The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1913-04-19
Fraternity In Texas Has Con.
trOVGrSy Over Finances.
OFFICERS MAKE STATEMENT
Investigation Into So Called Shortage
Of EK-Treasurer Butts Accounts
Reveals Peculiar Situation - Crisis
Came at Time Of Bank FaiIures-"I
Will Make Good" Says 6luitt.

Dallas. Textile most talked OF sub
ject in Texas fraternal circles Is the
$l4.OOO shortage i'm the Masonic grand
lodge Much discussion Of the subject
has brought forth many untrue state
mentS
William Mcdonald Goose Neck Bib,
the secretary uf the Texas Jurisdiction
OF the MaSOnS. gives in the current is
sue Of the Masonic Quarterly. the off,
ciHl organ uf the Texas Jurisdiction,
what purpurtS tn be the official version
Of the matter
Mcdonald states that DR.. b. r Blu
ltt. the grand treasurer. rendered his
resignation To- Grand Master J. W. Nc
Kinney on Oct. >. 1912. after admit
ting shortage of Sl3.397.26. which
WAS afterward found TO be S13,9I8O6;
that on Dee 30. 1912. the Oklahoma
Bonding company. which was on DR..
Butts bond for $4,000. was notified
that the grand lodge. Free and Ac-
cepted Masons OF Texas. was holding
that company responsible for the pay
ment
As 10 the collection OF the bond. Nc
Donald says: When the bond will be
collected ] don't know. ! don't think a
living man can answer that question"
Although Mcdonald and Dr. Bluitt
have for years and years been close po-
litical. personal and fraternal friends.
IL, - ~ - -
says: Few men can realize the an
guish and pain that IL gives me. / can
not find II in my heart to excuse or
justify the deliberate acts Of Past
Grand Treasurer Bluitt-"
Stands High In Professional Life.
DR.. Bluitt is the leading Negro physi-
clan and surgeon in Texas. As the
recognized head Of the Bluitt santa
rum be stands at the head Of his pro-
fession In this state. and his income Is
said to be propOrtionately larger than
that Of any other physician Of color
he admits n shortage. but explains
that circumstances made IL and gives
out the impression that II was created
with the knowledge of the grand lodge
officials. 50 il is alleged He states that
he offered To make good the shortage
and that he entered into an agreement
with the grand lodge officials to repay
the amount claimed: that the grand
master. J. " Mckinney. deliberately
broke the agreement.
History Of sIuitt's cgicisl Career.
DR.. Bluitt'S statement j. ~ follows:
1T is needless for lac % sly ut this
time that | rp..rpi the unfortunate cir
cumstances surrounding Ly - called
shortage a. grand JrrI>GTsr Of the
Free and Accepted Mr~uu> 90 Texas.
have held this puSi;iUU since 1898.
and each year since that tia" my cleo
ton has been made uuIEimnus.
have always accounted foT every cent
of the money that the 200 MuSonS Of
Texas have intrusted To my care.
81 have always taken deep interest
in the race and have from time To time
invested my personal funds in stocks
which were being fOstered by laudable
undertakings for the benefit Of the
race-namely, stocks OF the Penny
Savings bank. Dallas. and the Provi-
dent Bank and Trust company Of Fort
Worth. both OF which institutions fall
ed the early part Of 1912.
Besides. had gone on personal
securities Of these banks to the extent
OF several thousand dollars. and upon
the failure OF these banks I was forced
to pay OF their claims in order to keep
myself in good light before the people
Of Texas. How well have done that
is known TO all who are acquainted
with my affairs I'm this city.
Voluntarily Resigned as Treasurer.
at is true that on Oct. 5. 1912, ! vol
UNFAIRLY resigned as grand treasurer or
the Free and Accepted Masons Of Tex
as The causes stated above and the
fact that IN July. 1912, the grand mas
ter made the following recommends
ton to the grand lodge placed me in
q position In which l was compelled
10 turn over ut once all moneys due
the grand lodge which had been &C
in various departments since
1898
The resolution reads as follows:
Resolved. That the Fraternal Bank
and Trust company. Fort Worth. be
made the depository for the grand
lodge OF the Free and Accepted Ma
sons OF Texas and that the grand
treasurer be required TO deposit all
moneys which be has or may have in
the said institution
1T was known throughout the Juris-
diction that the grand treasurer was
the sole custodian OF all Masonic funds
and that as partial compensation for
his services be was expected to use
these funds as he saw ht since be was
able to properly meet all claims pre-
sented to him.
Agreement With Grand Lodge oHiesrS
when I offered my resignation ! en-
tered into an agreement with the grand
lodge officers to par Them SI3S97-26
10 the following manner:
They were Ia allow me Eve years In
which to pay that sum. and ! was 10
A. a than al ff,.. ttr,r,ssrfv trhfrh