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Article CORRESPONDENCE. Page 1 of 10 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
COKBESPONMINCE .
Deae Sir and Beothee , —I consider it my duty to the Craft in general , fco put them on their guard against the practices of a man , who appears to have imposed on the members of our Order to a considerable extent . This individual , styling himself William Barr ,- was taken into custody by the police at Walsall , whilst endeavouring to get into the churchyard of St . Matthew ' s after eleven o ' clock on the night of Sunday , May 25 th , and not able to give a satisfactory account of himself . On being searched , several suspicious documents were found in his possession ; among them , a paper purporting to be a memorial in favour of the
BEGGING LETTER IMPOSTOR . TO THE EDITOR OF THE tfEEEMASO ^ s' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIKROB
[ The Editor does not hold himself responsible for any opinions entertained by Correspondents . ~\ .
widow of the late Bro . Thomas Hamilton , of the Union Waterloo Lodge , No . 13 , signed by William IL Stephenson , W . M ., and dated Dec . 16 , 1856 , to which was appended the names of many well-known Brethren , with donations amounting to upwards of £ 70 ; a certificate from the Grand Lodge of Scotland , dated April 12 , 1856 , to the effect that William Barr was duly made , passed , and raised in the Lodge St . Stephen , No . 145 , Edinburgh ; and a certificate purporting to be signed by two magistrates at Folkestone , that William Barr had been shipwrecked , and recommending his case to the consideration of the benevolent .
I happened to be in court when he was examined by the magistrates , who remanded him for a week , in order that some information might be obtained respecting him . Feeling convinced that he was not " a true and worthy Brother , " I communicated with the W . M . of No . L 3 , who informed me that no memorial had been sanctioned by that Lodge for Mrs . Hamilton , nor could it be traced
that Thomas Hamilton was ever a member , and that no person of the name of Stephenson has ever been Master of that Lodge within the recollection of the oldest Brother in it . I also wrote to the W . M . of St . Stephen Lodge , No . 145 ; from him I learned that the Bro . William Barr , a member of that Lodge , was a respectable man , who had gone to New York about five years ago , and that very favourable accounts have been received from him within the last three or four
months ; he also suggested that certain questions should be put to him , which would prove whether he were the real William Barr or not . The superintendent of police also wrote to Folkestone to inquire into the correctness of the certificate received from the authorities there : the reply was , that no such persons resided in that district , and that it was entirely a fabrication . On being again brought before the magistrates on Monday , the 2 nd June , he impudently denied all knowledge of the memorial from No . 13 , and his answers to the questions suggested by
the W . M . of No . 145 at once proved him to be an impostor and a vagabond : he was thereupon sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour . On leaving the dock , he boldly demanded his papers , which were , of course , refused , when he very coolly said , it did not matter , as he could obtain another ( . * rand Lodge certificate . No doubt when his term of incarceration expires , he will be again attempting to victimize , but I should hope that this narrative of his pro-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
COKBESPONMINCE .
Deae Sir and Beothee , —I consider it my duty to the Craft in general , fco put them on their guard against the practices of a man , who appears to have imposed on the members of our Order to a considerable extent . This individual , styling himself William Barr ,- was taken into custody by the police at Walsall , whilst endeavouring to get into the churchyard of St . Matthew ' s after eleven o ' clock on the night of Sunday , May 25 th , and not able to give a satisfactory account of himself . On being searched , several suspicious documents were found in his possession ; among them , a paper purporting to be a memorial in favour of the
BEGGING LETTER IMPOSTOR . TO THE EDITOR OF THE tfEEEMASO ^ s' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIKROB
[ The Editor does not hold himself responsible for any opinions entertained by Correspondents . ~\ .
widow of the late Bro . Thomas Hamilton , of the Union Waterloo Lodge , No . 13 , signed by William IL Stephenson , W . M ., and dated Dec . 16 , 1856 , to which was appended the names of many well-known Brethren , with donations amounting to upwards of £ 70 ; a certificate from the Grand Lodge of Scotland , dated April 12 , 1856 , to the effect that William Barr was duly made , passed , and raised in the Lodge St . Stephen , No . 145 , Edinburgh ; and a certificate purporting to be signed by two magistrates at Folkestone , that William Barr had been shipwrecked , and recommending his case to the consideration of the benevolent .
I happened to be in court when he was examined by the magistrates , who remanded him for a week , in order that some information might be obtained respecting him . Feeling convinced that he was not " a true and worthy Brother , " I communicated with the W . M . of No . L 3 , who informed me that no memorial had been sanctioned by that Lodge for Mrs . Hamilton , nor could it be traced
that Thomas Hamilton was ever a member , and that no person of the name of Stephenson has ever been Master of that Lodge within the recollection of the oldest Brother in it . I also wrote to the W . M . of St . Stephen Lodge , No . 145 ; from him I learned that the Bro . William Barr , a member of that Lodge , was a respectable man , who had gone to New York about five years ago , and that very favourable accounts have been received from him within the last three or four
months ; he also suggested that certain questions should be put to him , which would prove whether he were the real William Barr or not . The superintendent of police also wrote to Folkestone to inquire into the correctness of the certificate received from the authorities there : the reply was , that no such persons resided in that district , and that it was entirely a fabrication . On being again brought before the magistrates on Monday , the 2 nd June , he impudently denied all knowledge of the memorial from No . 13 , and his answers to the questions suggested by
the W . M . of No . 145 at once proved him to be an impostor and a vagabond : he was thereupon sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour . On leaving the dock , he boldly demanded his papers , which were , of course , refused , when he very coolly said , it did not matter , as he could obtain another ( . * rand Lodge certificate . No doubt when his term of incarceration expires , he will be again attempting to victimize , but I should hope that this narrative of his pro-