Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-14
BEAUMONT AND KU.KLIx.
''6sreat Cry and Little wOOl"-Beau
ment's kH.KIRx Rumbug Thor
oUgbly Exposed. .Ts ..-..

'fsFeaG Cry and Little WOOL Beau
nnent's kn.KIHx Humbug Thor
oUghly Exposed. .gf -.s
The Memphis Apalaaete of the 12lh
inst. publishes the following exposure of
Beaumout's cock-ana-balI story of the dis
covery Of den OF Ku-Klux:
AN EXPLANATION, fss
The undersigned were the persons ar
rested by order of s. 3. Beaumont, Police
Commissioner, while quietly engaged in
private room, offending R9body, and in no
way disturbing the peace and quiet Of the
neighborhood. f
The original organization was merely q
Serenading Club, for our own amusement
and mutual entertainment. II was pro-
posed to increase its sphere, by adding
Glee Club, looking only to amusement,
and adopting such forms as are incidental
to all organizations for the preservalion
Of order and regular transaction of business.
We had several meetings, in which moth
ing transpired that could be tortured into
| political design, or conspiracy against in
dividual or government, unless the fact
that we were all young men OF Southern
birth, with Southern sympathies, and re-
stricted our associations to those similarly
situated, be deemed obnnxinns 70 such .Rb-
| JectioB. While we contemplated no injury
10 others, it was the understanding that we
would assist each other in any difficulty
that might arise, united by the ties of a
common birth place and mutual friendship.
Under these circumstances, Mr.. j. NJ.
Campbell, who had held a responsible sit
uation on one of the city newspapers, was
introduced by amember, and appeared to
take an interest in our organization. Flat.
tered by his specious conversation, and
looking to him as having greater expert
ence we elected him President, not know
ing or having the most remote suspicion
that be had other design than that for
which the association had organized. We
had no constitution, no bylaws, and those
which were published as found on the per-
son of member we're in his handwriting,
prepared for some purpose to us unknown,
and meeting with general disapprobation
among the few 10 whom they were dis
closed-the mass Of members knowing no.
thing Of them whatever.
At the time this Campbell was made
Chairman, he recommended that we should
constitute ourselves into a political organ
ization, although the members were not all
of age and not entitled 10 the elective
franchise. This he pressed upon us, but
did not meet with encouragement At the
last meeting he repeated his attempt to in
volve us, assured us that several distin-
guished gentlemen would, with our per-
mission, meet rs and initiate us in the
mysteries of the parent organization to
which they belonged. Knowing the gen.
tlemen referred 10, and confident that they |
would advise nothing unbecoming citizens
and gentlemen, we expressed a willing |
ness to receive them, but we have the best |
reasons for believing that he had no au-
thority to use their names, and il was only |
part of the scheme he was maturing to |
carry out for some purpose of his own, and
to influence us that he did use them.
Finding that he had signally failed in
making us instrumental in ehecting his |
object, whether out of chagrin, or through |
precOncerted arrangement, he gave such |
Information as led TO our arrest in detail,
Campbell pretending ignorance or showing
no knowledge Of onr capture, as we left the |
hall in pairs, unsuspicious of what awaited |
us, aud he remaining in the hall until en-
tered by the police to see il the whole party |
had been captured. and there giving unmis- |
taxable evidences that he was in the plot |
to betray us, through what motive, unless |
to srcnre Jndas-boughi fee, and establish |
the reputation of the police chief for Figi- |
lance, we know not.
The paper 80 ostentaiiously paraded in |
the newspapers, was not accepted or signed |
by a single member of our association, and
was simply designed to prepare and entrap
us. 1t was in CampbelPs possession, and |
had not been out of 1t, as far as we knew or |
know, until conveyed 10 Col. Beaumont. |
We believe that Campbell was Beaumonfs |
stool-pigeon, and acted through his advice |
and direction. No doubt has been left on |
our minds OF his duplicity, and his hypo-
critical and kuavish purpose TO involve us |
in difficulty 10 secure reward for his SER
vices as an instrument of the police.
We assembled without the least suspicion |
of harm, and among the whole society there |
were found, when arrested, but three re-
volvers and a derringer, a number of |
weapons that might be exceeded among any |
twenty persons taken unawares at any /
time in Memphis. There was but one |
mask, and that Campbell himself had. The |
skull found was one left by the Botanical |
Medical College, a year previously, in the /
cart ol Tue pliysiCldu Nhose IoOu We OC-
cupied, and was simply used by MS, for want
of better, as a candlestick.
We present this frank and candid ex-
PLANTATION to prevent the further spread of |
misrepresentation. We have no knowledge |
of any other Ku-Klux besides ourselves,
or their mysteries.
The above explanation was adopted /
unanimously by the members arrested
4. L. Risk, w. j. Littleion, Jr.,
President. Treasurer.
A.C Ferguson, Sec'y. F. M. Haley,
s. Wallace N f. Reeves