The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-08-05
NA1cBEz, July 2, 1868.


EdFoT Y3ela5sZg ReptEe2teDL:
One of the most outrageous and bar
barous acts ever committed in this
country, or in any civilized communI-
~. was committed By the rebel Demo-
Gratis of the Ku-Klux Klan on the per-
son of an innocent and inoffensiYe man
By the name OF Steward, a white man,
a Republican, and member of the
Union League. Dir. Steward is a man
that would not harm even child. he
has for the last year been teaching a
colored school In the neIghborhood OF
Washington, in the county Of Adams
This, in the eyes of the rebel DemocEa-
CT, was another great offence.
Will give you the statement OF Dir.
Steward himself, and you and the pub-
lie can Judge OF the enormity OF the
I live near Washington, in Adams
county, Mississippi. on the Ferguson
place. Sometime before daylight on
morning, July 10, heard my
name mentioned several times. One
of The voices recognized as that of my
neighbor. He was asking what Ia the
mat,er?" The reply was, "Is Steward
no. we want to see him. We have
got into trouble in Natchez, and want
his advice and assistance. L am anold
Of Stewards, OF Tensas.
In Louisiana" On bearing this I
opened the door and stepped out on the
gallery. I had no clothes on but my
night shirt and drawers; and as l
stepped out saw my neighbor stand
ing near my door, and the other on the
gallery at the bead of the steps. as l
stepped out, 1 asked, "What is the
matter ?n
The man nearest me replied, ''There
has been a great row in Natcbez to-
night, and four coloEed men and two
white men have been killed, and We
were mixed up in the scrape, and We
want yCur advice and help 10 gel
away" I replied, ~ know nothing
abo1: it, and can't give you any advice
what to DO, and have no means 10
Ielp you with" Thought at the time
they were colored men; for it was dark
so dark that one could not, unless by
close observation, distinguish between
persona. The one nearest me then.
said, come down the steps, I want to
say word or TWO privately"
I replied, wait a moment until I
pot on my pants and shoes" He said,
Never mind your pants aud shoes, we
baye no time to lose; it is near day and
we must be Of from here come, I
won't keep you an instant" 1 started
down the steps with him, and when we
were down al the bottom the other fol-
lowed. 1 was drawn a little to one
ElQE. a LIEE3 nHE4 a LA44AN purity
stepped upto me and placed pistol to
my breast and said, zone loud word
and I'll blow your brains out" Tire
other two took each one of my arms
and placed pistols at the side of my
head and said, keep silent or you die
on the spot" discovered then they
we're white men in disguise and were
satisfied they were Ku Klux- They
| led me forward some distance to the
IN both Ei6nu nF tho Fnn6 fhnFn
is hedge, in many places very heavy
and thick. AS we passed along the
road others fell in and joined us until
| the number had increased to fifteen OF
twenty. was marched along the
road some considerable distance, sur
rounded on all sides by men in disguise,
and each man with a revolver in his
hand. I was halted, andafter some Ku-
Klux cabalislic signs and motions ]
was ordered to kneeI down and say my
prayers, The man that was with me
| from the start, when 1 was on my
| knees, stepped TO the side of the
road and brought large can. and
came up to me with il in his hand and
from a sign given another OF the Klar
| pulled back my head, and tbe.one will
The can began pouring the contents ovel
nv head and face. Another was, Will
| a large wisp of hay, rubbing the stuf
over my lace and through my hair
one of the Khan said Don't pour !
all over his head and face: pour 1t al
over the body OF the ID Radical sor
| OF a." l kept jerking my heaC
from one side to the other SO rapidly
that the man with the can became en-
ragged and swore at me, and said he haG
me now, and he would giYs me taste
OF hell on earth before he got through
with me. He cursed me fora Cd dc
Radical son of -, and made use o.
words and language that had beer
| spoken 10 me at a Democratic meeting
few days previous to the election.
recalled the words and at once recog
nized the voice and the language to bC
that of the same person who had threat
eued INC. The man that first spoke tC
me on my gallery. and the man who
was pouring the contents of the car
over me, and the man that cursed
abused and threatened me at the Dem
ocratic meeting, are one and the samt
person.
The ingredients were poured all over
my head, face and body, and my nigh
shirt md drawers were completely
saturated with the ingredients OF the
can, which nave found out since were
coal tar mixed with turpenttne anc
| some other intlamable mixture. A
this time the Khan held consultation
| for few moments, and then one o
| them said: This place does not suit
1 let's go further up the road." They
then took me further out on the road
and when they halted, the leader
mean the one that had been with mt
from the first-told me toget down OF
nv KEGS and say my prayers. One
asked me is I had not said my prayers
l said ono" He said: you had bet
ter say them id quick. for you will
be too id busy in n few minutes tC
have time TO say them." .
The ring leader then stepped up and
ordered silence, and said to me: lyon
are a member of the Loyal Lacquer"
told him was. He then said: "Give
me the signs and passwords" 1 told
him could not. He repeated the de-
mand several times, but kept silent.
He became enraged, and cursed and
id me. Iagain recognized that same
familiar voice and the same words that
had been nlnde use TO me on "a for
mer occasion. After he cursed and
swore at me, and repeatedly demanded
| League, I said: "You have me in your
power; l never harmed you nor any
one else in my life. You have already
tormented me, almost beyond endur-
Rnce, but II you are not satisfied, do
| with me as you will. 1 am completely
In your power, but spare my life; for
Gods sake, don't kill me-" Some OF
the Khan said, "Set fire to the did
Radical son OF a BIB, and let him 60 to
hell in blaze, where all of his stripe
will soon beW Al this l rose to my
feet, and L begged, entreated and pray
ed and implored for them to spare my
life. WAS forced down on my knees,
and was again asked for the signs and
passwords of the League. made nc
reply. 1 was then told to count ten,
and that would be as long as had to
live. Some said, Lets shoot the id
Radical son of a b-h," and others said