Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-08
CONNECTICUT A. 0. U. W.
Supreme Court Decision is Given In
 Its Favor.

The supreme court on Monday handed down decision in a fraternal order suit in which there is much in- terest in this vicinity on account of the large number of members of the society. The case was that of the grand lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen of Connecticut against the grand lodge of the An cient Order of United Workmen of Massachusetts. The action was for an equitable accounting and was brought to the superior court in New Haven county, where the demurrer to the complaint was sustained and judgment rendered for the defendant by Judge Gager. The plaintiff ap- pealed and the supreme court found error, set aside the judgment of the lower court and ordered the cause re- manded with the direction that the demurrer to the complaint be over ruled and the case proceeded with according to law. Judge Prentice wrote the opinion. The decision of the supreme court has naturally caused rejoicing on the part of Con- necticut members of the order. The difference between the grand lodges of Massachusetts and Connec- ticut date back about half a dozen years and arose in connection with the adjustment of financial matters at the time of the division of terri tory, when Connecticut was taken from the Jurisdiction of the Massa- chusettS grand lodge and a Connecti- cut grand lodge established and made independent of the Massachu- setts lodge.
 The supreme lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen is a cOrpo- ration organized under the laws of the state of Texas. The defendant in the suit was organized as grand lodge of the order in 1879 and had jurisdiction over the members of the order in the six New England states. In October. 1901, the territory was divided into the jurisdictions of the grand lodges of Connecticut and Mas sachusettS and an agreement was en- tered into as to financial matters in volved.
 Failing to settle their differences with the Massachusetts grand lodge, the Connecticut grand lodge took the matter into court. In the complaint 1t was alleged that the defendant re- fused to repay to the grand lodge of Connecticut $11,763, collected by the defendant and not needed for the payment of any claims for which the grand lodge of Connecticut was li- able. The Massachusetts grand lodge had set up the claim that this sum was included in that surplus in the beneficiary fund of the defendant to which the grand lodge of Connec- ticut by its contract, relinquished all claims.
 Before the bringing of the suit the matter was taken to the supreme lodge, which sustained the position of the grand lodge of this state, but 1 the withdrawal of the massachusetts, grand lodge on account of the diff ferences over the increasing rates left the supreme lodge without any power to compel an independent organiza- tion to make the adjustment which it declared to be right.
 A statement of the claim of the Connecticut grand lodge, which was drawn up at New Haven in February, 1903, was signed by an executive committee of nine, among them F. Clarence Bissell of Willimantic, now deputy comptroller of the state, and Clarendon c. Bulkeley and the late
 John E. Ball of Hartford.