Masonic Impostors.

to the Craft generally . Charity is , I take it , the chief watchword of the Fraternity , and as the Brethren give their money freely , it follows that they have a right to expect their Charity Committees or Almoners should see to it that the money thus subscribed should be wisely and judiciously expended . With

the operations of the Charity Committee of Prov . G . Lodge I must admit I have no very great knowledge , but of the many difficulties and pitfalls which lie in the way of an Almoner who is actuated by a desire to effectually and efficiently discharge the functions of his very unpleasant office , I do

claim to speak with some degree of authority . There are of course , Almoners and Almoners . There are those of the class I have just indicated , and there are those who , in consequence of not having the time to devote to the work they have undertaken , will give any and every applicant a

couple of shillings or so to get rid of him , providing he can prove himself possessed of some little knowledge of our ritual . In the course of my two years' experience as Almoner for the six Lodges in the borough of Huddersfield , I have found it the rule that the applicant cannot produce

his Grand Lodge Certificate . He has either lost it , it has been accidently destroyed , a kind friend is taking care of it for him , anything or any sort of an excuse is good enough to throw to the confiding , easily-duped Almoner , who is expected to swallow the most astounding and unlikely statements , the

verification of which is often a matter of great difficulty . I have often asked myself the question , how many of these applicants are really Masons ? I have it on excellent authority that there are at least 200 of these impostors up and down the country , making a comfortable living out of us ,

and the worst of it is the fault is entirely our own . We have no system , and without a system no institution can flourish , and no fund can be properly administered . It is an astounding statement , and I make it in all seriousness , that a very large precentage of those people who are living by systematic

fraud upon the Almoners' funds throughout the length and breadth of the country , they have never been initiated into Masonry at all . They are sharp enough to understand the value of the little information they are able to pick up from some unworthy Brother , or from some text book , of which

there are sadly too many . It is quite refreshing to receive a visit from an applicant with his certificate in his pocket , and a suspiciously looking document it is too , suggestive of microbes and many other disagreeable things . He produces it with such a triumphant flourish , as if he would say , " There

now , what more do you want ? " Well , I make a practice of requiring a great deal more . My procedure is generally this : Whilst asking for his name and address I carelessly finger this little memorandum book , which is a pocket index , and will tell me in an instant if the applicant has previously

visited Huddersfield . Many times whilst my visitor is protesting that he has never been in Yorkshire before , that he is a poor benighted stranger in a strange land , I know perfectly well that he is not speaking the truth , and I am on my guard . He is then asked to prove himself , which lie

proceeds to do after the most elaborate precautions against eavesdroppers . I may say at once that I attach little importance to this part of the business , but long before he is through I have made up my mind whether I have got a pebble or a real stone , even if it is off colour . The real

article is prolific to the extreme ; in fact , he is anxious to demonstrate too much , and although I have not had the honour of sitting in the chair of King Solomon , it is entirely m } r own fault that I am not in possession of all the secrets appertaining to that exalted degree . Having checked the

volubility of m } ' friend , I ask for information as to the cause of his reverse of fortune , and this statement I carefully commit to writing . Should it be a second visit , I turn up to what he told me last time , and see how the two statements agree . I then decide either to assist , as the case requires , or

refuse any help . If I help at all I do not give less than two shillings , and in some cases meet the requirements regardless of a limit . I will illustrate this . A man comes , whom I am convinced is unworthy , but he is sixty-five , perhaps seventy years of age , obviously ill and half-starved .

He has seen better days ; I know he is unworthy , but I give him a couple of shillings : he gets a square meal and a night in bed . His misery is relieved for the time . A second man comes . He has been foreman over a number of men employed on the railway since his return from the army ( he

had belonged to a Military Lodge ) , his health had broken down , he had spent his substance whilst ill , and is slowly and painfully making his way across country to a distant town , where his married daughter will care for him and nurse him , but is herself too poor to send the railway fare .

Masonic Impostors.

