THE FIRST 100 YEARS
OF
SACRAMENTO LODGE No.40
JOHN H. GASS
John H. Gass,
an original petitioner of Sacramento Lodge was born in the State of New York in
1822 or 1823. He was the first Worshipful Master of Chattahoochee Lodge
No. 61, F. & A. M., at Franklin, Heard County, Georgia when it received its
Charter dated Oct. 26, 1847. He remained on the roll of that Lodge until 1852
when he apparently could not be located by that Lodge. John H. Gass was the first Junior Warden of Sacramento Lodge U. D.
In 1854 when Sacramento Lodge No. 40 received its Charter he was elected to the
office of Senior Warden. He apparently came to Sacramento, California from
Franklin, Georgia in 1849 or 1850 as we find him established as an attorney in
Sacramento in April, 1850. In that year he entered into partnership with Peter
H. Burnett, the first Governor of the State of California and Philip Leget Edwards, an original petitioner of Sacramento Lodge
under the firm name of Burnett, Edwards & Gass.
In October, 1851, Edwards withdrew from the partnership and the firm continued
as Burnett & Gass. In July, 1854, the partnership
was dissolved and Gass entered into another
partnership under the firm name of Clark & Gass.
This partnership apparently terminated in 1861 and Gass
practiced law alone. The first Common Schoolhouse in Sacramento was erected
upon the corner of Tenth and K Streets on land generously tendered rent free by
John H. Gass, and was dedicated with appropriate
ceremonies on Jan. 2, 1855. Until 1863 he stood well in his profession and was
considered one of Sacramento's outstanding citizens. On March 12, 1863 the
entire community was shocked to learn of his arrest in San Francisco on a
warrant sworn to by a citizen of Sacramento charging him with forgery. Others
then began to suspect him of fraud, among whom was
Peter H. Burnett, his former law partner. In default of bail he was interred in
the Sacramento County Jail. On April 17, 1863, it was announced in the Sacramento
Daily Union that eleven indictments had been found by the Grand Jury
against John H. Gass, six for forgery and five for
grand larceny. N. Greene Curtis, Past Master of Washington Lodge No. 20, and
Past Grand Master of the State of California and Frank Hereford, his attorneys,
succeeded in obtaining a change of venue to Placer County, but Gass was held temporarily in the County Jail at Sacramento
pending receipt by the Sheriff of an order by the Court of Sessions for his
removal. On July 23, 1863, he apparently attempted to break jail but
emphatically denied this in a lengthy letter which was published in the Sacramento
Daily Union on July 25, 1863. The next day Sunday, July 26, 1863, John H. Gass made his escape from the County Jail and no further
record of his existence has been found. His escape was made during the Civil
War and it has been suggested that he changed his name and joined the Southern
forces. On Wednesday, July 29, 1863, the following item appeared in the columns
of the Sacramento Daily Union: "A rumor having been in
circulation that J. H. Gass, who recently broke jail,
has, during his confinement, been taken from the County Jail to the Lodgeroom of the Masons for the purpose of being present as
his trial before the body upon charges preferred against him for un-Masonic
conduct, we had obtained correct information concerning the rumor, and find it
entirely without foundation. The facts are these: Previous to the discovery of
his supposed attempt at escape, in order to enable him to be present at trial,
an offer of permission to attend under strict guard was made to him but
declined. Subsequently, on the occasion of another trial, he expressed a desire
to be present but the Commissioners appointed by the Lodge to take the
testimony in the case declined, for fear of the possibility of an escape or
attempted rescue. To ask that he might be brought from the jail, and there
held a session and examined the witness in the presence of the accused. This is
all the fraternity had to do in the matter, and so far from endeavoring to
shield him, we are informed that he will, in all probability, receive at their
hands the severest sentence known to the Masonic Laws." Sacramento Lodge
No. 40 expelled John H. Gass on Aug. 7, 1863.
Transcribed
by Sally Kaleta.
Proofread by Betty Vickroy.
© 2007 Sally Kaleta.