I have yet, my Lords, ties which call upon me -- -ties which render me desirous even to continue this miserable existence.

I have a wife, my Lords, who for twenty-seven years has lived an unparalleled example of conjugal attachment and fidelity, and whose behaviour during this trying scene would draw tears of approbation, I am sure, even from the most inhuman. My Lords, I have creditors, honest men, who will lose much by my death. I hope, for the sake of justice towards them, some mercy will be shown to me. If, upon these whole, the considerations at all avail with you, my Lords, and you gentlemen of the jury -- if, upon the most impartial survey of matters, not the slightest intention of injury can appear to anyone -- and I solemnly declare it was in my power to replace it in three months -- of this I assured Mr Robertson frequently, and had his solemn assurances that no man should be privy to it but Mr Fletcher and himself -- and if no injury was done to any man upon earth, I then hope, I trust, I fully confide myself in the tenderness, humanity and protection of my country.

The jury retired for about ten minutes and then returned With a verdict that the prisoner was guilty; but at the same time presented a petition humbly recommending the Doctor to the Royal mercy. The opinion of the judges was that he had been legally convicted.

Here he sunk down overcome with mental agony; and some time elapsed before he was sufficiently recovered to hear the dreadful sentence of the law, which the recorder pronounced upon him in the following words:--

The gallows at Tyburn

"Dr William Dodd, you have been convicted of the offence of publishing a forged and counterfeit bond, knowing it to be forged and counterfeited; and you have had the advantage which the laws of this country afford to every man in that situation -- a fair, an impartial and an attentive trial. The jury, to whose justice you appealed, have found you guilty; their verdict has undergone the consideration of the learned judges, and they found no ground to impeach the justice of that verdict. You yourself have admitted the justice of it; and now the very painful duty that the necessity of the law imposes upon the Court, to pronounce the sentence of that law against you, remains only to be performed.

You appear to entertain a very proper sense of the enormity of he offence which you have committed; you appear, too, in a state of contrition of mind, and I doubt not have duly reflected how far the dangerous tendency of the offence you have been guilty of is increased by the influence of example, in being committed by a person of your character, and of the sacred function of which you area member. These sentiments seem to be yours. I would wish to cultivate such sentiments, but I would not wish to add to the anguish of a person in your situation by dwelling upon it. Your application for mercy must be made elsewhere: it would be cruel in the Court to flatter you. There is a power of dispensing mercy, where you may apply. Your own good sense and the contrition you express will induce you to lessen the influence of the example by publishing your hearty and sincere detestation of the offence of which you are convicted; and that you will not attempt to palliate or extenuate, which would indeed add to the degree of the influence of a crime of this kind being committed by a person of your character and known abilities. I would therefore warn you against anything of that kind.

Now, having said this, I am obliged to pronounce the sentence of the law, which is, that you, Dr William Dodd, be carried from hence to the place from whence you came; that from thence you are to be carried to the place of execution, when you are to be hanged by the neck until you are dead."

To this Dr Dodd replied: "Lord Jesus receive my soul." Great exertions were now made to save Dr Dodd: the newspapers were filled with letters and paragraphs in his favour; individuals of all ranks exerted themselves on his behalf; parish officers went in mourning from house to house to procure subscriptions to a petition to the King; and this petition, which, with the names, filled twenty-three sheets of parchment, was actually presented. Even the Lord Mayor and common council went in a body to St James's to solicit mercy for the convict.

As clemency, however, had been denied to the unfortunate Perreaus, it was deemed unadvisable to extend it to Dr Dodd. This unhappy clergyman was attended to the place of execution, in a mourning-coach, by the Rev. Mr Willette, ordinary of Newgate, and the Rev. Mr Dobey.

Another criminal, named John Harris, was executed at the same time. Just before the parties were turned off the Doctor whispered to the executioner, and it was observed that the man had no sooner driven away the cart than he ran immediately under the gibbet and took hold of the Doctor's legs, as if to steady the body, and the unhappy man appeared to die without pain.

