The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1868-05-13

Oi TIC AAsuASinuttDn COM
Scimitars.
1t will he recollected that a den o.
the Ku-Klux Klan was recently bro.
ken up in Memphis by the police, and
that the rebel papers of that city tried
hard to make it appear that the or
ganization was not connected with the
ku-klux, but was an innocent assem-
blage. Jack Camfbell, formerly city
editor ofthe Araidnche, and "Grand
Cyclops" of the den, however, came
out ina card in which he denied the
truth Of the ap6logists' version of the
case, and declared plainly that the
object of the association was assassina-
ton. Since the appearance of the card
the Memphis Appcal-Albcrt Pixies
organ-published a manifesto signed
by sixteen Of the men arrested, in
which they professed entire innocence
of the designs attributed to them by
Campbell ; said that they were Gre
ligiously educated" etc. To establish
his veracity, Campbell furnished the
following detailed account of the or
ganizaticn ard projects of the fcndsh
conspiracy to the Memphis Bulletin, of
Friday last. We bespeak for it a care
full reading:
The Appeal has, from time to time,
since the unfortunate publication OF
the card of the religionsly trained, but
lying "Sixteen,' taken occasion to deny
the truth of my statement, and to cast
personal reflections upon ME. For the
latter | have no concern, knowing that
if every asserted fact was true, that
even then my character would bear
favorable contrast with that of more
than one dttoche of that uns6rupulous
sheet. So much for the personal, now
for the facts. never charged that
the organization with which | was ar
rested was a ku-klux one, but | did
charge that it was band of men, all
the way from nintcen years to beyond
middle age, banded together for the
Of assassinating men who had
rendered themselves Objectionable to
them. True, the fact is undeniable
that most of the men arrested were
young, and all the indiscreet signers
Of the "card" were such, but behind
these are a number of other men who
have not as yet joined in the assault
upon me, and whose names | do not
consider would be honorable to bring
into the matter, 1t is unnecessary for
me to 90 over the ground already COW
cred in my first communication, except
so reitcratc tlay every assertion made
then is strictly true. The association
It the title Of the arrest co sisted of
about thirty-five members, nearly all
IF whom had numbers.
The officers were all duly sworn in
upon the skull, and | Immediately as
'umed command of the organization as
Cyclops, and gave the mem-
bers present Il lecture in regard to cau-
lion and secrecy.
A. G.. Ferguson, all the time prom-
ncnt. then moved that the masks and
badges should be procured, and that
1t our next meeting all should be suit
IDLY clothed. The meeting then dis
oersed, the members disappearing two
It time, at intervals of five minutes.
During this meeting much hard Ian
,uage, and theats for the future in re-
gard to getting away" with several
obnoxious individuals was indul scd
II, in which took my share, being as
bitter, if not more so, than any of them
md not word of protest was made
~ any of the religiously nurtured
'omg men against the objects of the
organization, \. G, Fergusdr in par
icuIar, being most blood thirsty in
lined.
At the next meeting Che Thursday
about twenty-five members
we're present, and again A. G. Fergu-
on, the poytege of the appeal, loomed
lp, and moved the appointment of the
ASSASSINATION Committee"
a nice appcndagc for a base ball or a
lee club, truly His motion was
econded and against my protest aud
he protest of most of the older-headcd !
nembsrs it was carried, some of the
eligious-nurturcd youths actually
heering. Fergusons motion was the
hat committee shouId consist of seven:
This was lost, but the motion was
gain renewed, and after | had SUBJ
nitted it to the members, | called Mr..
|. l.. Risk to the chair, spoke to the
question, and told them that if such
hing was carried through at all, that
he committee was too large; the men
elected would not feel like placing
heir lives in the hands of more per-
ons than was necessary, and that when
he selection was made, it should be
one by placing the numbers of all |
members in hat, and that the first
hree drawn out should be the men
insisting, however, that ifsuch a thing
vas done that l should be placed at
he head of it, for the purpose of con-
rolling it and saving the hot headed |
ools,who were bent upon their own de-
truction. This was done, and N. T. |
Reeves, Z. M. Haley and j. w. !
)ashiel selected as said committee,
he religious -nirtnred" Mr.. A. c. 4
Ferguson insisting that when any
work" was to be done that he should |