Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-14
ADVERTISEMENT
A Card.

Explanation, signed by n number oil
young men who had been arrested on the
previous Monday as members Of the Ku.
KIux Khan, by the Metropolitan Police
under the leadership OF Colonel Beau
mont 10 self, defense, Mr.. Editor, l
have TO lay before the public De facts OF
my connection with this organization,
and shall do so as briefly as possible.
The charges made against me personally
in the arhcle,,.a ARE all, singly and collect
lively, lies, aud now propose through
the medium Of your columns 10 give to
the public the whole history Of my con-
nection with the affair. Some three or
four weeks ago I,'along with a party Of
friends, happened into saloon, and
while waiting for the refreshments,"
one Of our number observed placarded
in the bar-room the word "Trix." Some
one said that was X. X X. sign. /
remarked | wished ! knew il to be
so, as wanted some OF IT," There the
conversation dropped. A few minutes
after we went out Of the saloon, Mr.. A.
c. Ferguson stepped up TO me, and said I:
Jack, do you want TO find the Ku-
Klux2" ! Immediately answered yes.
He then said: Meet me at eight
o'clock on Thursday night, and will put
you through" I think this conversation
occurred on Tuesday night / met him
on Thursday night, according to appoint
ment, and he escorted me to the corner
Of fernando and Deal street, when and
where Mr.. I. L. Risk swore me into what
/ then believed, and what its members
gave it out 10 be, a ku-Klux den. A
fact / do know, that the oath admins
tered by Mr.. Risk, although not as much
of an iron-clad as the last one adopted,
was, to all intents and purposes, as blood
thirsty and as binding. When these gem
tlemen say that made any effort to turn
their "Glee Club" into a political So
ciety, they lie, for from my first intro
duction into it, it was one. They say
they had no constitution and no by
laws Admitted but they had rules of
governance, the oath and list of mem
bers, safely locked in a safe not hun
dred miles from Madison street. j could
give the name, and would, did l think he
had anything to do with the "explana-
ton" AT the meeting at which / was
sworn in, committee of two was APP
pointed to draft constitution, oath,
manner of initiation, etc. That commit
tee consisted Of A. G. Ferguson and my
self; and the document seized bylColonel
Beaumont, although entirely in my hand
writing, was our joint production, was
adopted withou. dissenting voice, and
each and every member swore to it, ex.
cept, perhaps, one or two who were absent
frem the city. After the adoption of this
document | was nominated for "Cy-
clops," and twice declined alleging as
a reason that was not the man for the
place--that was too impulsive and rash
and ommending that the old or
ganization should be continued until
we could get into our ranks some cool,
clear. headed man whom we all could
trust. told them they might feel salts
fed in trusting me, but could not trust
my own discretion. They elected me,
and was sworn in. The next move
made was motion that a committee of
five on assassination should be APP
pointed. l opposed this at the time, as
did all the older members of the associa-
ton, considering it injudicious. 1t was
carried over our heads, and the commit
tee actually appointed, reduced, how
ever, to three, of which was the chair
man. / placed myself on the commit
tee, as ] told them, for the purpose of
controlling and directing them, as l
finally succeeded in doing, and to my
presence on that committee may be as
cribed the fact that a somewhat notorious
county official is not now sleeping with
his fathers. Do the members of this
J." assassination committee wish their
namesf publishedp Do they wish the
number and names of the candidates
voted for to be assassinated published ?
If they do all, they have to do is to say
SO. In fact, as they have violated their
oaths and undertook to brand me as a
traitor, l am prepared, if necessary, in
to lay bare to the public
gaze facts and figures, names aud
dates which would send thrill
through the length and breadth of
this land. / have the records in full
of the transactions of the concern
since | became. identified with it. The
charge that Colonel Beaumont and my.
self we're in collision is simply prepos-
ferrous, for the blows / have struck him
through the columns Of the Apdlanche
were too honest, and came too straight
from the shoulder for him to forget them
so soon. / might aa we'll be accused OF
collision with Judge Hunter to send
Colonel Galloway to Jail. In this con-
nectioD, however, as a matter of justice,
would publicly call upon Colonel Beau
mont to tell how be succeeded in ferret.
ing us out. | know it ia asking good
deal, but the charge of collision has
been made against me and his evidence
is not undesirable. That this was Ku-
Klux den ! do not know-it claimed to
be one. 1t was at all events an associa-
ton of men banded together for the pur-
pose OF carrying out the obligations of
the oath, which has already been pub
lished, and that vas, If necessary, assas-
before Joined it. One circum-
stance l had almost forgot to mention
and that was, that just before the last
about eight or ten of us had
agreed to Withdraw from the concern,
not feeling safe in trusting the material
which composed it. When these men
charge me with acting as the stool
pigeon" of Colonel Beaumont, OF any
other he IN Christsndom, shsy lse-indi-
and collectively. Had they been
as true to themselves as ] was to them,
they would not now stand before the
as perjurers. use this Ian
guage understanding its full meaning;
and tell them here that, dssdssindte me
hey may, but intimidate me they cannot,
They cannot make me the scspe goat to
bear their sins inio the desert. | stood
up Tor them before Beaumont and de-
nounced to his face his act as that of
.yrant, unwarrsnted by law or right, and
protested against them giving their ad-
lressos, when net one Of them had the
Il l.. Al