to examine each of those
claiming to be members of the lodge thor
be lodged against Dr. Riedel in addition to
the charge of false pretenses.
| The prisoner was represented by former
Judge J. w. Nichol. who stated that his
client was the victim of an unjust perse
| cution, and that the lodge of which he is
the head is a recognized and chartered or
ganiZation.
Chartered in Idaho.
1.-THE fraternal order which my client
represents, sdio ouuse Nicloi' Is KNOWN
as the American Masonic Federation and
was chartered in Idaho. where DR.. Riedel
was properly initiated and became a
| worker in the organization. His arrest is
an outrage, and is most uncalled for"
! The paper or charter under which Riedel
Is said to run his lodges reads as follows:
know We that by virtue of the power in
me invested. that I hereby authorize
Brother Alexander P. Riedel, upon re-
ceiving into his hands and mailing to me
the petitions of at least three lodges in
the territory of the south Atlantic states
petitioning the American Masonic FEEDER
alton to erect and charter them as lodges
| to, in our own name, grant the same and
administer or authorize the master of each
| lodge to administer the installation oath
| to each officer named, and declare the
iodc duly authorized