The new age., 1907-02-02
OUR CHICAGO LETTER

1
| Chicago, ILL.,, Jan. 14.-Announc,
ments are out that DIR. j. NIliam M
Dowell, of st. Louis, will engage i
the practice of medicine in this city
May l, 1907. Office announcement wi
be later. Residence, 351 Calume
avenue, Chicago, Ill.
Mrs. Laura Wright, of 1890 Wabas
avenue, is confined to her bed, but
improving slowly.
The next meeting of the Nationa
Defense League of Colored People Q
the United States has been called t,
meet at Ann Arbor, Mich, on July s
1907.
Mr.. George w. Cough, 33, proml
nent thirty-third degree Mason of AM
Arbor, Mich, has been appointed dep
uty for the state of Michigan for al
the branches and departments of Free
masonry.
The next session of the Nationa
Federation of Friendly Societies
among the colored people in the United
States has been called to meet al
Buffalo, N. Y, July s, 1907. Each ma.
tional organization is entitled to five
delegates and each state organization
is entitled to three delegates and
every local organization is entitled to
one delegate.
The attention of the public is again
called to one Mrs. S. ]. Gray and one
William Gray, of this city, who are
soliciting money, as they claim, for
the purpose of building a home at
Braidwood, ILL.,, for aged Baptist min
listers. 1t will be remembered that
only a short time ago that both OF
these individuals had been expelled
and put out of several societies for
misappropriation of funds.
Your correspondent is well informed
and very familiar with the way and
manner in which the spurious order
of Elks was first started among the
colored men in the United States In
the year 1898 Mr. Riggs, a colored
man, living in Cincinnati, o., was en-
plOyed on the railroad as porter and
was running on the railroad on the
Cincinnati and Ohio, the Order of
Elks among the white people was
holding and having large meeting at
o., at that time. One of
the white members of the Order Of
Elks lost his secret ritual of the order,
and Mr.. Riggs found it,; and in short
time after that Mr.. Riggs, without any
authority or power from anybody
whatever, commenced to confer the
degree of the Order of Elks and Or
fI,0
in the United States. So it is we'll
settled and not denied but that Mr..
Riggs was the first colored man in the
United States to have the work and
commence to confer degrees. 1t has
been admitted time after time that
Mr.. Riggs or no other colored man up
to the present time ever had any
power or authority to establish lodges
Of Elks among the colored men in the
United States, and no honest. intelli-
gent and fair-minded man, VINO is any
ways familiar with the origin and his
tory of the Order of Elks among the
colored men in the United States can
honestly and truthfully say that it /
ever had or has now any legitimate
origin, and that being true. it must be
admitted that the establishing of |
odges of Elks among the colored men
n the United States is clandestine,
and spurious.
The fonowing resolution was adopt-
ed at the Masonic conference that
vas held in Chicago last week. The |
resolution was offered by Mr.. J. H.
of Florida, which was unan- |
adopted:
Whereas, 1t has come to the knowl- |
edge of this Masonic conference |
composed of delegates from several
# the states and territories. now sit
ing In Chicago, that one John A. Bell
II Grand Rapids, Mich, who some
1me ago was expelled for unmasonic
conduct from every branch and de-
'artment of the Masonic fraternity, is
low travelling over the country pre-
ending to have some authority.
which, upon investigation, has been
manufactured by himself and is now
ttemDtlng to set up lodges, and
Whereas, He has associated with
i'm one William Gray, HI. w. knight
t Chicago, ILL.,, an one Daniel Brown.
4 Alabama, who have each one of
hem been regularly and lawfully ex-
elled from the Masonic Fraternity.
nd these individuals are now attempt-
ng to peddle out their bogus and
hoddy commodities to the unwearv
nd uniformed people;
therefore, be it resolved, That we
ow take the opportunity of calling
ne attention of not only members of
ne Masonic Fraternity, but the public.
these Masonic impostors, who have :
cen expelled out of the Masonic Fra
ernity and have no power or author.
y whatever to organize any Masonic
'dges or branches or departments of
reemasonry in any part of the land
nd any and all Masonic work that
ley attempt to do will never be recog-
lied by any Masonic body in the .
hole world"