In either case, the Brother is challenged by the realization that there is no simple answer which he can rattle off "from the top of his head," because the questioner is really asking him for a comprehensive explanation about what organized Freemasonry is, what its principles and purposes are, what programs it is engaged in, how it carries them out, and what satisfactions the individual Mason derives from his Masonic membership.

Some of these considerations arouse the fraternal doubt that "you can't tell that," or "that's secret," so that the Brother's reply is marked by hesitation or reluctance to explain.

Puzzled by the difficulty of knowing what facets of the vast subject of Freemasonry the questioner is really inquiring about, the Mason "just doesn't know where to begin, " and too often may avoid a simple statement of facts. He isn't sure of what to say. Or, knowing that his questioner is a "practical man of affairs" who measures outcomes quantitatively, in materialistic terms, he realizes that Freemasonry's reputation cannot be explained by charts, statistics, or financial statements, because the Fraternity's real worth can be expressed only in spiritual terms, and that is rather difficult to explain to the uninitiated. Masonic terminology, the most comfortable words with which to reply, seems inadequate or out of place. Masonic "secrecy" gets in the way.

Embarrassment is probably the commonest cause of a Brother's difficulty in replying to the question. He is embarrassed because he realizes that he doesn't really know enough about the Fraternity to give a good simple reply. He knows that there is much more Masonic activity going on in other lodges all over the country and throughout the world, but he has never taken the time to experience some of it or to read about it with real interest. He hasn't given much thought to the subject. He never expected to be asked such a question by a non-Mason outside the lodge. Even though he has experienced Masonry, he has never tried to express in words just what Freemasonry means to himself.

A well-informed Brother, therefore, will prepare himself for the possibility of being asked such a question. Even though no one ever asks the question, he will have the confidence of knowing what Freemasonry means, especially to himself.

First of all, he will determine to give a Masonic answer, one which asserts the real nature of the Fraternity as a spiritual force, as "a way of life" which seeks to improve men morally and spiritually, by associating with other idealistic men who want to improve the quality of life around them by means of a brotherhood which emphasizes the Fatherhood of God.

In an age which derides ideals, absolutes, the concepts of law and order, and advocates relativism instead of standards of excellence, which angrily demands rights instead of responsibility, and which preaches a nihilistic doctrine of individualism (doing your own thing), Masons find it difficult to explain the Fraternity's idealism and its charitable and educational purposes. But it must be done. A Mason must give a Masonic answer to the question, "What are the Masons."

There are really so few "secrets" which a Mason is required to keep, and so much that he should be proud to proclaim to others, that his principal concern in answering questions is probably the doubt that he can give an adequate Masonic reply. The esoteric parts of the ritual work, the grips and pass-words of the three degrees, these are really the only "secrets" which should be kept inviolate. Because it is impossible to communicate to the uninitiated the joys and satisfactions of brotherhood experienced in "the labors of the lodge," this too becomes a secret because it is inexpressible.

But there is so much that can be told about Freemasonry, about the particular lodge, about the individual Mason, that the real problem in answering the question, "What do the Masons do?" is to say only enough to satisfy the questioner without boring or distracting him.

He can point out that Freemasonry is an educational organization. By means of the ritualistic ceremonies and other educational programs, Masons learn and teach the truths of morality, justice, patriotism, and the necessity of brotherly love to achieve those universal ideals. Reverence for the Great Architect is inculcated because men are brothers only if they are related to God as the, sons of the Creator Father.

He can explain that Masonic meetings, while resembling the meetings of any organized society, have a distinctly Masonic character.. They are opened and closed with prayer. They are patriotic because the nation's flag is kept in an honored place in the lodge and properly saluted with the pledge of allegiance. They are opened and closed with Masonic ceremonies to remind the members of the principal purposes of the Fraternity, which are to develop brotherly love and respect for truth, not the truths of scientific facts or history, but the truths which guide a man to live happily and harmoniously with his fellow man.

For that reason Masonic meetings do not permit the introduction of discussions about sectarian religious differences or partisan political opinions. A Masonic lodge, if it is working seriously, teaches its members the principles involved in attaining a universal Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God.

