The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1910-07-16
MASONS ARREST
ALLEGED SW|NDLER

SPOKANE, Wash, July 16.-In-
vestigations by Denton M. Crow, dep
uty prosecuting attorney of Spokane
county, and Alexander Macdonald, a
member Of the city detective depart
ment, following the arrest here of
Thomas Perrot, of Seattle, state presi-
dent of the Fraternal Order of Eagles
in Washington, charged with obtaining
money under false pretenses in bar
gaining to confer the degree of the
knights Templar in the Ancient and
$50, has disclosed the fact that any of
the dgrees, from the first to the thirty
second in the alleged American and
foreign Masonic orders, may be bought
in the open market. Perrot's prices
range from $35 for the blue lodge work
to $175 for the more advanced degrees.
Major X. ID. Gwydir, former Indian
fighter and veteran of the Confederate
army, now sidewalk inspector for the
city of Spokane and member of a To-
cal Masonic lodge, preferred the charge
III the Spokane police court, where, af-
ter passing several hours in a cell,
Perrot gave a bond of $500 for his ap-
pearance. Del Cary Smith, past warthy
grand president of the Eagles, who has
been retained as counsel, says Perrot
Is member in good standing of IL
secret and fraternal orders, adding
that he holds a certificate signed by
|. M. Howell, secretary of the state of
Washington, authorizing him to edo
business under the American Masonic
Federation of Idaho, also that Perrot
is an official of the American Fedora.
tiOn of Masonic Lodges, incorporated
under the laws of the state of Wash
ington.
Documents found in an office occu-
the Scottish Grand Council of Rites
and is working here under the direc-
tion of A. f. Lucas, Of Tacoma, deputy
grand marshal of Washington, while
some of the stationery picked up in the
raided quarters indicates that the
/" sixtieth'' and the "ninetieth de-
grees of Masonry were also dealt in
by Perrot. The police found a ritual
and seal of the Order of the Scot
tish Grand Council of Rites and books
and papers dealing with that organiza-
ton.
s. Harry Rush. secretary of the Ma
sonic Temple association of Spokane,
said in an interview that no degrees
conferred by the Idaho organization
are recognized by the lodges in Spo-
kane. "The Masonic order has no so.
licitors and it never solicits members,
he added, "and it is not probable that
Perrot has been authorized by any
recognized body to sell degrees.'
Perrot declares he has the right to
confer the first three degrees in Ma
sonry by virtue of holding Office in the
American Federation of Masoni,
Lodges, saying also that the power to
confeH the degrees, from the fourth tC
the thirty second, is vested by authori
ty sent to him by the Scottish Rite
Masonic Order Oh Scotland. He has
been organizing Thistle Lodge No.
in Spokane and had applications foi
five men, each of whom paid $35 fol
membership.
"My arrest is the result of 'stoo
pigeon work on the part of the Ma
sonic LODGE Perrot said. 81 expect
ed it at the time ] first met Maiol
Gwydir, but I took his money, CAV,
him a receipt and told him to call I
/ few days later for the degrees. Tha
would have given me time to ascertain
/ if he is a member of the Masonic or
der in good standing and entitled t.
the work.
"This is not the first time / hav,
had trouble. have encountered op
position elsewhere, but the Mason
learned it did not pay to fool with me
fThey will find the same thing in Spo
kane
! While officers of the Masonic lodge
in Spokane decline to discuss the mat
ter for publication, it is known tina
an investigation is under way to as
certain if the credentials found anon
Perrot IS effects are authenticated b
anv Masonic order in the world. Re
ports are also current that the arres
of Perot is another brush in the bal
tie between the American Masons an
the western organizers of the Scottis
Grand Lodge, but Masons here den
there is any trouble among the reo1
oa pizad orders