The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-14
Charges Made by John Denison Arc
Said to be False and Only
Made out of Re.
venge
NoRTHcoTT SAYS THEY ARE LIES
Officers Of the Order Brand Accuser
as Dissruntled Man Who
Did Not Get Good
Job.

Inc keokuk members of the NJ. w.
A. are very much interested in the
fraud charges against the order, men
toned In Sundays issue Of The Gate
City and will read with interest the
following denial, contained in Chica-
go dispatch
state Insurance Commissioner Fred
=. Potter replied yesterday to long
list OF charges of mismanagement and
the wasting Of funds of the Modern
Woodmen of America by its present
OFFICERS and directors, which were
brought to his attention by John D.
Denison Jr.. of Dubuque. Iowa. The
commissioner said his department
and also the commissioner of
| Virginia had been making an
Investigation of the society for six
weeks, which is not yet completed.
he denied any political Influence
mas been brought to bear upon his
office to take lenient stand against
the officers and directors of the Mod
ern Woodmen, and stated that. as
soon as he received the report Of his
investigator. there would be a hear
ing, at which every one who had any
matter to bring to his attention would
be given chance to be heard.
| F. S. Webb, So Dearborn street,
who formerly was in charge of the
advertising department of the society
| Joined with Denison in making the
charges. He further said in the af-
ternoon that he would apply to States
! Attorney Edmund Burke of Sanga-
mon county for grand jury investi.
cation.
Il do not know what merit there
Is in these charges" said Mr.. Pot
ter. 'The Modern Woodmen OF
America is the largest fraternal insur-
ance society in the country, and has
its headquarters in Rock Island
was so anxious to have a thorough
examination made into its affairs that
| invited the insurance commission
OF Virginia to join me. and the d..
partments of the two states are We III
! ing jointly on the ~ nation
Il received letter from Mr.. DEM.
son several weeks ago. after we had
/ started the investiga IN in which he
said that he had some matters re-
garding the society which he wished
to lay before me. and l replied that
as our examiner was In Rock Is.
land, which is much nearer Dubuque.
where Denison lives. than Springfield
/ that he should go to Rock Island
and present his matters to our ex-
aminer there.
HE did not do this, and the next
thing heard from him was last night
when l was standing near the desk,
and man handed me a plain en-
velope, not addressed, and said 1t
was for me. In it was letter say
ing that there was inclosed a list
of charges against the Modern Wood.
| men OF America officials. and several
typewriter pages containing the
charges. ! have read them only
hastily
There will be 2 thorough invesei
cation and if anything is -eong we
shall do our best to correct 1t, and
at any rate, full and complete re-
port will be on file, and any one can
have a copy for the asking
The statement made by Denison
aroused W. A. Northcott of Spring
field. who gave out the following
statement from the state capital
80 far as his newspaper interview
charges any wrongdoing on my part
in connection with this society, will
say that they are deliberate and
malicious lies and he knows it.
II have had no official connection
| with the management of this society
for nearly eight year and hay. no
personal knowledge OF the transac-
tons of which he speaks.
This man Denison, am reliably
Informed, went to the manag ement OF
this society and demanded position
at $500 month and was refused. He
then made threat he would get
even. These charges are in the ma.
ture Of blackmail and he will never
make them good.
| Charges probably will be prefer
red against Denison which should re-
suit In his expulsion from this SO,
ciety."
At the Office of the superintendent
Of the Modern Woodmen in Chicago,
John f. Harris. the superintendent,
said Denison and Webb are dissruntl-
ed, the one because he could not get
position as attorney for the Pacific