A Mason is also free to explain that Freemasonry is a charitable organization, which acts to relieve the distress of local individuals who are victims of calamity, and that it has created programs and institutions to care for its needy senior citizens, or to provide scholarship aid for worthy and needy young people in college. Masonic Homes and Hospitals, Grand' Lodge Scholarship Programs, Charity Funds, and the Hospital Visitation Program of the Masonic Service Association are examples of such achievements.

Freemasonry is also, but not primarily, a social organization, which arranges special meetings to which are invited wives, children, neighbors and friends for the purposes of entertainment and sociability. Masons seek the pleasure of associating with other members of the community, hoping thereby to reveal the serious and idealistic nature of the Fraternity's objectives. There is so much that a Mason can tell about his beloved Fraternity. But the way in which he tells it is more important than what he tells. When a Mason is conscious and proud of the moral and spiritual achievements he has made through Masonry, when he has been inspired to display the beauties of friendship, morality, and brotherly love, when he realizes that his own personal life is the most important evidence he can give to show what a Mason is, he usually finds it very easy to talk about the Fraternity to his non-Masonic friends. When he knows that his lodge is a spiritual force, when it is learning and teaching its members the universal ideals of the Craft, when it is actively promoting charitable programs and pursuing truth, he will tell what Freemasonry is with conviction and enthusiasm.

But he must know what he is talking about. This essay suggests only in general terms what he can talk about. He should be prepared to fill in the details. When he is convinced that he can supply those details, he is ready to answer the questions, "What do the Masons do?" and "What are the Masons?"

When he is asked the question he must then decide on how much or how little to say. A brief but adequate reply is advised, for if the questioner is not satisfied, he will undoubtedly ask for further information. The following answer is only a suggestion. "Masons are men who voluntarily asked to join a lodge. They were accepted because they were good men who believe in God and hold high ethical and moral ideals. They go to meetings which they call the lodge, in order to learn and to teach what 'friendship, morality, and truth really involve, and to practice on a small scale the reality of brotherhood. They also have meetings open to their wives, children, and friends where they promote an understanding of the serious nature of the Fraternity by entertainment and sociability. Practical programs for charity and relief are planned and executed. The special kinship they feel for each other as a brotherhood is their deepest satisfaction."

Sketch of Prairie Yiew Normal School 1878

Prairie View A&M University serves as the second oldest public institution in the state of Texas, originating in the Texas constitution of 1876. Subsequent to the establishment of the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A&M University) in 1871, and in accordance with constitutional provisions pledging "separate schools shall be provided for white and colored children, and impartial provisions shall be made for both," Prairie View was established for the education of African Americans.)

When Stephen F. Austin took up the Spanish Land Grant given to his father, Moses Austin, he travelled to Mexico to lobby the government to allow him to bring African slaves into the colony. Austin told the Mexican Government that he needed the African slaves to "Wrestle the bounty from the earth and make Texas a productive enterprise." Waller County is a significant part of Austin's Colony and the story of the eventual rise of the children of these former slaves in the halls of political and economic power is due largely to the leadership and organizational skills of Prince Hall Masons. Prairie View A&M University, built on the ruins of the old Alta Vista Plantation, is the first state-supported Historically Black University and stands as a testament to the legacy of some of these Prince Hall Masons greatest work.

Waller County was named in honor of Edwin Waller (a plantation owner) and was created in 1873 by redrawing the boundary lines of Grimes and Austin Counties in part as an adjustment to the changed condition of that Black majority which followed the rebellion.

Edwin Waller was a cosigner of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and was appointed by Mirabeau B. Lamar, President of the newly formed Republic of Texas, to select the site for a permanent location of the seat of government. The present site of Austin, the state capital, was his choice.

Waller was a member of the Texas House of Representatives, the first Mayor of Austin and was the first to sign the Articles of Secession from the Union. When the Board of Directors of the A&M College tasked Commissioners J.H. Raymond, Dr. Ashbel Smith and J.D. Giddings, to select and pur-hase the site for the A&M College for Colored Youth, they made their way to Waller County and the plan-tation owned by the cousin of Waller. The Commissioners spent $15,787.67 in purchasing the land and buildings and for making the necessary repairs to the old Kirby Plantation known as Alta Vista., located five miles east of the town of Hempstead. The newly puchased physical plant, of the A&M College for Colored Youth, was left under the management and care of Waller, until it was officially turned over to the head of the college. Waller was the nephew of Jared Ellison Groce.

