The Un-Masonic Trial.

commenced , and obliged mo to defend , as I hoped to get tho verdict . The " responsibility " of tho action thus lies , I maintain , solely with Bro . Voigt , and not with mo and my co-defendants , who also pressed him to proceed with it . Acting on tho advice of his solicitors , as it appears from their letter to him , dated 23 rd January last , ho elected

to proceed with the action , rather than re-imburso to ns the costs he had wantonly imposed upon us , in the full hope , I imagine , that , " instead of obtaining the costs , which wo impudently demanded , wo should have to pay him both damages and co ^ ts . " What has been tho result ? The jury , in defiance of tho Judge ' s summing up , awarded

him damages assessed at cue farthing , but tho Judge has refused to grant him tho costs ho coveted and asked for . As to Bro . Voigt's expectation that tho "Masonic authorities " intend bringing us " face to face , " I can only say , with regret , that tho communications I have had with thorn in reference to this matter

do not lead mo to confirm that expectation , though I much wish thoy had interfered between us , as they ought to havo done , in my humble opinion , long since . They cannot , at any rate , plead ignorauco of the proceedings which havo taken place , for Bro . Voigt asserts that some " authority " sanctioned , as I understand him , tho issue of tho writ ;

and , if I mistako not , the fact of tho commencement of tho action was duly reported by the Secretary of tho Alexandra Lodgo ; whilst I have on several occasions communicated on this subject with various " Masonic authorities . " In conclusion , let mo urge Bro . Voigt to instruct his lawyers to

submit his demands against mo with as littlo further delay as possible , for taxation ; assuring him that whenever ho publishes his appeal to his " brother Masons " for help to meet his losses in this action I shall make no attempt to dissuade thorn from doing so , not even " after tho public inquiry shall havo been held , " to which

ho so mysteriously alludes as ponding . And I beg lcavo to notify that I am preparing a history , from my point of view , of all tho circumstances which led , and have reference to , this " un-Masouic Trial , " in which will be included the whole story of the " Threo Black Balls , " and a verbatim report of the Judge ' s summing up . Then , if after

reading this , my " brethren" listen to the voice of the charmer , Bro . Voigt , and refuse to extend to mo tho aid to which I consider myself entitled , in simple justice , to receive from them , I must look for assistance from those who , though they are not related to me by any " mystic ties , " may bo disposed to act towards me as friends in

deed , instead of only plajing tho part of brothers only in wont ; and , with this announcement , I desiro to withdraw for tho presont from further correspondence on this matter . Thanking you for the space you have allotted to me in your columns , and apologising for the unavoidable length of this letter ,

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Very faithfully and fraternally yours , TUDOR TREVOR , P . M ., & c . [ We have taken upon ourselves to -withhold a part of this letter , as being unnecessary for tho statements intended for publication . —ED . E . C ]

Unworthy Claimants.

UNWORTHY CLAIMANTS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —You deserve tho hearty thanks of the Craft for the exposure of what must ho regarded as littlo less than a deliberate attempt to misappropriate the Charit y Funds which are so liberally supplied by the members of our Order , I regret to say that

such attempts are not unfrequent , and are too often successful . Your fearless article cannot fail to be of great benefit , and will , I trust , lead to greater care being exercised iu tho selection of candidates . Unhappily there are amongst us brethren who seem to think the Charity

Funds fair game , and a convenient means of ridding themselves of family claims . This is not as it ought to be , and I deem it very unfair for well-to-do relatives to endeavour to foist their dependents upon our Charities , as is sometimes tho case . Tho case yon have instanced is most flagrant . Yours fraternally , AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIBER .

Lodge Histories.

LODGE HISTORIES .

ST . MICHAEL'S LODGE , No . 211 . ( Continued from page 181 . ) The next record of any moment will bo found recorded under date 8 th January 1 S 07 , when Bro . Parsons was unanimously elected W . M . for the year , and his installation took place at tho following meeting

the usual Past Master ' s jewel being voted to the retiring W . M ., Bro . Dobree . The accounts were not unsatisfactory , there bein" a difference amounting to a few shillings only between the two sides of the account . In October , tho death of a member of the Lodgo is recorded , a note being added to the effect that his duos unpaid

nmonnted to eight guineas . On 12 th Nov ., Bro . James Linsdell was initiated into the first degree of Freemasonry , his passing and raisinto the second and third degrees respectively following in due course" In 18 G 8 Bro . Parsons was succeeded in tho Mastership by Bro .

Shrubb , Bros . Rowbotham aud Smithies being the Senior and Jmtii . t Wardens , and Bros . Greenwood , Drysdalo , and Speight retaining their respective offices of Treasurer , Secretary , and Tyler . TJuuy . ' tunately the report of the Auditors was to tho effect that a sum of £ 15 8 a Id was due to the Treasurer . J a April 1863 Bro . Alfred Best

Lodge Histories.

