Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-03-26
FOURTH DEGREE
OATH OF K. C.
Continued from Last Week.
SUPREME OFFICERS PRESENT

SUPREME OFFICERS PRESENT
The surprise of the trial to the
Knights of Columbus themselves, and
to all those whose curiosity had
whetted their appetite to learn some
of the secrets of that great order,
was the calling of two of the SUI
preme officers as witnesses. The
first was the supreme physician, DR..
E. w. Buckley of st. Paul, who tes-
titled in effect that Mr.. Lawless had
received initiation in the fourth de-
gree under his direction as master.
Upon discrimination DR.. Buckley
was asked as to the nature of the
oath administered in the fourth
degree, and most emphatically de-
MED then, as he did in answering
subsequent questions of the defend
ants counsel, that the order had any
oath in any part of its ceremonial or
degree work. He freely admitted
that the order had pledge or obi
cation which is administered to can
didates. To the great surprise of
all present, however, when inter-
rogated as to the nature of this OBJ
legation, DR.. Buckley very fully
answered the question and gave the
substance of the obligation as adj
ministered to candidates on being
initiated in the fourth degree of the
Knights of Columbus.
William j. Mckinley of New Haven,
Conn, supreme secretary Of the
Knights of Columbus, also testified
as to the nature of the obligation, as
the official custodian of the original
manuscripts and of all matters per-
tanning 10 the ceremonial of the
society. He placed a copy of the
obligation in evidence, and it was
made part of the records of the
trial. He emphasized the fact that
the Knights of Columbus was not an
oath-bound society, and that no
member was asked to take more
than an obligation which any gentle
man might take. Both DR.. Buckley
and Mr.. Mckinley testified in no I'M
certain words that the bogus oath
which was the subject matter of the
prosecution was, neither in letter nor
in spirit, a part of any of the cere-
moniai Of the Knights of Columbus
in any of its degrees.
The following is portion of the
direct and cross-eXamination of DR..
Buckley and Mr.. Mckinley:
Direct examination by County At
torney Hanzel.
Cross-examination by Attorney
Morris.
@. Your name is !. Edward W.
Buckley?-A. Yes, sir.
@. You are a practicing physician
and surgeon in St. Paul ARE you not?
"A. Yes, sir,
@. Now, you are also a Knight of
Columbus? "A. Yes, sir.
@. Member of the Knights of
Columbus, and a member of the
fourth degree?-A. Yes, sir.
@. On January 27, 1907, did you
hold any position in the order?-A. !
was master of the fourth degree for
Minnesota and North Dakota.
". AS SuCIl lIdSICl, ulu yUu nave
charge of the giving of that degree?
"A. | did.
O. Did you have charge of the Civ
ing of that degree on January 20,
1907?-A. What date?
@. January 27, 1907.-A. | did.
O. That was the time that Mr..
Lawless said he took that degree; dc
you remember of his taking it?-
A. Well, he says he took it, and ]
think | remember his taking it, but
! had 100 candidates in that class
} from Minnesota and North Dakota;
feel pretty certain that Mr.. Lawless
took it at that time.
@. Did you hear me read and
have you heard that purported oath
credited to the fourth degree of the
Knights of Columbus read here in
J court?-A. | did.
Q. Did any of those candidates
, including Mr. Lawless, take such ar
oathas that?-A. Not that | know
of.
@. Is there any such oath in the
order?-A. Thele is not.