The land in and around the City of Prairie View was formerly the Alta Vista slave plantation, owned by Col. Jared E. Kirby, who was the great nephew of Groce. Groce was one of the original 300 settlers that came into Texas with Stephen F. Austin.

As part of the incentive given to the Old Three Hundred Settlers for migrating and settling in Texas, Austin was to grant an additional 80 acres (by some accounts 100 acres) of land for each Negro slave brought in with them. Austin and Baron de Bastrop had lobbied the Mexican Government for over a year to allow African slavery in Texas. Austin's rationale was .that he needed the Negro slave to wrestle the bounty from the earth and make Texas a productive en-terprise.. He was of course successful. The institutionalization of this policy accords to Austin the dubious distinction of being one of the fathers of slavery in Texas.

Groce, clearly one of the largest planters to move into Texas is credited with introducing the large slave plantation system of farming into the state. .Due to the large number of slaves in his company, Groce received ten sitos (over 44,000 acres), by far the largest grant in Austin's colony. This was half of what he was entitled to under the regulations of Austin's first colonial grant, which allowed 640 acres to each man, and an additional 80 for each slave.. Groce was entitled to receive over 8,800 acres as a bonus for bringing in 110 African slaves. This was a clear example of Affirmative Action. and is a clear demonstration of the power of the ideas at the foundation of the Slave Plantation Culture.

Groce is also known for institu-tionalizing slavery in Texas. Many of the early African slaves brought into Texas were young adults and children. The effective British na-val blockade off the west coast of Africa, severely restricted slave exportation, the American slavers had to purchase additional African slaves from the other southern markets or from smugglers like Jim Bowie and his brother. The life expectancy of field slaves was extremely short.

Groce's son, Leonard Waller Groce, owned the magnificent .Liendo Plantation. The home, built in 1853, at the bend of Fish Pond Creek, is about 2 miles west of Prairie View. Leonard Groce purchased additional tracts and by 1849 he had acquired a great deal of land, including the 1833 five league (22,000 acres) grant of Jose Justo Liendo adjoining Groce's 1824 grant along the east boundary. In December 1829, long before Liendo applied for title to this land, Lewis B. Jones, one of three free Blacks accepted by Empresario Austin as colonists, applied for half a league on Fish Pond Creek adjoining Groce's along the east boundary, but his title to this land was never recognized (Dr. Lee Smith's letter of March 1, 1996).. Liendo was often visited by Sam Houston (whom J-red Ellison Groce encouraged to move to Texas) on many occasions and it served as a campsite for Confederate officers during the Civil War. It was also the place where Gen. George Armstrong Custer, then attached to the Union Army's occupation forces in Texas, under the command of Gen. Phillip M. Sheridan, announced the tenets of the Emancipation Proclamation and ensured that slavery officially ended in Waller County. Further-more it served as the headquarters for the Freedman's Bureau. General Gordon Granger had arrived at Galveston on June 19, 1865 and read General Order No. 3, declaring that by proclamation of the President all slaves were free. For the most part, the planters did not; however, free their slaves, but kept them on the plantation to await federal action. Custer brought that federal action to Waller County on August 26, 1865.

Col. Kirby, a wealthy planter, owned 10,000 acres in Waller County, including 720 acres from the 1831 half-league grant to Samuel H. Hardin. Hardin came to Texas in 1822 and was one of two free Blacks in Austin's colony who actually received title to his land.. .Jared Ellison Kirby was Jared Elli-son Groce's great-nephew, the grandson of Groce's sister, Lucy Groce. Kirby, Born in Georgia in 1820, married Helen Marr Swearengen of Mobile, Ala. in 1858, and built .Alta Vista. on the rolling prairie adjoining Liendo, east of Hempstead.. Alta Vista was one of four plantations and several small farms owned by the Kirby's in the vicinity of Best and Iron Creeks, and at one time claimed a population of 400 slaves. Kirby was a colonel in the Confederate Army, and his home was Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith's headquarters during the later phases of the Civil War.. (The Handbook of Texas Online)

When the Commissioners hired by the Board of the A&M College were looking for a site to locate the state's first Colored College, they found their way to Alta Vista. The Alta Vista Plantation basically satisfied the Commission's aim to secure a location in a Colored District within a convenient distance of the other A&M College at Bryan, as the same Board was to supervise and control both Colleges.