sent in his resignation , though , as will bo noted hereafter and with much satisfaction , he has since resumed his membership . The resignation of five other members is recorded about this time , so that the Lodge was again somewhat reduced iu point of numbers , and it is not till January 18 ( 19 that any minutes worth noting aro recorded , and these merely relate to tho election as W . M . of Bro . Rowbotham

and the presentation to Bro . Parsons , who wonld seem to have been unable to attend during tho greater part of tho year , of tho Past Masters' jewol voted to him in tho February preceding . On this occasion , howover , a well-deserved compliment was paid to Bro . D . Drysdalo P . M . and Secretary , a resolution being unanimously passed to the effect " that tho beat thanks of this Lodgo are due and hereby

given to the W . Bro . D . Drysdalo P . M . for his valuable advice and assistance rendered to many successive W . M . ' s , thereby contributing materially to tho welfare and good report of tho St . Michaol ' s Lodge . " It is noteworthy that tho customary P . M . ' s jewel was not voted to Bro . Shrnbb , tho retiring Master , while the Auditors ' Report , thongh still unfavourable to tho Lodge , showed a diminution

in tho amount duo to tho Treasurer from £ 15 8 s Id to £ 7 lGs Id . In April 18 G 9 tho sum of two guineas was voted towards the Zetland Commemoration Fund . In January . 1870 Bro . Rowbotham was re . elected W . M ., and after his installation he appointed Bros . Lavors and Wilden to occupy tho Senior and Junior Warden ' s chairs respectively . Tho Audit Committee ' s Report was yet again unsatisfactory ,

and unfortunately tho Lodge's indebtedness to tho Treasurer was in excess of £ 13 . in 1871 , Rro . Rowbotham was succeeded in the chair of K . S . by Bro . Layers , and a Past Master ' s jewel unanimonsly voted to him in recognition of his valuable services as Mastar of the Lodge during tho two preceding years . Tho only intermediate event of any cons ' . quence being the initiation of Bro . T . T . Pyecroft on the 10 th

January 1871 . Tho Report of tho Auditors was this year unfavourable to the extent of £ 9 14 s 4 d . During Bro . Lavers ' s year of office ho had the satisfaction of initiating several gentlemen into Freemasonry . He seems , also , to havo taken a practical interest in the welfare of the Lodge by presenting a handsome set of working jewels , for , in the minutes of 18 th April this year , it is recorded as follows : —

" It was proposed by the W . Bro . Drysdale P . M ., seconded by Bro . Wilden S . W ., and unanimously resolved , that a vote of thanks be ontered on the minutes to our W . M . for the very handsome present of working tools to tho Lodge . " In December was initiated Brother Alfred Green , and ho subsequently received the second and third degrees , namely , the former on 9 th January , and the latter on 13 th

February 1872 . In 1872 , Bro . Wilden was honoured by the members , who elected him to the . chair of the Lodge in succession to Bro . Layers , while the latter brother ' s services were recognised in the customary manner by the presentation of a P . M . 's jewel . The Treasurer ' s accounts , as audited and presented for approval after Bro . Wilden had been installed , showed a balance against the Lodge

of £ 3 lfis fid . In March of this year Bro . F . Carter was initiated , and it is subsequently minuted that the Visiting fee was raised to twenty shillings . The names of Bros . Rowbotham and Hart were transferred from the town to the country list of members . A passage in the minutes for 9 th Dec . of this year shows that care was taken not to hurry forward candidates for initiation . Mr . Bonedict Goodman ' s

election was deferred until next meeting in consequence of his proposer , Bro . Gnttman , being absent . " On 14 th Jan 1873 , " Bro . Jas . A . Withers was initiated , and subsequently Bro . Dawson was elected W . M . On 11 th Feb . the latter was installed , and entered on his year of office with a balance to the credit of tho Lodgo amounting to £ 8 8 s 2 d . On the 11 th March Bro . A . Carter was raised to tho degree of M . M ., Bro .

Withers passed , and Bro . Hewett balloted for as a joining member . On 8 th April Bro . Withers was raised to the sublime degree of M . M . In January 1874 , Bro . Linsdell was elected , and in February following was installed , W . M ., tho Lodge ' s financial condition being again unsatisfactory , as shown by the Auditor ' s report . In March there were three candidates for initiation ; balloted for and elected , but of these

ono was not in attendance until the month of October , when he was received into tho mysteries of tho first degree ; a second , who was also not in attendance , was initiated in another Lodgo ; whilo tho third , Bro . Alfred Withers , received the benefits of acceptance into our Fraternity , and was passed on 10 th March , and raised 13 th of October . Bro . S . P . Carter was elected and installed W . M . for the

year 1875 , and it was during his year of office that Bro . Rndcliffe , the present W . M . of the Lodge , wa 3 initiated into the mysteries of Froemasonry , tho first degreo being conferred upon him on the 9 th March , the second on tho 13 th April , and tho third on the 12 th of October . On the 14 th December Bro . John Waters , tho present S . W . was balloted for and respectively initiated , passed , and raised on 14 th . of

January , 8 th February , and 14 th March 1876 . On the first-named day , Bro . Pyecroft was elected , and on the second installed ns W . M . of tho Lodgo . On 10 th October following , Bro . Usher Back , tho presont JuniorTVarden was initiated ; on the 14 th November he was passed , and on tho 12 th December raised to the degree of M . M . On tho above-named day in November , Bro . W . B . Young , now Senior

Deacon , was balloted for and initiated , being passed in December , and raised on 9 th Jannary 1877 . Another of the present members , namely , Bro . Ifcntseh , was also initiated about this timo , namely , on 12 th December 187 ( 1 , being passed on 9 th January 1877 , and raised 1 . 3 th February following . In January , Bro . A .. Green was elected W . M . He was installed as usual , and , thongh it is not so stated , we

prosnmo his immediate predecessor received the nsual recognition of his services . In October of this year certain changes in the wording of the Bye-laws were proposed , and at tho next meeting were agreed to . On 13 th Nov . 1877 , Bro . H . Green jnn . was balloted for and initiated , and Bro . A . Bost elected as a rejoining member . On 8 th Jannary 1878 , Bro . A . Green was unanimously re-elected W . M . for

the ensuing year , Bros . A . Withers and Radcliffo being subsequently appointed his Senior and Junior Wardens respectively . Tho annual subscription at this timo was , ou motion duly made and carried , increased from four to five guiueas . It shonld bo noted , however , that this motion for tho increase was not at once accepted , and the i ' iuto recort ' ng it , though occurring in the month of January , was