New Britain herald., 1930-03-24
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 Hostess In Chicago Police Station
PARKER DECIPHERS
 CHIMNEY'S EMBLEM
Finds Prisoner Worked in In.
 Signia Of Royal Arcanum

A mystery which has baffled the officials of the New Mexico state prison for nine years was solved yesterday when Kermct E. Parker. q member of the staff of the New Britain Herald discovered the sig niftcance of mysterious symbols on a brick chimney in the state prison at Santc Fc 1921.
 A brick layer. convicted of mur- der was assigned to take charge of the erection of the new stack. When the scaffolding was removed the side of the chimney where the con- victcd murder had laid the bricks in person was decorated with the letters "V. NJ. G." surmounting a crown and underneath were the numbers 110j.
 The prisoner, who showed that ht had been convicted in error, wa: freed by the supreme court and sub sequenuy disappeared. Prison au thoritics, asccrtaining that the letter: were not the initials of thS prisoner and that the numbers we're not tho lattcr's prison number were at { loss to explain their significance.
 Seeing an Associated Press pictur, of thc stack in a Sunday paper, Mir Parker recognized the design a symbolical of the Royal Arcanum. ; fratcrnal insurance organization. Hi q l l. Do, of |, street is q past regent of the ordc and was satisfied that his son hat correctly interpreted the design. Tn father communicated with 1'ret Elliott of 60 LcnoN place, past gran, | regent of the order in this state. Mr Elliot checked up with the pictur and verified Parker's explanation.
 The letters V. M. C. stand fo virtue, mercy and charity, the ob jccts of the order. The crown an, figure 1l05 have a ritualistic signif 1 icancc.
 Mir. Elliott who lives at GO Lcno: place, this morning sent the follow ing letter to Mr. Knocppcl: 1 Mr. Harold C. Knoeppcl,
 Supreme Regent, R. A., Bceckman St.,
 | New York city.
 Dear Brother knocppel:
 'l am enclosing an article whicl I feel sure will be of interest {, you. Upon examination of tn l chimney in picture, you will hay no difficulty solving what appear | to be mystery to the officials o the New Mexico state pcnitentiary.
 "The Roman numerals V. D. c are without doubt the initials of tn | three great attributes of the Roya Arcanum, Virtue, Mercy. and Char ity. The Arabic figures 1105 bcin the mystic number. In additio there appears our emblem tn crown.
 7 "The story, as you will read i that of d prisoner who was employ cd in the prison as q briclilaycr. On of the jobs assigned to him was tn building of this chimney, and in tn course of construction, he workc | ferred to. Later you will notice h was released, having been crron cously convicted.
 As you are aware, Harold, tn laws of the order would cancel hi rights to membership on account 0 his being convicted of criminal of fense. It has occurred to me tha in justice to the prisoner, som steps should be taken to ascertai his identity and, if possible. see [ it that his rights and privileges a a member of the Royal Arcanum b restored to him if it is possible { do so. You will notice that tn prison officials have kept his nam q secret. l have no doubt but yo can get such information as yo may require from them which wi enable you to carry out any pla you may undertake.
 l My attention was called to thi article by Brother Harry E. Parker q member of Seaside s scouncil c | Bridgeport. I checked up the mat ter and l have been in touch wit the local representative. The fac that l had identified the inscriptio was of interest to them, as l late had call from d representative C the Associated Press.
 T know, Harold, that you will b interested Ill the story, and l al very glad to leave any action yo l nav wish 10 ike to yoIr good ind z :nent With kindest regards, I al fratcrnally yours, in V. M. 6o C."