.On Oct. 18, 1877, the State of Texas took title to 1,388 contiguous acres from the Jesse Clary (Abstract. 111), Solomon Smith (Abst. 253) and John Laws (Abst. 216) surveys in Waller County, then known as Alta Vista. As the property was vacant and badly in need of repair, Col. Ashbel Smith retained Judge Edwin Waller to oversee the property for the generous sum of $100 per month.

Instead of erecting suitable school buildings as required by the statute and as had been done at the college at Bryan, the Commis-sioners chose to convert the old Kirby Mansion, consisting of twelve rooms, into what was to be known for the next fifty years as Kirby Hall. On Jan. 21, 1878, the Commissioners submitted their final report and turned the affairs of the College over to the Board of Directors of the Agricultural College of Texas. (Dr. Lee Smith's letter of March 1, 1996).

The Prairie View post office (and store) was owned and operated in turn from 1897 to 1937 by the editor's great grandfather John Wesley Pennington, wife Francis Pennington and grandmother Mamie Milam (In the picture).

The Alta Vista Plantation was at one time the (prison) home to over 150 African slaves. Local oral history indicates that during the time when Gen. E. Kirby Smith maintained his headquarters at Alta Vista (Prairie View), the final offensive plans of the Confederate Army in Texas were drafted but were abandoned when news of the capture of President Jefferson Davis was received. The Alta Vista slave plantation was not a good place. To compound the harsh realities of slavery, Col. J. E. Kirby was cruel and mistreated the African slaves. While many slaves stayed around the plantations and hired on to work for their former masters, the Kirby slaves left as soon as they got the word that they were free.

Its brutal reputation caused many local African American leaders to vehemently object to the name being attached to the states first college for their people. After the first year of operation, the name Prairie View was substituted for Alta Vista.

.In 1857 the Houston & Texas Central Railroad was operating to Cypress City, a point 25 miles out of Houston. and about 20 miles east of Prairie View. Dr. R.R. Peebles (who married the widow of Jared E. Groce III and was later imprisoned for voicing his opposition to the Civil War) and James W. McDade (both men acquired wealth, power and prestige from the system of slavery) on Dec. 29, 1857 entered into an agreement to form the town of Hempstead. They provided incentives for the railroad company to extend the lines to Hempstead and in 1858 the lines of the H&TC Rail Road passed through what would one day become the City of Prairie View, and on July 1, 1858 a major celebration which included the governor and other state and private railroad officials marked the arrival of the first train at its destination of Hempstead. In 1859 the railroad arrived in Navasota and terminated in Millican until after the Civil War. McDade and Peebles lead the enterprise to connect the railroad to Washington County, and the train was servicing Brenham by April 10, 1861.. (A History of Waller County, pg. 507)

Bro. Corky,

This is an article I wrote after a trip my son & I made in 2008. I sent this article to Texas Mason and to Thunderroads Magazine in 2008. Thunderroads Magazine published the article in their magazine. If you think this would be an article of interest to your reader base, feel free to publish it. I have sent a few pictures if you choose to use them. Members of the riding club were Tagging Texas Lodges in 2008. This means we were trying to visit as many Texas lodges across the state and take our picture with the lodge in the background. It was a lot of fun.

 Dennis D. Cude

My 12-yr-old son (Kevin) and I had made a Spring Break Run last year. I had asked if he wanted to make another trip this year. He replied yes, so we started planning a ride to St. Louis, MO. We had the route mapped out and time to make our final plans and reservations was fast approaching . I went on- line and began checking the weather conditions along our route. Weather conditions were just not looking favorable for this ride. The weather man was predicting 60 percent chance of rain and temperatures in the low 30's. As everyone knows, “cold and wet “ does not a good combination. It was time to switch gears and make new plans. After talking things over with Kevin, it was decided to make a ride to Big Bend.

