The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-07-18
Sheduled Prices Listed for All Orders
Between and First Thirty
second. i /;
IS CHARGED WITH OBTAINING .
MONEY UNDER FALSE PRETENSES
Offered to Confer Degree Of Knight
Templar in Scottish Rite for
Sixty Dollars.

Spokane, Wash, July 1s-(Special
Correspondence Investigations by
Denton M. Crow, deputy prescott.
ing attorney of Spokane county, and
Alexander Macdonald, member OF
the city detective department, fol.
lowing the arrest here of Thomas
Perrot, of Seattle, state president of
the Fraternal Order of Eagles in
Washington, charged with obtain
ing money under false pretenses in
bargaining to confer the degree of
the Knight Templars in the Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite Masons
for $50, has disclosed the fact that
any of the degrees, 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
s35 for the blue lodge work to $175
for the more advanced degrees.
Major R. D. Gwydir, former In
dian fighter and veteran of the Con-
federate army, now sidewalk in
spector for the city of Spokane and
member of a local Masonic lodge,
preferred the charge in the Spokane
police court, where, after passing
several hours in a cell, Perrot gave
a bond of $500 for his appearance.
Del Barry Smith, past worthy grand
to president of the Eagles, who has
been retained as counsel, says Perrot
is a member in good standing of IL
secret and fraternal orders, adding
that he holds a certificate signed by
I. M. Howell, secretary of the state
of Washington, authorizing him to
do business" under the American
Masonic Federation of Idaho, also
that Perrot is an official of the
American Federation of Masonic
Lodges, incorporated under the laws
of the state of Washington.
Documents found in an office
occupied by Perrot show he is an
agent for the Scottish Grand Coun-
Gil of Rites and is working here un.
der the direction of A. E. 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 degrees OF
Masonry were also dealt in by Per.
rot. The police found a ritual and
seal of the Order of the Scottish
Grand Council of Rites and books
and papers dealing with that organi.
cation.
S. Harry Rush, secretary of the
Masonic Temple association of
Spokane, said in an interview that
no degrees conferred by the Idaho
organization are recognized by the
lodges in Spokane. "The Masonic
order has no solicitors and it neve,
solicits members" he =. added.
"and it is not probable that Perrot
has been authorized by any recog.
nized body to sell the degrees.
Perrot declares that he has the
rig hit to confer the first three de-
grees in Masonry by virtue o.
holding office in the American
Federation of Masonic Lodges
saying also that the power to con
Ter the degrees, from the fourth tc
the thjrty.second, is vested by
authority sent to him by the Scot
fish Rite Masonic Order of Scot
land. He has been organizing
Thistle Lodge No. s in Spokane
and had applications from fac
| men, each of whom paid $35 for
| members.
"Myarrest is the result Of .stoo
pigeon work on the part Of the
Masonic Gwydir, but ! took his
money, gave him receipt and
told him to call q few days later fol
the degrees. That would have Civ.
|.en me time 70 ascertain if he is :
member Of the Masonic order il
good standing and entitled to th,