River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-08-27
KNIGHTS OF COLUM-
BUS INDICATED

to knights of Columbus and to the
Catholics of this country and of
Canada. as well as to non-Catholics
was held in Waterville, Mimi,
Wednesday, July %. This was an.
action of criminal libel brought by
b. M. Lawless, editor of the await
erville Sentinel" against A. M.
Morrison and G.. E. Morrison father
and son, editors and publishers of
the "Mankato Morning Journal.n
of Mankato, Mimi. The libel con-
sisted in the charging of Lawless
with having taken the bogus
Knights of Columbus oath, which
has been SO largely circulated in
this country and in Canada during
the past year and a half. We will
not attempt to reproduce this oath,
but suffice it to say that it has
been published as the Knights OF
Columbus oath and as the Fourth
Degree oath, and is, in letter and
insinuation, one of the foulest IL
bells imaginable.
The outcome of this trial is of
national and international impor-
lance. The Knights of Columbus
have often been accused of taking
an alleged oath which, if the charge
were true, would forever condemn
them to the merited execration OF
their fellow men. But this was the
first time that an individual knight
was directly charged with the Of
fence. 1t furnished the order the
first opportunity it has had to put
the real obligation of the Fourth
Degree in evidence and made 1t
matter Of court record which any
citizen may read for himself. here
in lies the Importance Of the case
which establishes a precedent in the
history OF the order.
The trial was a most sensational
one from many points of view. Ii
was presided over by Judge George
J. Dressed. The district attorney
who prosecuted the case was fran
els j. Hanzel Of Montgomery, pro-
scouting attorney for LIE Sueur
County, who was assisted by At
torney Hessian OF LIE Sueur. The
defendants were represented py
owen Morris, of st. Paul The
small county court room was
crowded to the very limits OF it's
capacity, and the spectators 1illed
every availa bic incn Of space, haV-
ing come in from the surrounding
country to hear the case tried. "A
Jury was finally selected, and IL
is of more than passing import
ance and a matter Of qualification
Of the order, as it is a compliment
to him, that the Rev. Thomas Bill
ing, the resident Methodist minist-
er of the town, was chosen on the
Jury and was not challenged by
the complainant, and as the re-
suit showed, must have voted
with the other eleven men to con-
Wet the two defendants. All praise
to him for his high sense OF clt-
izenship and his high respect for
the oath of a juryman! Another
fact of singular interest was the
appearance of the Rev. II. b. Chap
man, the pastor of the local Con-
gregational church, as witness for
the prosecution in the matter OF
publication.
The jury returned verdict OF
guilty, which was read by the fore
man, Rev. Thomas Billings, and the
court imposed a Jail sentence OF
thirty days without the, option OF
a fine, on each of the defendants.
The trial showed the only oath
or obligation taken by the Knights
of Columbus is this obligation OF
the fourth degree.
OBLIGATION OF THE FOURTH
DEGREE
II swear to support the Consti-
tuition of the United States
II pledge myself, as a Catholic
citizen and Knight of Columbus,
to enlighten myself fully upon my
duties as citizen and to conscl-
entiously perform such duties en-
tirely in the interest OF my country
and regardless of all personal con
sequences. 1 pledge myself TO 90
all in my power to preserve the
integrity and purity Of the ballot
and to promote obedience and re-
spect for law and order. | promise
to practice my religion openly ana
consistently. but without ostenta-
ton, and to SO conduct mysel1 In
public affairs and in the exercise
of public virtue as to reflect noun
ing but credit upon our HOLY
Church, to the end that she may
flourish and our country prosper
I,4nnp and QlOrV OIL