Katy Masonic Lodge

Kevin and I left Deer Park, TX on the morning of April 15th. We caught I-10 and headed west. Our goal was to get on the west side of Houston, then hit the back roads. Our first stop was Katy, TX. We stopped and grabbed a hamburger for lunch, then asked a couple of Katy's finest if they could direct us to the Masonic Lodge. They kindly directed us to the lodge, where Kevin and I set up the camera and took our first picture. Our Tag Texas Lodges tour was officially under way. Tagging a lodge is taking a picture of a lodge, our motorcycle and us).

We left Katy and stayed on Hwy 90 to Brookshire. We stopped in Brookshire, and took in a local car show. After the car show we asked 5 people if they knew where the Masonic Lodge was located. We finally found a gentleman that was able to give us directions. We tagged our 2nd picture. We left Brookshire and headed to Sealy, TX. We only had to ask 2 people before we found someone that knew the location of the lodge. Things were looking better. Our next stop was Columbus, Texas and some gas. We saved the lodge in Columbus for another day.

We proceeded to Schulenburg, TX. This is where things started getting good. We made a left on Hwy 77 and went to downtown Schulenburg. After riding around town looking for the lodge we decided to stop at the auto parts store. We asked the salesman if he knew where the lodge was. He said it used to be this section of my store. He had purchased the old lodge building several years ago. He then directed us to the new lodge location. Tag Texas Lodge #3. Kevin also began to notice a few things. He told me “Hey dad, I wouldn't mind living here. There isn't much traffic, the people are friendly, its quiet, and they have some really cool old houses”. I explained to him this was the way things were many years ago. If someone was traveling from East to West across Texas, they had to travel through the small towns. I also explained the interstate system was designed to move people from point “A” to point “B” in a shorter period of time, as a result the small towns suffered because of it. We continued stopping in the small towns, tagging the Masonic lodges along the way.

Hondo Masonic Lodge

Our first night in Alpine, TX found us at the Ramada Inn Limited. Lack of preplanning on my part was almost a nightmare. I was not expecting all the Motels and Inn to be full this time of the year. Oh yea, did I mention this was Spring Break. Everyone was supposed to be at the beaches not West Texas. The hostess at the Ramada was very helpful. She was able to find us lodging for our second night at the Riata Inn located in Marfa, TX. We found the rooms were large, clean and reasonably priced. The manager's were very personable. When we got up Tuesday morning, we found the temperature to be 39 F. We hung around the motel until about 11:30 AM. The temperature had risen to 45F. We hit the road to Ft. Davis and the McDonald Observatory. Due to the temperature, I suggested riding into Ft. Davis and then up to the Observatory. As we rode up the mountain we began to encounter a little sleet and snow flurries. We reached the Observatory and looked around for a few minutes. As we were preparing to leave, several motorcyclist arrived at the Observatory. They had made the loop around the mountains. I ask them what it looked like. They told us, they had ridden through 3- 4” of snow. It was time to head down the mountain and toward home. Everything was going well until we were approx 50 miles west of Ozona, TX. We ran into a little drizzle, followed by light showers, strong head winds and the temperature started to drop.

By the time we arrived Ozona we were ready to call it quits. We pulled into a motel to get a room for the evening. After waiting in line at the check in counter, it was finally our turn. I told the attendant we needed a room. He replied “We do not have any more vacancies”. This was just what I wanted to hear. Kevin and I climbed back on the bike and went in search of another motel. As we were riding through a neighborhood, we saw approx. 100 wild turkeys walking around in peoples' yards and in the street. What a wonderful sight. We found a room at the Travel Lodge in Ozona, checked in, then went in search of a place to eat. If you are ever through Ozona, TX, stop in at The Café Next Door. They had one of the best Chicken Fried steaks I have eaten in a long time. They are located on the feeder room along Interstate 10. After a good night rest, we got up to find the temperature about 45 F, but we had clear blue skies. This was going to be a great day for riding. We left Ozona and headed for the house.

