THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

information. This whole story of the murder of Hiram Abiff is a profane falsehood, as I
shall more fully show in another place. Hiram Abiff was never murdered. Solomon never
gave any such sign, or uttered any such words. The whole story is false; both the grand
hailing sign of distress, and the accompanying words, are a profane mockery, and an
insult to God. But what is the thing promised in this part of a Master Mason's oath?
Observe, the candidate swears. "should I ever see that sign given, or hear the word
accompanying it, and the person who gave it, appearing to be in distress, I will fly to his
relief at the risk of my life, should there be a greater probability of saving his life than of
losing my own" Observe, it matters not what is the cause of the distress in which a
Master Mason may be--if he has committed a crime, and is likely to be arrested, or has
been arrested; if he is imprisoned, or likely to be imprisoned; if he is on trial in a court of
justice and likely to be convicted, and a Master Mason is on the bench as a judge, or on
the jury, or called as a witness; or is a Master Mason a sheriff and has the prisoner in
custody; or is he a constable, having charge of the jury to whom the case is to be
submitted; or is he a prosecuting attorney, appointed by the government to prosecute him
for his crime, and secure his conviction--in any of these cases, the prisoner giving the
grand hailing sign of distress, binds, by a most solemn oath, the judge, jurymen, sheriff,
constable, witness, attorney, if a Master Mason, to seek to release him, at the hazard of
his life. All who are acquainted with the practical results of this section of the Master's
oath, as they appeared in the investigations connected with the murder of William
Morgan, are aware that Master Masons kept this oath inviolate, when efforts were made
to convict the kidnappers and murderers, insomuch that it was found impossible to
execute the laws. Cases are reported as having repeatedly occurred in the administration
of justice, where this hailing sign of distress has prevailed to rescue the guilty from the
hand of justice. In another part of this oath, you will observe, the candidate swears, that
he will apprise a brother Master Mason of approaching danger, if within his power. This
binds a Master Mason to give a criminal notice, if he understands that he is about to be
arrested. If the sheriff has a writ for the arrest of a brother Master Mason, this oath lays
him under an obligation not to arrest him, but to give him notice, that if he does not keep
out of the way, he shall be obliged to arrest him. If the magistrate who issued the writ is a
Master Mason, his oath obliges him to give the criminal Master Mason warning, so that
he may evade the execution of the writ. Reader, get and read the pamphlet published by
Judge Whitney, of Belvidere, Illinois. It can be had, I believe, at the bookstores in this
town. This pamphlet will give you an account of the trial of Judge Whitney, who was
Master of a lodge, before the Grand Lodge of Illinois. It will show you how completely
this oath may prevail to obstruct the whole course of justice, and render the execution of
the law impossible. If a Master Mason is suspected of a crime, and his case comes before
a justice of the peace who is a Master Mason, or before a grand jury upon which there is a
Master Mason, or before a court or petit jury in which are Master Masons, if they keep
inviolate their oath, it is impossible to reach the execution of the law. Furthermore, if
there be Master Masons in the community, who hear of the guilt and danger of a brother
Master Mason, they are sworn to give him warning. It is no doubt for this reason, that
Masons try to secure amongst themselves all the officers connected with the
administration of justice. At the time of the murder of Morgan, it was found that to such
an extent were these offices in the hands of Freemasons that the courts were entirely
impotent. I quote the following from "Stearns' Letters on Freemasonry," page 127: "In