Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-24
INSURANCE LOOT
MAY Be MILLION
Enormity of Systematic Frater-
nal Order Steal Grows
Daily.
CONFESSION is PROMISED?
Former Officer in State Department
at Springfield WIN Tell What
He Knows.

~-~A ny . oONCAOPAAOAtS ID o00AAS
to the enormity of the insurance scan
dal that Is being revealed incident to
the investigation OF the alleged embeZ.
element Of the funds of the F'raternal
Tribunes, an operation that brought
about the wrecking of that order after
1t had been carrying on its business
apparently successfully for IA years in
Rock Island, the city of its birth The
grand jury will resume its inquiry
Thursday, after having been on recess
since last week to allow the subpoenae-
ing Of witnesses here from various
parts Of the state
There may be 200 or more witnesses
examined by the jury before that body
concludes it's inquiry" States Attor-
ney l. NJ. MagilI said today. "It is
beginning to look as though the jury
had solid months work before 1t.
The further we enter into the circum-
stances leading up to the collapse Of
the Fraterna1 Tribunes the more start
ling becomes the criminal character
Of the whole network that appears to
have reached to the treasures of at
least five fraternal organizations
May Prove a Million.
1t was learned today that the total
embezzled from the several orders may
reach a million dollars, and that the
ramidcations of the dispensing of these
moneys will reach many individuals in
high places in the state. In fact, it is
known that one of the important wit
nesses who will appear before the
grand jury is a prominent politician
formerly connected with the state in
surance department, and that he has
volunteered to make a clean breast Of
what he knows. Indications point
strongly that the majority of the wit
nesses who are to be summoned are
from Springfield. A representative
from the states attorneys Office here
a supply of blank subpoenaes to be
served by the sheriff of Sangamon
county.
1t was learned this afternoon that
there are three additional societies
whose officers will possibly be involved
In the investigations before the grand
jury These societies are the knights
of the Globe, the Life Endowment and
Fraternal Crystal Lights.
Trails In Dozen Cities.
Trails of alleged embezzlement are
being followed by detectives into a
dozen cities of Illinois and into two or
three other states. One sum of $751;
900, the entire reserve fund of the or
der Of FraternaI Tribunes, is said to
have been whisked around the country
for several months before its final dis |
appearance.
In addition to the Fraternal Trib- |
unes and the American Home Circle, |
mentioned in the tangle in !
volving officers of the two societies |
first named, there are now mentioned |
the Royal Benefit society of Washing |
ton, which draws no color line; the |
Independent Order of Mutual Aid,
whose $40, 900 reserve mysteriously DIS |
appeared when it was merged into an
other society; and the Farmers FEEDER
alton, which also has passed out of
existence by the merger route.
Some of Missing Funds.
So far as has been disclosed, being
samples of a long string of similar
Items, the following specifications of
funds that have disappeared to total
Of more that 100000, will be made in
he evidence States Attorney Magill
will lay before the Rock Island grand
Jury:
Paid on death claims against
the American Home Circle
and alleged to have been paid
out of the Fraternal Tribunes'
treasury following the Trib-
unes' merger in the Home Cir
Gle 49,. $4,000
Reserve fund of the Fraternal
Tribunes, which entirely dis
appeared about the time of the
merger 80. $1,000
suits against the Fraternal Trib-
unes on claims against the /,
Home Circle during period of {
merger, which claims are al I
legged to have been paid. -. 100000 I
Honey loaned out of Tribunes'
treasury on a note signed with I
name of man who declared
he did not sign note nor re- Y
ceive money; man wanted as
a witness, but has disappear
ed..-... ...... $4,000
'orged promissory notes of ap-
parently similar nature 49,. $4,000
'anished reserve fund of the q
Mutual Aid society ....... 10000
Outsiders In on Cut.
OF the men involved in the scandal,
everal are not and never have been
Ulcers of any of the fraternal orders
4 the merger chain. 1t is stated that
he outsiders were necessary for the
urpose of covering up tracks" by
osing as the borrowers of money, the
ndorsers of checks, the signers of re-
eipts. Politicians of various degrees
( prominence. including both republi-
ans and democrats. are probable tar
cts for grand jury inquisitions.
One of the sensational possibilities
{ the scandal is that it may touch the
tate insurance department at Spring
cid. 1t has been beyond the under
landing of the Investigators that the