The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-04-15

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welcome, the local brethren directed
by Alex Ashby and A. R. Bohon had
made perfect arrangements for the en-
~tertainment of the visitors and the
citizens generally Joined in the spirit
of hospitality.
Everybody was anxious to see how
the new Grand Master, A. R. Chinn.
would start off in his administration.
and all were pleased to note how
homelike he appeared in the oriental
chair. He dispatched the preliminar-
les in perfect form and order, show
ing a mastery grasp of the situation,
and from the very first showed some
improvement in the way of system in
handling the routine.
Those accustomed to the brilliant
address of his predecessor were
amazed at the rhetorical grace and
comprehensive logic of his first an.
the afternoon of the first day. The
address vas of unusual length but
was heard with rapt effectiveness. 1t
covered a wide range of thought and
varied interests of the craft and the
race we're considered most intelligent.
ly. Grand Master Chinn had delivered
the goods and everybody was salts.
fled.
Under neurology an eloquent tribute
was played to the memory of Brother
w. Brent Ousley, whose death was
~ A-ftNN@ -, 49, lot -1 l.
the memory of E. r. Overall, master
of Rough ASHER lodge No. AZ, Oma-
ha, whose death had occurred during
the year. Brother Overall was FOR
many years one of the most useful and
distinguished members of the Grand
Lodge and stood high in the esteem of
his fellow townsmen, white and black.
He was at the time of his death one
of the Oldest employees of the United
States government postal service.
Grand Master Chinn reported two
new lodges and the reconstruction of
several others which had become in
active during the long stretch of finan,
cial stringency. Conditions were much
improved at this time and all the
lodges seemed to have taken on new
zeal and energy. The Grand Master
~despaired of the long drawn out eff.
fort toward securing recognition from
white Masons and recommended in
stead that a closer bond of fellowship
and understanding be cultivated
among the Negro bodies of the coun.
try, which was a very cogent and sen.
sible idea to say the least.
During the year there bad occurred
an incident at Pierce City, a little
Southwest Missouri town, which
brought close to our notice the sort
of hardships with which Negro citi-
zenship is environed. Some trivial
affair had taken place between a col
ored mar and a white woman, the lat
ter said to have been of a very COM
mon type, and this resulted in a race
riot of such proportions as to cause
lage to flee from the wrath of the
frenzied and bloodthirsty white lynch.
ers. Homes were destroyed and many
colored people brutally mistreated.
The Grand Lodge took notice of this
incident, not only because some of
it's members had been abused, but be-
cause the affair was considered to be
a great wrong to our race generally
and a blot upon the fair name of the
state. Resolutions were adopted con-
demning the affair and calling upon
the state to take such steps as should
prevent such occurrences in the flu
ture.
The election of officers was quite
prosaic until the position of Junior
Grand Warden was reached. For that
there were several contenders and the
honor finally rested upon Brother T,
P. Mahammitt, master of Excelsior
lodge No. ITO, Omaha. Brother Ma
hammitt was then editor of the En-
terprise, the official organ of the
Grand Lodge. He had, by his con
genial manner and Masonic enthu-
siasm, quickly won a large circle of
devoted friends to whom he constant
ly endeared himself by an unfailing
devotion. In due time he was ad-
vanced upward to the office of Deputy
1lduu nldSlST anu mas mlooSu DuJ OuS
session of the Grand Lodge since that
time.
An unusual thing, worthy of historic
record, happened when the Grand Mas
ter rose to o the list of his
appointments. Brother Joe Il. HERR.
ford was rendered the most important
office within the gift of the Grand
Master, the Craftsmanship of the com.
mittee on foreign correspondence, and
in open lodge declined the place. stat
ing that he thought another brother,
DR.. M. o. Ricketts,, better qualified
and more entitled to the position. DR..