The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-28
w0RTHINGTON MASONS REGAIN
HISTORIC lEMPLr

OhuSi Ihc hdhudte Ol Lne OnlO sup
RENE court after litigation covering a
period of 10 years with the Cerneau
organization, the members of New
England lodge No. 4, T.. and A. NJ,
of Worthlngton, have come into pos
session of the historic Masonic temple
in that village.
New England lodge was organized
under a warrent from Connecticut
Grand lodge, and later, with other
lodges, formed from the Grand lodge
of Ohio. In 1920 the Masonic temple
was erected by New England lodge
as its meeting place, and also that
of Horeb chapter No 3, r. A. NJ. In
1924 the lodge took deed from the
owner of the ground, paying s95 for
the property, the deed being made out
to jeremiah Morrow then governor
of Ohio, and his successors in office
forever, for the use and benefit of the
lodge and chapter.
Between 1880 and 1890 there was a
secession from the northern iuris-
diction of the Scottish Rite. Later,
the Grand lodge of Ohio.
Some OF the members Of the New
England body joined the Cerneau
body, and upon this fact becoming
known to the officers of the Grand
lodge, these members were refused
admission to meeting conducted by
the district lecturers in Columbus
in 1891. The matter was carried into
the New England lodge. and Horeb
chapter by those Masons who were
denied admission to ihe meeting, and
in April, 1891, a majority Of the
two bodies passed resolutions of Sec
cession from the Grand lodge AS a
result OF this the chapter of New
England lodge was arrested by Grand
Master Goodale, and that of the chap
ter was arrested by Grand High
Priest Iredell, the heads, respective
( ly of the Grand lodge and Grand
chapter in the state OF Ohio. The
seceders, hewever, held possession OF
the property.
lnasmuch however, as a constim-
tional number of the lodge and chap
ter refused TO Join the secedeN, they
were recognized by the grand officers
of Ohio as the legitimate lodge and
chapter, and a dispensation to work
until the annual meeting of the grand
bodies in the fall of 1891 was grant
ed them The loyal members of the
lodge and chapter were then formal
ly recognized by the grand bodies, and
since the seeding members refused
to give up the original charters, du-
plicate charters were granted TO the
lodge and chapter.
The members being few Tor Two or
three years, only enough meetings
were held to retain the charters. In
1894 the meeting place of Hoercb
chapter was transferred TO Wester-
vile, eight miles distant, because
suitable for the chapter meetings. The
chapter is still holding its sessions In
Westerville, but, at the next meeting
of the Grand chapter, the matter OF
removing to Worthipgton will be
brought up.
In the year 1897 the -oyaI members
of New England lodge secured deed
from Governor Asa Bushnell, himself
thirty-third degree Mason, trans
feming the legal title of the lodge
property to Rufus NJ Weaver, as
trustee for New England lodge and
Horeb chapter. Before the deed
was recorded, however, action was
taken by the Corneau body to COM
pei the cancellation of the deed. They
failed to make Governor Bushnell a
party defendant to the action, but
upon trial in the common pleas court
1t was decided that Governor Bush
nell had no right 10 make the deed,
and 1t was ordered surrendered.
The case was appealed by Trustee
Weaver and New England lodge to
the circuit court OF Franklin county
being Masons, an order was issued
, upon the request of the Cerneau
body, that the case be tried before a
, bench of non-Masonic judges, In ord
er to bring this about 1t was neces
sary to canvass the state thoroughly
and finally three judges were founC
> who were not members of the frater
nifty.
This court, upon hearing the cast
ruled that Governor Bushnell was I
4 necessary party TO the case, and tn,
e petition was then amended making
q Governor Pattison, his successor, |
e party TO the action, and the case wa
: tried before the court on it's merits
v inal deed was given for a valuabl
!. consideration tina the governor ha
: The court then decided that the orig
no duties to perform and that unde
i, the law, the real beneficiaries ha
!, the right to control the legal title
!, Therefore, it was necessary, accordin
: to the courts ruling to determin
= who were the equitable benefciarie
= and entitled to be treated as tn
e legitimate bodies, owning the propert
On this point the court held tha
y where an organization consists {
e subordinate bodies, holding .authorit