Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-03-26
THE STATE IN
GENERAL
HIGH LIFE WAS THE DOWNF ALL
OF THE HOME PROTECTORS
SECRETARY.
HE JUGGLED THE FUNDS
Now Finds Himself in Jail and the
stockholders Will Lose.-He Lived
on His Populations ExtravagantIy.

VIM. l.. Wilson, supreme secretary
OF the United Home Protectors Fra
ternity. fraternal building and loan
association, is in Port Huron jail,
charged with being short in his &C.
counts $4,000, but it is said by Of
ficers of the order that the amount
may reach $125,000 He has confessed
the shortage and the institution is
now in the hands of State Bank
ng Commissioner Zimmerman The
fraternity was organized in Port HUI
ron about II years ago under the
supervision OF the state banking de.
partment. In 1905 the act was amend
ed and the powers of the commission.
er with regard TO the institution
broadened. Ii has about 100 lodges
in Michigan and about $500 members.
The officers, who are all Port Huron
men, are as follows: President, Major
N. s. Boynton; vice-president, G. G..
Meisel; treasurer, Albert A. Graves:
secretary W. L. Wilson; trustees, d.
p. Markey, E. ID. Campbell and Albert
Dixon
The populations of Wilson cover a
period of nearly IL years, practically
since he became connected with the
order and, while $4,000 was specific.
ally mentioned in the complaint, the
shortage may be 1926, 900. He also has
personal liabilities outside of the or.
der amounting to close to $25 900. Al.
bert Dixson, who swore to the com.
plant is an indorser on much OF vii.
sons personal paper He lived ex.
travagantly in one of the most beauti.
full residences in the city. Two grown
sons, Louis, aged 81. and Grant, "a,
both married. lived with him Wilson
maintained two automobiles, a hand.
some power yacht and the family were
active in society.
The money that Wilson took was in.
vested in many wildcat schemes. al.
though some of it was invested in con
Germs which have a good standing He
has $4,000 in the Windsor & Essex
interurban, about 1000 in refrigera-
tor plant in Battle Creek and some
money in bed springs plant in Port
Huron.
The big drain on his resources was
the Laphan mine near Deadwood, S.
ID. Into this he has been pouring
money for several years and in add.
ton had induced many Port Huron
people to invest. The mine has never
paid anything, although thousands OF
dollars were spent in opening it up.
Just how bad the Home Protectors
Fraternity is involved will not be
known until the examiners go com.
pletely over the books and make their
report
After confessing to the trustees. he
turned over a schedule of his assets.
consisting of the beautiful home in
Port Huron, a farm near Grand Rap.
ids and scattered pieces of real es.
tate. The whole has paper valua.
ton Of about 100000. but will show
shrinkage of 80 per cent on forced
realization.
II have just $50 in the bank. Every
other cent has gone TO make up these
losses" Practically Wilson turned his
trousers pockets inside out in his cell
in the county jail and showed just 81
With that $50 this sum constitutes
my entire fortune he said. Il am
turning everything over TO the frater
nifty for the protection of the patrons
If get out | am going on a farm &c
work. | am through with city life for.
ever"