His Grand Lodge Certificate is produced , and everything is in order . I enquire by telephone to the police of the town to which he is going . They ascertain his story to be true in every particular . What is the good of giving that man 2 / - ? I do what the first Almoner he applied to should have done .

I feed and lodge him , get him a ticket , and see him off rejoicing . This is an expensive case , but I contend is a cheaper one than the other . Turning now to the swindlers , whose name is legion . My friend , Bro . Pownall , of Ashtonunder-Ljme , whom I am glad is present ; Bro . J . V . Thomas ,

of Retford ; Bro . Walmsley , of Preston ( the last two of whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting ) and myself , seem to have formed the nucleus of an Almoners' League . We are in regular correspondence with each other . If one meets with a swindler he . at once cautions the others , and we are ready

for him . But of what avail is this ? I know perfectly well if I refuse an applicant whom I have found a fraud , he will simply push on to the next town and get help there . I will not weary you , Brethren , by relating the cases of imposture which I have detected , some with five or six names , and who

pretend to belong to five or six Lodges . I will not recount how I have been deceived by men of education and brilliant accomplishments , who have laid their snares and achieved their end with a consummate skill that has indeed proved them masters in their craft . But respecting one case in particular , I must ask

your indulgence , as I verily believe the man to be the most colossal Masonic impostor in the country . The man ' s name is Charles Rennie , though he gave his name as William . I detected him in May last , and had the satisfaction of having him sent to prison for three months with hard labour . After

the most diligent research , I am satisfied that Rennie has lived on Freemasonry for thirty years , and he is not even a Mason . He has actually attended Masonic gatherings , and it is established beyond all doubt that when things were getting too hot for him , he has periodically retired to the

cool shades of the Strand Union Workhouse . The man can accurately prove himself in the three established Degrees ; he has a most plausible manner , and benevolent appearance . When I expressed some doubts of his bona fides , he was simply horrified at the bare suggestion . Rennie has boasted

of the success which has attended his efforts , and I grieve to say proudly proclaims that he has succeeded in swindling thirty-six chief constables . I think I had the honour of being the thirty-sixth , but probably he will recal our deal with less pleasure than will attend the memory of the other thirty-five .

The audacity of the man was such , that on being sentenced he actually said to the Magistrates , "I cannot complain of being bowled out ; I have had a very fair innings . " Not content with swindling the Fraternity , he positively commenced a series of articles entitled " Confession of an

Impostor in Freemasonry , " and offered them to a weekly newspaper of a certain class . I have a copy of the first article , the original manuscript of which is in the possession of Bro . J . H . Roach P . M ., Master Strand Union Workhouse . Brother Morton , continuing , said : Rennie appears to

have penned this extraordinary document just before setting out on one of his " provincial tours , " as he calls them . It seems rather a pity that he misjudged the moment for committing his experience to paper . The narrative would have been better rounded off had it concluded with the story

of his visit to Huddersfield , and his detection and punishment . I have been working for such a meeting as we are now holding for the last two years . We have now made a move and something has got to be done , and the Province of West Yorkshire is going to be in its proper place in this undertaking , and our proper place is in the van .

But now , what can be done ? Individual efforts , even the efforts of one Province , can do but little to check this enormity . What we must have is some united action , and my idea is this : Let it be a sine qua 11011 that every applicant for relief from the Sojourners' Fund must produce his Grand

Lodge Certificate , and the Almoner must endorse thereon the particulars of the relief extended . This , I take it , can only be done by a Rule or series of Resolutions of the Grand Lodge of England . Let us invite this Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire to take prompt steps to bring this important matter before Grand Lodge .

Brother Morton concluded by moving : — "That this Conference of Almoners respectfully calls upon the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire to consider the subject of itinerant Masonic Impostors , and urges upon them to make a representation to the Grand Lodge of England that it is desirable to formulate a code of instructions to Almoners throughout England , so that a united stand may be made against an evil which menaces the interests of Freemasonry . "