St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-05-30
RAPs "cLANDEsTRE" LODGES: a
Grand Secretary Minnesota
Prince Hall MasOns Raps
Talk of Masonic Merger

IN sweeping statement to the
press B. Franklin Henderson, Of
St Paul, grand secretary of the
Free and Accepted Masons, Prince
Hall AffiliatiOn Of the Minnesota
Jurisdiction, this week denounced
what he called attempts I"
through the press and various
sources Of communication for
'clandestine' lodges are attempting
to infiltrate into the ranks Of au-
thorized MRsons and their Masonic
families"
The Minnesota grand secretary's
statement was in reply to a state
ment of r. J. Simmons, national
grand secretary Of the York Rite
Masons, who has urged that the two
Masonic bodies merge. Henderson
said there was no chance of such
merger.
Henderson's statement set forth
the following claims and charges;
These illegal organizations are
proving a sore spot and the time
is ripe to stamp out these impostors
through legal process as it has
been proven in the court of Pennsyl-
vania. These people can never be-
come Masons in the true sense Of
the word until they come through
the proper channels, and l doubt
whether some could ever become
Master Masons. There can never
be merger Of a lodge Of Clandes-
tines with an authorized body Of
Prince Hall Masons, so that ave-
nue. is cut off. We will not recog-
nize Clandestines in Minnesota, the
other states Of our country, or will
we recognize them any place in the
world.
"As n member of the Association
Of Grand Secretaries Of Prince Hall
Lodges, l have received various
communications warning against
this attempted infiltration and it
is time that some one speaks up in
defense Of the True Principles Of
our Order and the things that we
represent.
"The State Superior Court
handed down a decision in Pitts
burgh, Pa, last Tuesday, April %,
outlawinR so-called Masonic Or
ders," which actually were not reg
ularly authorized Masonic bodies
established under the Jurisdiction
Of recognized Masonic authority.
The decision is being hailed by both
white and colored Matons through
out the state.
THE opinion was written by Su-
perior Court Judge Arnold, and
ended a long fight begun by the
Pennsylvania Grand Lodge Of Ma
sons, of which Magistrate Hobson
X. Reynolds is grand master, TO
stop the incorporation Of five lodges
in Philadelphia operating as Ma
sons.
Rivals Sought Charter
Testimony taken in the lower
court showed that in 1888 Edward
Scott, along with four other men,
started TO organize various so
called Masonic lodges, among them
the Rising Star Lodge, New Bethle-
hem Lodge, Quaker City Lodge and
others. Subsequently, an applica-
ton was made to the Philadelphia
Common Pleas Court for the in
corporation of all lodges. into a
Grand Lodge, to be known as the
Most Worshipful Widows Sons
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted
Colored Masons Of Philadelphia.
The Grand Lodge Of Pennsyl-
vania, which had been in existence
for more than 1870 years, went into
court to protest this Incorporation,
and retained Attorney John Fran
els Williams, to oppose the applica-
ton, along with Attorney William
c. Douglas, Of Pittsburgh, and the
Grand Attorney for the lodge. The
Widows Sons Lodge was repre-
scented by the law offices of John
X. X. Scott, Hardie Scott and VIM.
T. Conner.
After several hearings in the
lower court, in which a tremendous
amount Of testimony was presented
by the Grand Lodge, also known
as the Prince Hall Lodge, Common
Pleas Court approved Of the
Widows Sons application for a
charter and dismissed Prince Halls
complaint.
Appeals to Superior Court
"Thereupon an appeal was taken
to the Superior Court, and on Oct.
%, 1915, Mr.. Williams argued the
case before the Superior Court.
"William T. Connor vigorously