Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-05-22
THE KU-KLUX KHAN. a

/ lately had some eXperience-quite enough
! for his own atisfaction-amOng the ku-
Klux Klan of Middle Tennessee. The
young man is Alvah A Richardson, the
son of Mr.. S. w. Richardson's we'll
known lumber dealer of this city. The
| story is entirely reliable in every particu-
lar, and Mr.. Richardson still bears on his
/ person the marks of the injuries received
| in his flight from the murderous band
We give the story as related to us by Mr.
/ r. ON the first day he was able to leave his
| bed after his arrival at home.
/ About the middle of April last, Alvah
| A. Richardson, of Cleveland went to Mid
| die Tennessee for the purpose of buying
/ cedar land, the cedar to be cut and used
| for posts, ETC. Excellent opportunities for
/ doing a profitable business were found by
| young Richardson, and bein@ ;dequately
supplied with money, he som made sew
/ eral important purchases. On Monday,
/ the Goth of April he reached Shelbyville,
a town well known during the war for the
i villainous secessionism Of many of its in
| hahitants. Shelbyville is reached by a
/ branch of the Nashville and Chattanooga
/ Railroad. The only public house there is
i kept by one Colonel Blackwell, a well
/ known and active rebel At this house
Mr.. Richardson stopped, and at once en-
| gagged in his business. He had no difficulty
/ in satisfactorily arranging his business
with the bank, and found there was plenty
/ of such timber as he wanted for sale. He
thought about three hundred acres Of valu-
able cedar land, and began negotiations
for a gang of wOrkmen to cut the timber.
| In looking about for worlkmen, he found
/ plenty, white and black. The whites de-
manded $15 per month, while the blacks
were willing to work for $40 per month.
Under these circumstances, and influenced
also by the fact that the negroes were
| likely to be quite as efficient and vastly
/ less troublesome than the whites, Mr..
Richardson engaged a number of blacks
for his work. This we have stated definite
ly, as it affords the only clue to the
bloodthirsty persecution to which Richard
son was almost Immediately subjected.
He became aware of the prevailing public
sentiment by hearing much conversation
| at the hotel and about the streets All
this went to show that the rebel element
was active and exceedingly bitter con-
cerning the supposed wrongs of the whites.
Brownlow was denounced in the most
violent manner 1t was frequent remark
that day of retribution was coming-that
niggers could not long be allowed to vote,
etc, while white men were disfranchlsed.
1t was also stated quite freely that the
| Ku-Klux Klan was 10000 strong in Ten
nessee, that it was already extended to
| New York and other Northern cities, and
would. before long work out a terrible
revenge for the followers Of the lost
cause ~ 1
Richardson, however, having no special
interest in political matters, and not inter
| fering with them in any way, even in con
| yersation, anticipated no trouble, and in
| dustriously prosecuted his business. He
procured white man for his guide, SO I'D
| rode over the neighboring country lJok-
ing for cedar land that could be bought.
On Wednesday, April %, he was thus en-
| gagged, and had ridden with his guide about
eight miles out from Shelbyyille.1 Passing
along a cross-road in thinly settled re-
gion, they suddenly met two men, mounted
and armed The guide said he knew the
/ men, and that they Qhimsef and Richard
! SOM had 'sbetter get back on to the pike. "
/ He gave no reason for this caution, but
| Richardson assented, and they started to
/ 90 to the main road Within mile, how
| ever, as they were passing through some
| tlickly wooded land half dozen men,
| mounted and armed, with their faces par
| tally covered, and their horses also dis
| guised, suddenly rode from the brush and
/ planted themselves in the road in front.
| The guide instantly wheeled his horse,
about, and without word disappeared as
fast as the animal could carry him, leaving
Richardson, confounded by the suddenness
of the maneuver, sitting on his horse. few.
| feet from the masked party. He had heard
| enough since coming to Tennesseeto know
that he was now before a party of the
| bloody Ku-Klux Klan, but he knew not
what to do. He could not run, for he was
totally lost in the wild country. He had
not long to wait, however. One of the.
masked men addressed him:
! Stranger, whar do you belongsFaog
| Richardson answered that he had that
morning come from Shelbyville
+aa'' You don't belong in Shelbyville," re-
| piled the man; "whar did you come
| from?''' go 80. -. F.~lT
"From Canada, before came 20 Ten
nessee,' replied Richardson.
Canada! Well, you're the one we're
after 2 was the reply gy
The party were about to advance, when
Richardson, almost unconsciously, wheeled
his horse about and ran. The animal was
a good one, and the pursuers could hardly
keep in sight. Two or three bullets sent
after him only served to urge Richardson
on the faster. Finally he had got beyond
sight of the pursuers entirely, when, in
| going down steep hill, his horse STUN
| bled and fell, breaking his own. shoulder,
and leaving Richardson lying senseless ON
the ground, bis head terribly cut, and his
body badly bruised in dozen places.
Here he would undoubtedly have soon
been in the hands of the X. K K s again,
had not party of negroes, at work near
| by, witnessing his fall, carried him off into
the brush and shut him in one Of their
shanties The horse was ruined, and the
negroes killed him to end his misery.
When Richardson returned to conscious
ress he was in the negro shanty, his
wounds had been bound up, and his
(arky friends were preparing to take him
to Shelbyville. Under their escort he ar
rived at Blackwelrs Hotel, in Shelbyville,
during the afternoon, where the services
/ of surgeon were procured, and he was
made as comfortable as possible.
Colonel Blackwell and some other of the
prominent citizens came into the room and
talked freely about the affair, the Ku-Kl
Klan, ETC. Hardly had his wounds been
dressed when note was handed to Rich
ardson; no one knew where it came from,
or if they did, would not tell. 1t read as
follows
.sCHAMDER OF DEATH.
Stranger.
1--WE give you from now till the next
train goes, to leave Tennessee.
"If you don't go by that time, Wen call
on you again tonight"
Tbaro 1xyac NO ciCuattlre To the note bllt