Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-09
RADICAL KU.KLUX.
Democratic Negro Hung Up by LOyaA
Leaguers Ira Observation-Disclosures
Escape from a Swinging Limb. as

Democratic Negro Hung Up by LOyaa
Leaguers ira DIsguise-RemarIEabf
Escape from Swinging Limb. a'
| While little-minded, cowardly hearted
Radicals are inventing lies and malicious
charges against imaginary Ku-Klux to in
duce the Legislature to call out the militia
| and inaugurate a war on all industrious
people who have well filed smoke houses
and corn cribs, the balance of the party. are
trying their hands at the Ku-Kiux bust
ness. The difference between the two
orders being that the original Ku-Klux are
! a terror to the guilty and punish unwhlpt
criminals, while the new order tortures and
frightens only the industrious and innO-
cent. We have already mentioned the fact
that Barbour Lewis, the blacklist hearted
white man in West Tennessee, had organ
lied Ku-Klux cIub to scare weakened
Republican negroes and keep them in
the Loyal Leagues. This report has re-
ceiyed additional confirmation, and it APP.
pears that Radical Ku-Klux extend opera
tions far into the country, where negroes
are more disposed to be Democratic.
Last spring a respectable colored man,
named William Johnson, a blacksmith by
trade, who never took much part in poll
tics, removed from Memphis to Haywood
county. He hired himself out to a man
named George Williams, who lives fifteen
miles above Brownsville, and seven miles
from the railroad. johnson was frequent
ly approached by white Radicals in the
neiehborhood, who made themselves busy
to find out his politics. He kept his own
counsels for long time, but about week
4 - oF flCr,, -, 1bo obCs, tot
he did not intend to vote for Grant and
Colfax, unless he knew more about it.
They at once denounced him as a secesh
and a Rebel sympathizer.
Last Saturday night Johnson was called
ont of his cabin, where he was making
basket, by three men with black faces. One
of them, at least, had the voice of a negro.
He asked what they wanted; they said
they were friends and wanted to talk. He
went out and took a seat on the fence. Sew
eral others came up, some mounted and
some on foot, until iiften were assembled.
They then asked him if he intended to vote
for Grant and Colfax, and he told them he
would not unless he knew more in their
favor. Whereupon n rope was pro
duced and put around JOhnsOn's neck and
the other end thrown over limb near by.
They then pulled himup abOut two feet from
the ground, tied the rope to a sappling and
left him swinging in the air and started off
with yell. The victim had the use of his
hands, and happening to have a knife in
his pocket, succeeded in cutting himself
down. The Loyal Leaguers returned and
chased him some distance into the woods,
firing their pistols and yelling bravely.
johnson made goOdtime until he fell across
large log and startled family of hogs
from their resting place. The Leaguer5
chased the hogs some distance, thinking
they were after johnson, while he recovered
from his stunning fall and slipped of in
the opposite direction. He walked to the
railroad that night, and reached here the
following day. He testified 10 these facts
yesterday, and also saw on the streets one
of his known observation-disclosures AUd-
LaHehe, Aug, z.