Ozona Masonic Lodge

We tagged a total of 15 lodges during this trip. Kevin was surprised to learn how old some of the lodge buildings were. We learned you had to ask, on the average, 6 people in a town before you found someone that knew where the lodge was located. Usually, they had overheard the question being asked, “Where is the Masonic Lodge?” Many of those asked had no idea what the Masons did. This was troubling for me. As Masons, we need to be more active in our communities. We can be more visible by participating in parades, charity events or setting up booths at local community events. We can wear the Masonic emblems on our shirts, ball caps, belt buckles and lapels while participating in these activities.

I learned we need to get off the interstate highways and show our kids the real America, the small towns and rural areas, the old homes, the way of life outside the cities and the history of our country. This is our opportunity to spend quality time with our children. If you ride a motorcycle, I encourage you to take your son or daughter for a ride or a trip. They will remember this special time for a life time.

Overall, we had a great trip, spent some quality time together and mad memories to last a lifetime. Kevin said, he enjoyed riding through the small towns, the roads less travelled, and the Big Bend country. His favorite road was River Road (Hwy170) from Study Butte to Presidio. It reminded him of a roller coaster. Marfa, TX and the mystery lights are spectacular, the McDonald Observatory is interesting and the scenery around the Ft. Davis Mountains is awesome. Now, the question is - Where do we ride next year? Guess we will see where the weather directs us.

Dennis Cude
Deer Park, TX
Liberty Lodge #48
Deer Park Lodge #1362, PM
Freemasons Riding Club Chapter #17 – Gulf Coast Travelers – Director GWRRA Chapter “C” TX
Order of DeMolay – Pasadena Chapter - Advisor

A jury has determined that the Masons did not defame or damage a former Grand Worshipful Master when they threw him out of the organization.

Frank Haas, 53, of Wellsburg filed a lawsuit against the Grand Lodge in Charleston and two members of the Masons hierarchy - Charlie Montgomery and Charles Coleman. Those two men succeeded Haas as state leader of the men's brotherhood. Haas claimed he suffered emotional distress after being unexpectedly expelled as a member in 2006, shortly after his term ended. He said other Mason leaders were unhappy that he attempted to change some of the group's restrictions on race, age and disabilities. But after more than a week of testimony from both sides, the jury decided against Haas on all counts.

The case was presided over by Kanawha Circuit Court Judge Carrie Webster.

Haas is an attorney and administrative law judge. He told the jury that the membership of the Masons approved his reforms, but there were allegations of fraud concerning that election. The changes ended up being overturned by Coleman.

Jack Tinney, the Charleston attorney who represented the Masonic lodge, Coleman and Montgomery, said he was pleased with the trial outcome. “It was a complete defense victory," Tinney said. "The jury found in the defendants' favor on all counts. They awarded no damages."

The jury was asked to decide whether Haas suffered any damage due to his ouster and whether any of the three defendants placed him in a false light or intentionally inflicted emotional distress. They decided no on all issues.

Tinney said, "They feel incredibly justified and pleased with the result. They certainly believed their actions were proper and within their province, and the jury verdict affirms that."

Whether the court had any business refereeing the decisions of a private organization was a point of contention in pre-trial arguments. Tinney asked the court to dismiss the case on that basis, but two judges - first former Circuit Judge Irene Berger and then Webster - decided to let the case go to a jury. But the verdict sends a message that such organizations have much leeway in how they manage their affairs, make their rules and deal with membership issues. “With regard to the future, it's a private organization that controls its own operating procedures," Tinney said. "I'm confident they will continue to do so."

CHAPTER 3

The reporter raced to the one place he knew he could find answers: the U.S. Capitol. Dashing into the building, he found the first of the names on his list — House Minority Whip Eric Cantor. The Virginia Republican offered a few cryptic words as he ascended the grand House stairway just beneath an enormous painting of George Washington. Cantor's fellow Virginian was perhaps the most famous American Mason, but nine signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Ben Franklin, and 13 signers of the Constitution were Masons. As many as 14 presidents have been Masons.

Legend has it that the fraternal organization descended from medieval stone masonry guilds. Its membership is open to men of any religion, so long as they profess faith in a supreme being.

It has long attracted conspiracy theories that Masons seek to control the world. Its members, though, say it is simply a social and charitable organization, albeit one with secret handshakes and codes.

