Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-03
COVER UP PLAY
THAT WENT AWRY
American Home Circle Paid
$4,000 to Tribunes to Ar
bitrate Differences.
TO HEAD OFF A SCANDAL
"WhoIe Business Too Rotten
Said w. G. Edens, Member of
Commission.

with. 1 propose washing my hands of
all connection with it, and propose
doing it right now" With this COM
ment w. G. Edens withdrew from the
conference, held in Chicago last No
vember, to arbitrate the differences
of the American Home Circle and the
Fraternal Tribunes, after the two So
cieties had dissolved their merger. The
effort to arbitrate was brought about
by the officers of the American Home
Circle and others who had been in
volved in diverting the funds of the
Fraternal Tribunes. They feared
scandal, and knew it was only a ques-
ton of time until the public would
know the whole story unless they
could placate the Fraternal Tribunes
administration, or in some manner
make is possible for the latter society
to pull through after the dissipation of
its reserve and general funds. The
Fraternal Tribunes order was offered,
through its officers, the sum of $4,000
If the arbitration would be submitted
to. The officers of the Fraternal Trib-
unes could not see where anything
was to be lost by such a move, and it
was agreed to. The $4,000 was paid
over into the treasury of the Fraternal
Tribunes, and the arbiters were ap-
pointed as follows: w. G. Edens, Chi
cago; Eli White and L. n. Wheeler,
Springfield.
Weld Pleads for Preservation.
Mr. Edens was and is at present as
sistant secretary of the Central Trust
company, Chicago. Mr.. Wheeler was
and is postmaster at Springfield. The
meeting of the committee took place
at the Great Northern hotel in Chi
cago 1t was at this meeting that H.
A Weld. after returning the $4,000
that he had been paid for resigning
the treasurership of the Fraternal
Tribunes, a position that paid 800
year, made an impassioned plea for
The preservation of the Tribunes or
der G. w. Kenney, a Springfield at
torney, was at the meeting also, and
turned back the money that the other
officials of the Fraternal Tribunes re-
ceived for resigning their offices to
give control of the order to the repre-
Bentatives of the American Home Cir
Gle. At this meeting officers of the
American Home Circle were in charge
of the merged societies before the Cir
Gle withdrew, represented that $4,000
of the amount paid out of the treasury
of the Fraternal Tribunes was to meet
death claims that had accumulated in
that order.
e -to+ % Foo 30
from Postmaster Il. n. Wheeler of
Springfield. Mr. Wheeler arrived in
the city last night. He was before the
grand jury as a witness this morning,
and is supposed to have told a story
subscribing to the facts given above.
Duplicated Death Claim.
Another witness of the morning was
Mrs. Charles D. Shape of Springfield
Mrs. Shape told a reporter that her
husband carried a policy for $1,000 in
the Farmers Federation. His death
occurred some time after the Farm
ers' Federation has been absorbed by
the American Home Circle. While his
insurance was carried by the Ameri
can Home Circle he died. She was
paid s75O.74 on her 81 900 claim. The
records of the Fraternal Tribunes in
possession of the state prosecutor show
that the policy held on Mr.. Shapes
life was paid during the merger of
the American Home Circle and the
Fraternal Tribunes. According to these
records the claim was paid twice
Mrs. Shape said she received but the
one settlement, and she was made to
believe that she was fortunate in re-
ceiving that amount in view of the
condition of the society at the time
the claim was paid. Mrs. Shape is
only one of a number of benefciaries
whose names were used in the dupli-
cation of death claims by those who
Iooted the funds of the Fraternal
Tribunes, it is claimed.
Insurance ONCE Secrets.
James r. B. Van Cleave, formerly
state insurance commissioner, is sum-
moned to appear before the grand jury
this afternoon, and it is expected that
he will tell some interesting secrets
of the commissioners office at Spring
field, the looseness of which, due, it is
claimed, to lack of authority under the
present laws to prevent, made posi-
bic the operations of the insurance
swindlers who are charged with the
embezzlement of the funds of the Fra
ternal Tribunes and other orders. Mr.
Van Cleave until recently was presi
dent of the Lincoln National bank
Springfield. He is was, according to
an officer of the Chicago Title & Trust
company who drew down the $4,000
reserve fund of the Fraternal Trib-
unes, which was on deposit at the lat
ter institution. The state will show
that shortly after the transfer of the
account to Van Cleave's bank $4,000
of the total was drawn on the personal
check of Thomas W. Wilson, who was
the head of the Fraternal Tribunes
during the merger.
Others who arrived today to testify
before the grand jury are a L.. Here