The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-12-20

InaC DrOLnef irving +.
Jones, Secretary of Mime
sofa Lodge, No. 224, who is in
charge of the Bertillon room
at police headquarters, has
'Mugged' over 400 prisoners
during the past year and NOT
ONE of them belonged to the
Masonic fraternity. SO per
cent, however, professed the
Roman Catholic faith. No
comment is necessary"
During the past week this clip.
ping was received from an anony-
nous source; and Immediately we
set about to prove that it's content
was, what we deemed it to be, a
lie.
There was nothing in the clip
ping to indicate the paper from
which it was taken nor the name
of the city in which this state of
affairs is said to exist. A little
investigation, however, enabled
us to discover that this item ap-
peared in the "Masonic Observer
Of November 90, which is the off
cial organ Of the Masonic frater-
nifty in Minneapolis. We found
out also that Mr.. Jones is the SER
geant in charge of the Bertillon
room at the police headquarters
in Minneapolis. When interviewed
by our representative Brother"
Jones admitted that he had called
upon the editor of the Masonic
Observer" and told him that he
had a choice item for him; that
out of 400 prisoners whom he had
"mugged" during the year not
one was a Mason and 80 per cent
were Roman Catholics. The edi-
tor of the Masonic Observer
admits that Mr.. Jones made this
statement to him, but declares that
the "99" per cent which appears
in the paper is a typographical
error for 800"
When asked to substantiate his
statement "Brother" Jones de-
MED that there is a word of truth
in it. He said that no records are
kept at police headquarters indi-
eating the religion of any prisoner,
and this is borne out by the testi-
mony of the sergeant who, for the
past seven years, occupied the
position which Jones now holds.
Jones is an appointee of Mayor
Nye. If he is not affiliated with
the A. P. A., his "choice item, "
which, according to his own adj
mission, is lie made out of whole
cloth, shows that he is quite IA
miliar with the tactics employed
by these and other bigots to Witty
their Catholic fellow citizens.
This matter has been called to
the attention Of the Chief of Police
Of Minneapolis and of Mayor Nye.
Both these officials candidly admit
that it puts the police department
Of that city in a most embarrass-
ing position. They regret the I'M
warranted statement made by
Jones and repudiate it as wholly
false and misleading. 1t is very
difficult to see how they can retain
in such position a man like Ser
geant Jones, even though he is a
brother Mason. He is utterly I'M
fit to occupy any position within
the gift of the citizens of Mime
apolis. A man who will deliber-
ately lie about his fellow-citizens,
whether Catholic or Protestant,
as Jones admits he has done,
cannot be too speedily relegated
to the obscurity which BELTS a
cowardly slanderer who bears
false witness against his neighbor.
If Jones had a spark Of true man.
hood in him, he would resign at
once and relieve the Department
of the necessity of apologizing for
his existence.
Since the foregoing was written
we have received the following
retraction which will also appear
in this weeks issue of the "Ma-
sonic Observer
In the Observer of No
vember 90, appeared state
ment that, as officer in charge
of the Bertillon room, I had
mugged over 400 prisoners
during the past year and not
one of them belonged to the
Masonic fraternity. SO per
cent, however. professed the
Catholic faith.
THE foregoing statement,
in so far as it refers to pro-
fessed Roman Catholics. is not
true, and ] desire to take this