"I joined the Masons about 20 years ago, because my dad and uncle were members of a lodge down in Richmond," Cantor said as he climbed the stairs. "But I haven't participated in a long time. I'm just too busy." He says he doesn't know anything about the new Dan Brown book and continues down a hallway.

The reporter quickly moved to a subterranean portal: the Senate subway. Soon enough, a figure emerges from the long tunnel. It's Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. He, too, is a Mason.

"I really like the ceremony," he says. "That's what drew me to it." He says his father-in-law invited him to join the Masons in the mid-1980s. "A lot of our Founding Fathers were Masons. Maybe because they liked to be so rebellious and nonconformist."

But Tester hasn't read the Dan Brown book, either. And when the reporter prods him about the conspiracy theories, he says simply: "I don't put a lot of stock in all that." Tester disappears onto the Senate floor.

Maybe Tester's fellow Mason, Sen. Chuck Grassley, can offer enlightenment. The Iowa Republican says part of the appeal is the fraternity's egalitarian worldview. "There are Masons in every country and in countries like Iran, where they are probably underground. Hitler didn't like Masons," Grassley said. And although the elaborate rituals may seem silly to outsiders — including the red fez worn by Shriner Masons — he said, "Don't judge us by the funny hats we wear."

The reporter was beginning to panic. He still hadn't found the Knight Templar. He vowed to press on.

CHAPTER 4

It was going to take an even more exalted personage to solve the mystery. The reporter dialed the phone number of Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), a 33rd Degree Mason. "It's a real first-class organization," Coble says of Masonry. "If people conducted their lives along the way the Mason code is spelled out, there would be far fewer problems, far more solutions and far less chaos," Coble says.

Ordo Ab Chao: Order out of chaos. He's alluding to the Masonic credo. Now we're getting somewhere.

The reporter presses for explanation. Coble demurs. "I can't speak more openly than that," he said. "I don't want to get drummed out of the lodge."

He explains that his Masonic brothers have already been lenient with him — since he's too busy to get to meetings very often, he forgot the password to the lodge in North Carolina recently. A fellow Mason had to vouch for him.

"I'm proud to be a Mason," Coble said. "But I'm not proud of my attendance record."

CHAPTER 5

The reporter raced through the other congressional Masons on his list. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.): Recently injured in a boating accident, he doesn't respond to the reporter's summons. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.): unavailable. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.): recently hospitalized.

The reporter stood in the opulently carpeted speaker's lobby just off the House floor, peering through the glass doors into the chamber.

There, he spotted the object of his pursuit.

It was so obvious. How could he not have known?

The Knight Templar was standing in the back of the House chamber, chatting amiably with his fellow Democrats. 

This was it. The moment the reporter had been working for.

Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) emerged, briefly, from the chamber. A genial 60-year-old with bushy eyebrows, the diminutive Rahall didn't look anything like a medieval crusader. In fact, his family roots are in Lebanon, not Europe.

But Rahall is also a 33rd Degree Mason, who joined the secretive society about five years before he ran for Congress in 1976. "When I joined, there were a great deal of older individuals who helped me along the way and to whom I am deeply indebted to this day," he said.

"We call each other 'travelers,'" Rahall explained. "To become a 32nd or 33rd Degree Mason, there are a whole slew of degrees before that, and it's a long road we've taken together."

Rahall said he achieved his 33rd Degree status by two routes: through the Scottish Rite and through the York Rite, where he participated in the Commandery. That's the portion of the Freemason tradition that makes Rahall a Knight Templar.

And although he hadn't read the Dan Brown book, Rahall says he understands why the Masons attract so many conspiracy theories.

"It's because, particularly in the early days, there were code words to get into the lodge, and everything is done by rituals," Rahall said. "The Masons themselves helped perpetuate the myth, knowing it was just that — a myth."

The reporter screwed up his courage to ask one final question.

So is there a global conspiracy?

"No."

But you wouldn't tell me if there was, would you?

"That's right," Rahall said with a smile.

Chuckling, the Knight Templar traveled back though the portal to the ancient floor of the House of Representatives