Vice-grand Masters, but these
latter cannot be admitted into the secrets of the former till they are
promoted, although they are obligated to do his bidding. The members who
had been advanced to the highest degree, and hold the principal secrets
of the order in connection with the colonel their leader, were about two
hundred. These were the individuals conspiring against his life, in case
they could not procure their letters and other documents. Their main
and first object was, therefore, to bring those papers to the city.

The papers were sent for, as before stated, and all their designs, of a
public and private nature, set in active operation. Of this the colonel
had no knowledge at the time. Mrs. B. was to give them up to the
committee appointed for the purpose of inspecting them. All that would
have any tendency to injure or expose the fraternity, if brought to
light, were to be selected, and the rest brought forward for the purpose
of convicting Taylor. The intention of bringing these papers to the city
being, in the mean time, made known to the colonel, he gave directions
to his sister-in-law to reserve such papers as he specified, and hand
the balance over to the committee. The trunk in which they were
deposited having arrived, Mrs. B. acted according to directions,
reserving the notable package which she concealed between her beds,
while she conveyed the residue to the prison office for legal
purposes--to be used by the committee, who met there by consent of one
of the prison keepers--he being a Grand Master of the secret band and
one of the principal policemen. After delivering up the papers, she
returned and found her valuable deposit had been removed as previously
stated.

The fact of their removal being made known to the brotherhood, they
thought some base person had robbed the lady of her important charge.
This opinion prevailed with the fraternity generally. Not so with the
two hundred grandees. Their opinion assumed the character of their
former suspicions, while their suspicions were converted into fact. They
were now fully convinced that the colonel contemplated the destruction
of their order, and was intent upon keeping the papers in his own
power: that he had even entered upon the act of defeating the very
purpose they had in view, in bringing those papers to the city. At this
time the city was crowded with the members of this secret society, and
private rewards were offered by the two hundred or th